From my quick inspection earlier today I don't think there is any significant burring inside the rims, where the tires would seat. The wheels spin pretty true surprisingly, however the spokes need attention. Some are loose, some are corroded but I'll have to check the spoke holes tomorrow. What's the width range for tires i should be looking at?

Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I want to start from scratch. I guess I'd need a 23".

If it were mine, I'd re-build the wheels with fresh spokes and nipples, but that's just me. The spokes are probably zinc-oxide, so not as easy to keep clean. Depending on the extent of oxidation, you may be able to simply clean up the ones that are there if you are just going to use the bike for light duty. Again, I'm an advocate for fresh re-builds but that's just me, and you may not want to drop any money into the project.
If you plan on riding offroad, I'd definitely re-build the wheels.

The older mountain bike rims were pretty wide. Any tire 2" (50mm) or wider would be fine.

Depending on the look you're going for and style of tire, here are some options:

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...e-26-inch-tire
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...ch-tire-58-559
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...-apple-26-inch

Most original mountain bikes could take pretty hefty rubber, so anything up to 2.3 or 2.4 inches should fit. constriction points will be the chain stays and seat stays (where the tire passes the frame) and the fork crown.

Come on up to Michigan. You can have this one. I will likely not get around to overhauling it for a while.

Holy crap $30-40 each.. ouch. This bike will probably only see light duty and I'm thinking just all black tires.

I think one of those I linked was $18. You can hunt for close outs on the cheap, too.

EDIT: I left the link off my original post: https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...26x2125-57-559

Ok cool, tires are covered. Now, should I be worried about the rust on the frame? You can just barely see it in the pics. It's basically the area where the seat tube, tt, and rear stays meet under the saddle.

From the pic it looks superficial. some 00 or 000 steel wool and a touch up should do the trick.

And what do i touch it up with?

I'd just use some auto rattle can paint. That's a topic with many possible approaches.

Since the frame is decent but not high end, one option is to do a frame re-paint on the cheap. Check out cobrabyte's bike that he posted below. I'd bet it was a hand sand and rattle can job, and it turned out pretty nice.

My Ross Mount Hood will not take tires that wide in the rear. It has IIRC 1.8s in it now. Might take a slightly wider tire, depending on how agressive the nobs on the side are. Not a ton of clearance.

ain't nice to tease folks like that. got 'em allllllllllll worked up!

while not super high end, there are a lot of appealing aspects to this bike to me. it's a big frame for a mtb which are harder to find. the cranks, brakes, bars, wheels, and maybe shifters are cool. esp rims and hubs.

also that seat has potential, albeit of a different kind. just pick up a couple of large googly eyes from an art supply store and you got something that little kids will go nuts for.

That is absolutely fantastic. I spit up my cola upon seeing this...

LOL!!!!!
This is great!

Haha! If only I hadn't tossed that saddle already..

So I guess the consensus is that I should go ahead and get it fixed up. Should be a fun project.

Good tires make a big difference. Really good tires, 60-70 bucks each, make such a profound difference in ride that I can't explain it in words. Don't cheap out on the tires.

Exactly! Sanded & rattlecanned semi-gloss black. Holds up great if you take the time to primer

I'll take both of those into consideration, thanks.

Does anyone know what the leather loops on the hubs are for? The look original but I can't think of anything they'd be used for..

When I was a kid, we called them "hub shiners". Basically, they help can the barrel of the hub shell free from oil and dirt build-up. It's one of the harder places to get at, to clean up properly.

So are they supposed to be attached to anything or just hanging there?

They just hang loose.

not POS -1

Ok cool Interesting..

Yeah I know I'm still a noob. I took one look at it and only saw the dirt and rust.. I'm learning though

what would be a good high end tire for a bike like this? do they make high end 26 x 1.5 street tires?