a-ha... upon closer inspection, i see that there are plenty of threads in there, only they've been covered up by the original paint. our local bike co-op has a 26tpi bb tap, so it should be no problem. as much as this bike/project has been a pain in the posterior, it's a nice feeling to find solutions to problems. i haven't been able to ride my twenty in over six months, could today finally be the day???