Nishiki serial number question
 

Still thinking about my Nishiki Prestige restoration project. It has the "handcrafted by Kawamura" decal on the chainstay, but the serial number (under the bottom bracket) is WB0 436, with the first 3 digits on a separate line above the second three. I thought all the Kawamura-built frames had serial numbers that started with K. What the heck?
Also, the little plastic ornamental seatstay cap/inserts (embossed with an ornamental "N") are driving me nuts. I don't think it's possible to remove them without destroying them. If I do remove them I assume I'd be left with ugly holes, sort of like empty eye sockets. They seem almost impossible to mask cleanly so the frame can be media blasted without damaging them. Since they're plastic, they seem unlikely to withstand the heat of powder coating. Maybe I should find a different frame, but that seems like a waste since I already have this one and kind of like it. Any ideas?

If you don't want to risk removing them, I'd mask the caps with tape, blast it, then clean up arpund the caps by hand. Once your ready to paint, go to your local hobby shop, one that sells plastic models. There is a company called Microscale that sells a liquid masking solution called Micro Mask. You paint it on with a brush, let dry, paint your item, then peel the mask off. It's great for masking intricate items like head badges. Sounds like it may allso do the trick for you.

Yes, the Kawamura frames do typically start with a K or C. I've seen some exceptions. It can be frustating.