yeh of course i will engine brake but still i would prefer to have a decent set of pad in case of emergency.. the pads i have in my car atm are **** you do a couple of hard stop on them from like 110 and they are a sponge i have no idea why but it think who ever had the car before me just put a sh!tty set in.. So brake pads are a must i think before i even think about tracking it.. all depends on how much you want to spend on pads....if you want track pads or just high performance pads for rd use.. there is always project mu, endless, and prices can vary from about 180 - 320ish another bang for buck pads are acre pads which JDM yard may have.