This isn't so much a stellar transformation story asone of thinking outside the box. I needed a 700c wheelset and decided finding a whole bike selling for cheap might be the least expensive way to find a set. Enter this late 70s Takara, the CL add stated it had been upgraded to 700c wheels, I could see a mavic sticker in the pics and when I got to the seller to take a look I saw ultegra hubs and gladly paid $75
As found
Then I stripped the bike of the 700c wheels and its suntour bar cons which I sold on eBay for $26 and was left here
Middle stage
I am fortunate to have a robust parts bin so 27" wheels, tires and tubes were gathered and I spent about $15 at the co-op for shifters and orphan front fender and a few nuts and bolts and ended up here
finished
A functional, beater, winter bike with fenders rack and kickstand and it got sold and the nice 700c Mavic Ultegra wheel-set was basically free. It was a lucky find.