These are the brakes you are talking about. In the words of Enzo Ferrari "Any body can make a car go fast. However, it takes a genius to make it stop".
The problems you are describing here could be a number of issues, leaking booster, faulty vacuum pump, seized or sticking calipers, the ABS system either hydraulically or its electronic control system, internally collapsed brake hoses, blocked brake lines etc etc etc.
DO NOT play the 'home mechanic' with what could ultimately kill you or even worse some other poor individual who was in your path.
Take your car to a brake specialist and have it diagnosed and repaired ........ could it cost you?....... of course it could. But that's a sad fact of owning older vehicles, nothing lasts forever. Manufacture's don't make cars to last otherwise they would not sell new cars.
I am a mechanic and I hear people complain time and time again about the cost of maintaining motor vehicles. What really gets under my skin is the people will spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a new TV, an overseas holiday or renovate the kitchen and bathroom. BUT ..... when they have to spend $500 on their car for someone to repair it they claim they are being ripped off.
A word of advise ..... These forums are OK for general chat and sharing experiences. However, every person commenting and giving advise here could be held to count if something should go wrong. What you put out there stays there for the authorities to look at.