I'm currently drawing up a shopping list for brakes for my new build and interested to hear people's thoughts and opinions. Car is going to have circa 250 bhp and be somewhere around 700kgs wet with a driver. Front uses cortina derived uprights and the rears are mk4 golf.

Fronts. Options I've seen are,

std M16. Reliable if not a bit heavy.
Hi spec, they have the ultralite or the billet 4, ultralites from googling may be a bit lightweight and some have experienced flex.
Wilwood, powerlite, dynalite or midilite options. Used powerlites before but on a less powerful lighter car. Would the midilites be a better option?

Then there's the discs, should I stick with the 245mm solids or upgrade to 260/285 vented?

Pads, really like the 1144s so I'll probably stick with em.

Rears.

Standard golf.
Hi spec golf handbrake caliper
Wilwood handbrake caliper? Not sure if they do a golf fitment?

Any input or personal experiences gratefully received.

Steve

I've got a stylus that probably weighs around the same as your car, may be a nick lighter , it runs mk 2 escort solid discs with wilwood midlite calipers and hawk pads, it stops no problem, once warmed up a bit, nice and progressive.

Shooter

As far as I know the cortina uprights are very similar to the escort/Capri ones, I put the caprisport gtr260 kit on my Anglia - rs turbo discs, Sierra 4x4 calipers and machined the hubs down with longer bolts. Not the lightest but cost effective. Discs are 260mm. If you can run 15" wheels the gtr300 kit uses fiat coupe turbo brembo 4 pots with 300mm discs. All brackets available on eBay.

I have powerlites (with vented discs and Hawk DTC-30 pads) at the front, golf callipers with 1144s at the rear on a 730 kg / 320 bhp car, they do a great job.

[Edited on 24/6/16 by rodgling]