Oddly enough, monkeying around with assorted Clunker Challenges has given me a newfound respect for the humble Weinmann Vainquer 999 centerpull! I've used original Weinmann pads, though the black Weinmann pads or the grey Dia Compe work better than the red Weinmann pads. Sometimes I gently sand the contact surface to remove any oxidation. There's always the option of running Kool Stop salmon or the classic Scott Matthauser pads, too. Teflon lined housing with nice stainless cables always helps.

Mafacs have more setup options, for sure, and I think I need to score a set of them for my next project.