Welcome, Hank. I am reminded of my first bike that I got in my adult life, and old Austrian 3 speed. Still have it, but have
found bikes and riding to be a bit of an addiction! Have added a nice old Trek 560, Sun recumbent, English 3 speed,
etc, to my fleet!

Does the Nishiki have 27", or 700c wheels? Replacing the old steel wheels with modern alloy should improve both
acceleration and braking. If it is 27", it might be a bit of a challenge finding either a nice wheel set, or just
rims to build your own.

Best regards...