What's the best way to improve the brakes on a mk2 polo. Will the standard setup cope with better calipers as there's no servo. So does sticking vw11 calipers on actually improve then breaking much.

What brakes do you have now, what's you reg? Early polo's had the old postage stamp brakes so anything is better than that.

VWIIs are vented so cope better with brake fade but normal braking is unlikely to be affected as the surface area and braking moment (due to the diameter of the disc) is the same.

Vauxhall 256s or Girling 54s are better and although they will make the pedal harder, and longer, they are an advantage. I have used both of these and they are fine in terms of feel, just don't skip leg day!

It's only a 1 litre 1989 breadvan. Looking to engine swap Sometime soon now it's all repainted and suspension is done. Just want to get brakes in place before I look into the engine.

You can't get bigger brakes in the 13in wheels, the main problem with that car is that there's no servo. The lack of power assistance makes them feel very weak but once you develop a strong leg they're as good as other cars.

As Prankstar said, a vented version is available - VWII calipers are wider so they accomodate the thicker vented discs. But as they're otherwise the same and use pads with the same footprint, normal braking is no different.

I replaced my 180mm rear drums with 200mm drums, which are also wider, this helped. And without the adverse effect i was expecting (although hard braking into fast corners can lock up an inside rear wheel i never had both go).

Changing to vented is a good upgrade. The main problem with mk2 brakes, once you've got past the feel of them, is heat fade and discs warping. Going to vented solves this.

So what do I need to Upgrade to vented. I no I need vw11 calipers and g40 discs and pads. What about the carriers and brake hoses.

I fitted braided hoses at the same time as the VWIIs and 200mm drums, so in the transformation i don't know how much they helped. Plus the old fluid was full of air, so the pedal was always gonna be more responsive after the rebuild. Note, solid.

But it seemed daft to replace the brakes on all four corners and stick with rubber pipes! And i don't think the improvement would've been so clear without the hoses.

My loudest call for the hoses though has nothing to do with braking - i used the wrong type bolt for the track arms and had a failure, with the ball joint parting from the hub. Going over a roundabout at about 50mph.. The front wheel crumpled the wing and i went into a spin and off the road.. All the car's weight went against a locked front wheel, it ripped the driveshaft out, tore chunks off the tyre, but the Goodridge brake hose held onto the hub like a 5-ton chain.

This minimised the damage and i was able to pop the driveshaft back in at the roadside, swap a washer on the bolt to give the track arm enough life to get me home, and the brakes still didn't leak - on that i'd say the brake hoses are strong enough to lift the car off the ground!

This big shout out for Goodridge should be balanced with an issue i have with them though. They don't have stainless fittings. They do corrode, though mine are about ten years old now, have been on two cars and three sets of brakes.