A conceptual reengineering framework is presented that proposes extract,  transform and rewrite as three characteristic steps to be performed  within a reengineering cycle.  The cycle is illustrated by an application example and a prototype tool  for the C programming language. This tool supports its user in consistently  renaming identifiers, in moving functions and in editing function  comments.  Then, the generalization of this approach into a metaCARE technology  is sketched and ways of implementing a metaCARE tool are given