Looks like a 7 speed cassette is on there but difficult to tell for sure. One thing I noticed is the way they routed the shift cables from the brifters. I've never seen them run under the bar tape with the brake cables. Perhaps this is why it has shifting problems.

If you can get the shifter issue worked out and the rest of the drivetrain looks good, I'd leave it all as-is. If you need to spend much to get the shifting corrected, I'd look to take it to a 9 or 10 speed if you have room.

Carbon forks could be a nice addition. Aluminum bike can be a bit harsh and the CF forks will help a lot. The only difference you'll probably notice with CF bars is a lighter wallet. Concentrate on getting everything dialed in. Replace anything that NEEDS replacing and get out on the road. If you really want to part witrh some money, buy a beater bike to use when you want to get in some miles but don't want to muck up the C'dale.

Good luck and have a blast.