Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixed Gear newbie on a budget

Hey everyone,
I am aware of what a basic fixed gear is and understand there is a subculture that goes along w/ it.

I am intersted in one for several reasons, as a ride around town/commute bike, and to help my cadence and form for racing.
and it seems like a purist type style

I am on a tight budget, but do have some spare parts lying around.
I have a complete Douglas fusion w/ Ultegra groupe not in use.
also have some old Dura Ace rims I could use.

is it worth converting this bike?
should I get a true fixed gear frame?
any help on how to get started on this project and the parts I woul need/want
please inform me!!!

The number one issue with determining whether a bike should/could be converted is dropouts.
Typically you want horizontal dropouts so that you will be able to have some room to adjust chain tension. If you have vertical dropouts(which I expect you do) The easiest, yet rather expensive option is the ENO eccentric hub.

You could also get your chain close, and then use half links to make the vertical dropouts work in a fixed gear setup.

It would be nice if u can post pictures of your bike... in that way we can tell u exactly what to do... Im assuming u have long road dropouts...

U/M

The fusion will have vertical dropouts. If you're sure you won't ride it anymore, you could get some pretty good money for it and buy a complete fixed gear/track bike. Or, sell some things, buy an old road frameset, and convert.