Ahh, thanks a ton, miamijim; I think we've found a winner! I'll double-check the brakes; maybe I mistook them for side-pull. The tube shifters are suntour (re: redneckwes), but not sure about the front derailleur (at work right now). So yeah, I'll call it an '83 P8. Almost as old as I am!

As for the wheels, the pads are already most of the way down in the calipers. Is there a (easy) solution besides lowering the pads?