The bike in my avatar is an '82 Schwinn Traveler, and old Schwinns are awesome!
700c wheels/tires fit just fine, and a Tektro 556 long reach front brake fits them perfectly (and is good for quick stops and avoiding needless law enforcement hassles).
(If you want to read my build blog to see most of the steps in a conversion, click on
http://www.losangelescyclist.com/200...ie-part-1.html then just click on the links in the upper right for the other parts.)