Any question answered...

Weinmann Vainqueur centre-pull brakes - any good? I need some long reach (70mm at the rear, 65mm at the front) brakes, preferably from the late 70s/early 80s. I appreciate they're going to be nowhere near as effective as modern double-pivot sidepulls, but are there any better options out there?

I think most Vainqueurs have nylon bushes in the pivots, which are likely to be well worn on any which aren't NOS or near-to*. Also, the stock hangers, especially the front one, are very flexy, leading to wasted movement in the actuation. That aside, using new cartridge pad holders with modern compound pads will bring them most of the way up to the standard of anything current in that depth.

*If you were a proper tart, you could re-bush them with Oilite® :-)