3alarmer thanks once again for clarifying. i won't be able to start on this for a week or two. bike projects are best suited for the weekends right now and i haven't quite finished the current project (bontrager privateer). furthermore, the super is still intact, so gotta tear it down. i'm praying the bottom bracket will come out easy enough. i don't think it's ever come out judging by the looks.

btw, i'm not seeing any genuine pitting on the frame itself. the fork, though! maybe someone around here will want that since i have a new one on the way <<hint hint>> i mean, it's not bad bad, but it does need some work to look cosmetically good, again