I have an 85 Expedition, too. I picked it up this spring so I've only had it a few months but I've put a couple hundred miles on it commuting (with two small panniers) and have done one century on it. Based on that, I second your thoughts about selling it to help pay for what you want. I've found mine to be a bit on the heavy side for commuting and weekend rides. I imagine it would perform well fully loaded (its intended purpose) but it's over-kill as a commuter for me.