Originally Posted by
hachi_kid
not quite minimum wage.....I make anywhere from $10-$15/hr, depending on tips (adding tips and our $5.25 hourly wage...). I may have a wheel built, in that case...I can't seem to find any pre-built deep v wheels. either that, or I'll just buy a fixed/SS wheel, and install an 8 speed cassette in place of the sprocket. is that doable? I might save a bit of money that way.
No. Fixed/SS wheels use very different hubs than a cassette hub, and they are not interchangeable.
Listen- that bike might have cost $130 when it was brand new. When it was new it was a very basic, cheap, somewhat durable bike, similar to a Schwinn Varsity. It's at least 40 years old now, and it's a collection of mismatched parts, some of which are lower quality than the originals.
It's not worth modifying.
For what you are planning on spending on that bike, you could get a brand-new hybrid bike from Nashbar:
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...47_-1___202383
You're depending on the bike to earn your money- it would be better to get something current, maintain it and learn to fix things as they break. Hot rodding old bikes "just because" is better left to after your time in the Air Force, when you have a job and disposable income.