Thanks for the continued insight - even though some of it is over my head lol
To address a few things:
-I don't have any interest in turning it into a triple. As was stated before - I'm in Houston and I'm not exactly burdened by hills!
-I'm content leaving most of the gear the way it is as y'all have convinced me it's worth keeping it - with the exception of the shifters as I mentioned. However, I'm not a fan of the low & forward hoods on what look to be track bars. Would I be a terrible person for getting new hoods , levers, and drops? Is it safe to assume the quill is a 26?
-Can the downtube shifters be indexed?
-Are 27 tires still available - and for that matter wheels? I'm not sure the true condition of the wheels yet. Moving to 700c would require a change of the brakes because of the reach, yes? Though I am also assuming y'all would recommend keeping the wheels because of the nice hubs?
Either way, my first steps will be cleaning it up best I can, and having someone take a look at the hidden parts.