i love projects: 1984 sekai big foot

Just scored this as my latest project.
1984 Sekai Big Foot. All TIG-welded. Seller pointed out the reason the price was so low: The bottom bracket shell had cracked and he had a local framebuilder repair it. The repair looks good and it's been clear-coated to protect it from rust. The piece de resistance is the fork crown, a sexy bi-level affair that just makes my heart sing.

It needs a few parts -- the grip-shifters and saddle HAVE to go and the badly bent front wheel may not be truable -- but If all I wanted to do is overhaul the loose-ball bottom bracket and headset (assuming the latter is still good -- it's pretty tight right now), clean up the drive train and slap a new chain on, I couldn't go wrong. It even has decent upright handlebars for city riding, on what I'm guessing may be the original stem. Add fenders and a rack or basket, and voila! A perfectly nice city bike.

Oh my goodness -- just look at that fork crown.
I don't know why, but for me the fork crown is one of the sexiest parts of a vintage bike. Even on a budget-level model like this that crown stands out.

Yum.

The seller upgraded the cantilever brakes and they seem totally fine, so I'll keep them. I'm not setting out to restore thing, just to make it a nice rider. Swap in some new rubber, friction thumb shifters and a new saddle and it'll be fine.

I'll post pictures of my progress with this beauty. It's a diamond in the rough and a great spring project.