Hi, new to the forums, great resource!

New to this awesome realm of cycling...
I have a '85-86 League Fuji I just bought. It has a little rust in corners and just marks from regular wear and tear.

On it now I have:
dia-compe 400 calipers
Shimano mountain brake levers
sugino rt double crank
Nitto stem and promenade bars
suntour le pree rear and front derailleurs
Ukai 700c rims.
MKS sylvan road pedals

anyway...

I guess my question is that is it pointless for me to want to put upgraded parts on my bike for what the bike is?

As biking is my primary mode of transportation, I'd like to be a little more stoked on my ride.

for example, I want to replace my calipers with some dura ace or suntour calipers and switch out my pedals soon too.

from my prior research, I think I am content with the le pree set

right: MUNI does suck, I use it and I know.
The biggest bang:buck will be upgrading the wheels, I don't know exactly what Ukais you have, but they are probably the OEM. Maybe keep them as a 2nd set and spring for something really nice and in tune with good tires.
The brakes are sort of cheepo, but nearly all road calipers mated to mtn. brake levers work really well. Rather than some pricey vintage sidepulls (which we all like, of course), why not some modern dual-pivots with fresh Koolstop pads? That's going to give you enough grab to stop on any SF hill...well, maybe

It certainly sounds like you have a good starting point with your current ride. It is true that dual-pivot brakes will stop better than the single-pivot brakes that you currently have. Unless you're going for the lightest or fanciest - and this bike seems more like a easy-riding commuter - Dura-Ace is kinda overkill. Tektro makes nice dual-pivot brakes that will outperform your current set and don't cost too much. And they come in different reaches, which may be necessary on your bike.

The pedals are an easy swap. I have used and like the MKS touring pedals. Be sure to follow the usual advice regarding MKS pedals - when new there really isn't enough grease, so be sure to rebuild them once you get a pair.

I fear you want to upgrade for the joy of ownership, not for functional reasons. If so, at least be honest.

The biggest bang for the buck in upgrading is not in wheels but in tires.

Pedals won't make a darn bit of difference unless (1) your current pedals are uncomfortable or (2) you want to change your foot attachment system, such as by getting clipless pedals.

You can upgrade your brakes with Kool Stop brake shoes. Not as sexy as new calipers, but they may make all the difference you need. And it's a low-risk experiment, at $10 per pair.

Save your money for a new bike, and consider the advantage of having two bikes: one for transport and one for pleasure rides. You'll get stoked to ride your "nice" bike on pleasure rides, and you'll let your old bike be what it is and appreciate it for what it is. And if something should happen to it, like a calamity or theft, you won't be too crushed.

I guess by saying stoked, to me it encapsulates joy of ownership and better function. But yeah that little tooth on the outside of the pedal cages is very uncomfortable...

And as hilly as it is here that was another reason I thought maybe more premium parts would be better because the lighter ride would help when climbing hills, but that is just my inexperienced speculation. Great insights so far!

Hills are more about the motor, and less about the bike. You are not going to save that much weight wise.

Set the bike up the way you want (within your budget), don't worry about how it works out as an investment, because it won't. It doesn't matter when you keep the bike.

+1 Tires can make a nice improvement.

Make sure what you have is in top notch mechanical shape first: bearings, grease, cables, chain and housings.

LePree is pretty decent stuff.

What they said, but also don't under-estimate what a little elbow grease and polish will do to make a bike look new again. I'm currently working on a bike for my velo-cheapo build, but after shining up a couple of parts, I have to re-evaluate them. Now I'm going to have to keep them and send the bike off with something a little less nice. Since you're keeping the bike, any components that you think will give it that extra something are worth it. Maybe not for resale value, but for personal enjoyment.

Yeah, there has been some pretty good advice. There are some MKS pedals without the barb at the end, the touring pedals are wide and flat. I have a pair on my commuter and I like them a lot. Like others said, MKS pedals need overhauled right out of the box. If you have a longer commute clipless pedals might be a nice upgrade.

I think the Tektro dual pivots would be nice. Like Tom said, you can probably get your dia-compes to perform a bit better too. There is nothing wrong with wanting to mix and match parts. It's all part of the fun and I can definitely understand wanting to hang jewelry on your bike.

Now I know for sure you're from the midwest.

Thanks guys yeah I guess with all the advice tires are going to be the next upgrade...pedals too...

I think I like the quill pedal style more and noticed Velo Orange doesn't have such a protruding prong like the mks... any thoughts on it?


And on the subject of brakes and things...

I feel like my shimano brake cables stretch a bit... are there any companies out there that are known for strong cables that dont stretch? Affordable? Worth it?

all cables stretch when new, until they stop stretching. You can buy some that are "pre-stretched" (maybe they are and maybe it's hype) as well as those that are mandrel-drawn (extra smooth surface) and coated with teflon (or something extra-slippery like it). I've used all of them, I can't say whether any of the "extras" made any difference to the quality of my life...up to a point cables is cables: I do prefer stainless steel over galvanized plain steel cause they don't rust.

They actually don't stretch, though you get the effect as if they do. What we think is cable stretch is actually housing compression. Housing compresses, mostly when new.

Galvanized means zinc-coated, which doesn't rust, though it does discolor into a dark grey color. Some cables are neither stainless nor galvanized. I agree that stainless are the best, because it stays smooth.

When I install a cable, before I put the cable into the housing, I rub grease on it, AND I pour oil into the housing.

except for: you can still get that stretching effect when you run a naked cable with no housing anywhere, as with a cable run from a DT shifter to a FD...maybe the housing compression adds to it, but if the housing stopped compressing after its "break-in" then none of our adjusting barrels would work.
Zinc doesn't rust, true, it corrodes to chalky gray , but I have seen dozens (hundreds!) of plain steel cables that started out galvanized, lost their zinc, and then rusted...zinc is "fugitive".
Lastly: a light bodied lube is recommended for unlined housing (without a teflon liner), but not grease...why? because grease can actually impede the sliding of a long light cable in a long housing (that's what the engineers say) it can increase friction, the opposite of what you desire. This doesn't apply to heavier cables that are subject to much greater loading (such as automotive clutch cables and parking brakes) those are happy with grease.

(OT) I thought that was a central Pennsylvania thing....

That's all the reason you need to upgrade.

Given the bike is your primary mode of transportation, I'd focus first on function, and the parts you have are fine, but make sure cables and pads and tires are good to go.

Given the bike is your primary mode of transportation, I'd focus second on where your body meets the bike: pedals, saddle, bars. Make them what you want.

Given the value of the bike as it is, I'd just go with the elbow grease for a beauty makeover.

1-Functionality is first; tuned, lubed, adjusted.
2-Fit and Comfort; where you touch the bike.
3-Appearance; a little makeup goes a long way.....and I'm not gonna go further with that one.

Figure $100-$150 max to make it right for you. Over that, start thinking about a different bike.

If this is the main problem with your pedals, maybe you could file it down or cut it off. Five minutes with a Dremel tool might solve your pedal prong problem.