Paint: When the paint started getting iffy on mine, I had it stripped and powdercoated. At the time, it was less than $100 and I did it in conjunction with a major rebuild including adding a rear disc brake.
Steering: The fixed stem should curve back toward the rider. See the attached pic and imagine the pivot wasn't there. The stem should remain in the same orientation.
Idlers: If you're still making sure they're right, compare them to the pic.
Front Brake: I ordered mine with Cantis just for that reason. Your choices for sidepulls are more limited, which is a problem with most SWB bents. On my M5 I use an Oval Concepts brake similar to below. They use a noodle because the brake cable comes off the side. I'm pretty sure that other brands have similar offerings; you can confer with your LBS on that.
edit: here's an offering from Tektro, model R725FB
