Hey guys! I haven't forgotten about this thread! I've just been working 18 hour days over here at the conference and don't have hardly any free time to check up on things. Somehow working with teenagers keeps you busy! I'm glad I started this thread to come back to after some long days. While I truly was looking for some good advice, I admittedly also was trying to find a good excuse to get y'all to post up some beautiful bikes to look at...looks like it worked!

Thank you for all your responses, and please keep them coming.

You are making me consider the white tape! I do think it would look really fresh. Once I get the bike back home, I'll get some actual pictures of it up. I nearly can't wait to actually clean it up - it is still completely grungy from when I picked it up several days ago, grimy and dirty, and is going to sparkle. I did the essentials to make it ridable: cleaned the chain, changed the tubes (both flat), and didn't have time to work out cables or housings - braking is a real adventure haha. It is going to clean up beautifully and I'm so excited about seeing this paint come alive and seeing the chrome shine again.

Also, wow. This bike rides fantastic. It is heavy from what I'm used to (DB 531, Ishiwata 22, Miyata TB), when I pick it up, but its weird...it rides a lot 'lighter' than it feels in your hands. I don't quite understand it, but I like it! Also, I don't know if the 32 size tires or the 27" are making the difference, but it rides like a cadillac. Like a big floating boat haha. Like it is so smooth you don't mind it even if you are going slow. A bit different from my other bikes and very different than some of the high caliber bikes posted on here, but variety is the spice of life! Whatever, the case, I'm very much enjoying it.

Originally the bike was, from my research so far, nearly all original, but the original rim was bent like a pretzel. I was a little concerned about if the front end had gotten run over and if something got tweaked, but my fears were alleviated after I threw another nearly matching (non-Ukai) wheel on the front and rode it without hands - it tracks perfectly. This bike is tough!

More to come when I get home. I'll have a nice break from work after our conference is over and will have plenty of time to retreat back into the garage and get greasy.