A few folks chimed in about using aftermarket pads, but what I've also found to do wonders for older brakes is to relax the springs by 30% or so, which makes an unexpectedly large improvement. Even if one is already using good, friction-free cabling, the reduction in spring preload seems to hugely improve the braking power, especially when gripping the hoods. Whenever I do the spring mod, I first measure the end-to-end distance of the un-hooked spring, then compare that (visually) to the distance between spring stops of the open caliper. Then I use a twisting action on a plier gripping one end of the spring, measure again, then do the other end of the spring. This way I am able to keep the two ends of the spring at an equal distance from the spring stops once installed.
David Snyder
Auburn, CA