help - just paid £200 for rusty old calipers

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July 25, 200223 yr

what can i do? needed to get hold of some quickly so used one of the numbers from the back of the autotrader - £75 each I thought sounded much better than trying to buy new and much better than travelling 100 miles to look at a citroen zx, which very nearly happened due to dizzy cow desperate to not give me any info...anyway - brakes turn up through post, one is rusty as hell, other not much better - the shop just snapped the brake pipes instead of unscrewing them and I'm 200 quid down - they're going back for a refund needless to say but has anyone got any ideas - or 2nd hand calipers ??

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July 25, 200223 yr

Surely you could get your own rebuilt for less than £200, then they'd be good as new.

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July 25, 200223 yr

Bloody hell!!! my old ones were a bargain then £35 each one to BigRoy and the other to Jaylox.

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July 26, 200223 yr

Zach,

Where did you get them from? I ask because I am after some myself, and don't want to get landed with the ones you are sending back!

I can't rebuild mine as one of them is warped (no it's not the disc, they are new and have been checked) So I either have the option of spending over £1600 on an upgrade, or getting the standard calipers and put decent pads in.

Cheers for any help.

Neil

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July 26, 200223 yr

Bloody hell Zach! Shocking to the core my friend.

Have you not tried AndyZ and B12Andy in For Sale & Wanted section?

How much are new stock calipers from Nelson by the way? Anyone know off the top of their noodle???

Also noticed that AndyP's car being Series II has nicer calipers than the Series I cars.

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July 26, 200223 yr

I think that's more down to a Jap car having the aluminium calipers.

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July 26, 200223 yr

Originally posted by AndyP:
I think that's more down to a Jap car having the aluminium calipers.

Bummer! I thought it might have been a Series II thing goin' on, might be able to get a pair from the jap spares.

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July 26, 200223 yr

Try MJP in Brentwood if not I might have a pair in a few weeks.

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July 27, 200223 yr

i have some if you want them mate 75 quid for the two? where do you live?

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ADAMZX's OEM+ 2000spec Version R Replica Conversion & Rebuild Project Build Thread

PART ACQUISITIONS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2025
Onto some better news now, everyone.
As many of you know, since getting the car back on the road, I've been dealing with an issue where the transmission isn't shifting through the gears as it should. While it hasn't stopped me from driving the car, it's definitely a problem that will need to be addressed once the ongoing brake issues are finally resolved over the coming weeks or months.
As I've mentioned in a couple of previous updates, I suspect the transmission is currently unable to shift into both 2nd and 4th gear. My assumption is that the gearbox will ultimately need to be removed, disassembled and rebuilt to rectify the fault. While this won't be a small undertaking, my dad and I are planning to tackle the rebuild ourselves. Not only will this save a significant amount in labour costs, but it will also give us the opportunity to learn more about the RE4R01A transmission by removing it from the car, stripping it down, rebuilding it, and reinstalling it ourselves.
Although rebuilding the original transmission would save a considerable amount of money, it would also leave the car off the road for quite some time. After already spending around six to seven months working through the brake bleeding issues since February, the thought of having the car out of action for another extended period of time just wasn't particularly appealing.
With that in mind, I spent the next seven months casually searching the internet for a good used RE4R01A transmission. If I could find a complete, working unit at the right price, it would be a much faster way of getting the car back on the road while allowing me to rebuild my original gearbox at my own pace.
My first option was to reach out to my contact in Japan, Jesse Streeter, to see if he could source a transmission from Yahoo! Auctions Japan. There were a few promising listings available, but unfortunately he wasn't able to arrange shipping for something as large and heavy as a complete transmission to Australia. That ruled out importing one from Japan almost immediately.
My next step was to speak with a local JDM parts supplier and mechanic to see if he had a suitable transmission available or knew of someone who did. As it turned out, he did have a used twin-turbo RE4R03A transmission for sale, but it also required a complete rebuild. To make matters worse, he wanted $2,000 AUD for the faulty gearbox, with the additional condition that I hand over my original transmission as a rebuildable core for him to sell to the next customer.
Although I'd had reasonable dealings with him throughout this restoration, the proposal simply didn't stack up. I'd still have to rebuild the replacement transmission, spend a considerable amount of money, and lose my original gearbox in the process. When I weighed everything up, rebuilding my own transmission was clearly the more sensible option, so I politely declined the offer and continued my search.
As the months passed, it became increasingly obvious just how difficult these transmissions are to find in Australia. Japan had several used RE4R01A gearboxes available for between $200 and $400 AUD, but without a practical way to ship them here they were effectively out of reach. There were also a number of transmissions available in the United States, but once freight costs were factored in, importing one simply wasn't financially viable.
Given how common manual conversions are within the 300ZX community, I genuinely expected there to be a healthy supply of second-hand automatic transmissions on the market. Instead, my search proved the exact opposite. At least here in Australia, good used RE4R01A transmissions are surprisingly scarce, making the hunt far more challenging than I had ever anticipated.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, I stumbled across an online advertisement from an automotive workshop located in Western Australia offering a used 300ZX automatic transmission for just $1,000 AUD.

Initially I thought that this shop was located overseas but when I realised it was a shop located in Australia I knew that this was going to be the one I was looking for.
Needless to say, I couldn't contain my excitement when I came across the listing. I immediately called my dad to discuss the possibility of purchasing the transmission as a replacement for my faulty original gearbox.
After talking it through, we realised there were still a number of important questions that needed answering before committing to the purchase. The listing didn't mention whether the transmission was in good working condition, nor did it specify whether it was the naturally aspirated RE4R01A or the twin-turbo RE4R03A model. On top of that, the cost of shipping such a large and heavy item across the country was a complete unknown, and that's always something I like to factor into the total cost before proceeding with a purchase.
I emailed the workshop to ask them more about the transmission and answer my questions above as well requested an estimate on shipping the transmission across the country to Victoria when I'm located.
The workshop promptly replied later that day, confirming that the transmission had been operating perfectly before being removed from the donor vehicle. Unfortunately, they couldn't tell me exactly which version of the transmission it was which was surprising but they said they were look into it for me.
After doing some research into the visual differences between the naturally aspirated and twin-turbo gearboxes, I carefully examined the photos in the listing and thankfully, all the identifying features on this gearbox pointed towards it being an NA RE4R01A transmission, which was exactly what I needed to match my existing drivetrain.
The biggest surprise, however, was the shipping cost. Despite the transmission needing to travel over 3,400 kilometres across Australia, the workshop quoted just $50 AUD for freight directly to my door.
That was a deal I simply couldn't pass up.
With all of my questions answered, there was nothing left to do but purchase the transmission. I completed the payment immediately, and once the tracking details came through, I was amazed to see the estimated delivery time from Western Australia to Victoria was only two to three business days.
I honestly couldn't believe my eyes.
When it arrived later that week, I couldn't have been happier. The entire buying experience was smooth from start to finish, and I was genuinely impressed that a complete transmission could be transported across the country so quickly—and for such an incredibly low freight cost. It was one of those rare purchases where everything came together perfectly.
https://i.postimg.cc/G2R1vx8n/1-Second-Hand-RE4r01A-Automatic-Transmission-Purchased-1.jpg
The unit was strapped down to a wooden pallet and covering in black shrink wrap.
Because I had the transmission delivered to my work address, I wasn't able to transport the transmission home myself, so I arranged for my dad to drive up in his SUV to collect it and bring it back to his place. The plan was to give the gearbox a thorough inspection, remove the transmission pan, and carefully check the condition of the internals before making any decisions.
If everything checked out, the replacement transmission could simply be installed once the brake bleeding issue was finally resolved. Alternatively, we could have this gearbox fully rebuilt first and then install it, giving me a freshly reconditioned transmission from the outset. At this stage, we were still weighing up which approach would be the better long-term solution.
https://i.postimg.cc/bvkhGBJq/2-Second-Hand-RE4r01A-Automatic-Transmission-Purchased-2.jpg
Finally home safe and sound ready for a thorough inspection process to begin.
For now, though, I'm simply relieved to have found an affordable RE4R01A automatic transmission that is hopefully in excellent working condition. After months of searching, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted, and I'm looking forward to inspecting it properly before eventually installing it in the car.

By DJ_Party_Favor · 6 hours ago6 hr
ADAMZX's OEM+ 2000spec Version R Replica Conversion & Rebuild Project Build Thread

FRONT BRAKE CALIPER PREP BEFORE SANDBLASTING
With the rear brake calipers now fully sandblasted and stripped of their original factory protective coating, it was time to move on to the used iron TT front brake calipers that I disassembled last month. Having refined the masking process on the rear calipers, I followed the exact same procedure on the front pair to ensure every critical surface remained protected during blasting.

The two mating surfaces where each caliper half joins together were carefully masked off. The piston bores were then filled with foam, and the dust boot covers were reinstalled to prevent any blasting media from entering the piston bores.
https://i.postimg.cc/7Pd3KJLt/2-Masking-Up-Blocking-Off-Process-(Front-Brake-Calipers)-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/66grM4QM/2-Masking-Up-Blocking-Off-Process-(Front-Brake-Calipers)-2.jpg
The final stage of the preparation involved blocking off all the threaded bolt holes using heavy-duty sacrificial fasteners. This protects the threads from blasting media while ensuring they remain clean and undamaged. With that complete, both front calipers are now fully prepared for sandblasting before receiving a fresh, durable protective coating.
https://i.postimg.cc/7Pd3KJLm/3-Masking-Up-Blocking-Off-Process-(Front-Brake-Calipers)-1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/RCy7gJ08/3-Masking-Up-Blocking-Off-Process-(Front-Brake-Calipers)-2.jpg
Overall, I'm very pleased with how this preparation process has turned out. Taking the time to properly mask and protect every critical surface should make the blasting process far more straightforward while preventing unnecessary cleanup or damage afterward. The front calipers are now ready to be stripped back to bare metal in preparation for their new protective finish.

By DJ_Party_Favor · 6 hours ago6 hr
ADAMZX's OEM+ 2000spec Version R Replica Conversion & Rebuild Project Build Thread

REAR BRAKE CALIPER SANDBLASTING PROCESS
Continuing on from where I left off in July's blog update, I had just finished masking off a couple of areas on each rear brake caliper that I wanted to protect from the sandblasting process. However, before I could begin blasting, I decided it was worth protecting a few additional areas. These included all of the threaded bolt holes, along with the entire mating surface between the two halves of each rear brake caliper.
To protect the threaded holes, I purchased a selection of M10x1.25 metric bolts and threaded them into place. Not only will they prevent the threads from being damaged during blasting, but they'll also provide convenient mounting points for hanging the calipers during the painting process.

(Above) There are three threaded holes that I decided to protect before sandblasting: one for the rear brake hardline fitting and two for the mounting bracket that secures the rear brake hose.
Next, I wanted to protect the ends of the four bolt holes used by the main bolts that clamp the two caliper halves together. My goal here was to prevent those recessed areas from being stripped back to bare metal, reducing the chance of future corrosion if paint coverage wasn't perfect. It may be a little overkill, but I'd rather take the extra precaution now than regret it later.
https://i.postimg.cc/dV16zrgB/1-Additional-Blocking-Off-Masking-2.jpg
(Above) Each of the four recessed bolt holes was plugged with a small piece of foam cut from a cheap car wash sponge.
The final jobs before blasting were to improve the sealing around the piston bores and redo the masking on the caliper mating surfaces.
I applied fresh masking tape over each mating surface, then used a small hammer to gently tap around the edges. This cleanly cut the tape along the machined surface, leaving a crisp, accurate masking line.
I also reinstalled the original rubber piston dust boots around the edges of each piston bore to provide an extra layer of protection and prevent any abrasive media from accidentally reaching the bore surfaces.
https://i.postimg.cc/jjnXjKxK/1-Additional-Blocking-Off-Masking-3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/q76L70Jr/1-Additional-Blocking-Off-Masking-4.jpg
(Above) I know some of these extra masking steps are probably unnecessary for a simple sandblasting job, but since this is my first time tackling a project like this, I figured it was better to be overly cautious than risk damaging a component that's difficult to replace.
After repeating the process on the remaining rear brake caliper halves, I could finally say they were all ready for blasting.
https://i.postimg.cc/25Lw5mkr/2-Additional-Blocking-Off-Masking-completed-1.jpg[/img]
https://i.postimg.cc/GpTQprLk/3-Before-Sandblasting-1-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
Masking job completed and ready for blasting!
Finally, it was time to start blasting. I used 30/60 grit garnet blasting media at 90 PSI to remove the original black factory coating and return the calipers to bare metal.
https://i.postimg.cc/HxGtcKnR/4-Before-Sandblasting-5-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
I was hoping this would be a quick and straightforward process, and it would also serve as a good test of my new blasting setup.
Here are the results after blasting the first rear brake caliper halves. I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. As you can see, the factory black coating has been completely removed, leaving a clean, uniform bare metal finish across the entire casting.
https://i.postimg.cc/V6jWjR0K/5-After-Sandblasting-1-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/V6jWjR0T/5-After-Sandblasting-2-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/XJwkw8yS/5-After-Sandblasting-3-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/rmSNSJtq/5-After-Sandblasting-4-(Rear-Brake-Calipers).jpg
Sandblasting was a huge improvement over my previous wire-wheel stripping method. It made reaching all of the tight corners and intricate casting details almost effortless, producing a much more consistent finish with far less physical effort.
Although I was very pleased with the results, one major downside quickly became apparent—it took almost an hour to complete just a single set caliper of halves.
The biggest limitation was my air compressor. With only a 60-litre tank, I could blast continuously for around five minutes before the compressor had to run and recharge the tank. That meant I was spending roughly as much time waiting for air pressure to recover as I was actually blasting.
The final result was exactly what I was aiming for, but the process took considerably longer than expected. For now, it's simply a limitation of my current blasting setup that I'll have to work around.
Moisture in the air lines also proved to be an issue. Even with a water separator installed, small amounts of water were still making their way into the blast gun, causing several blockages throughout the job. It's clear I still have a lot to learn about getting the most out of this sandblasting setup.
Despite those challenges, this stage of the project is now complete. With the calipers stripped back to bare metal, I'm hoping to move on to painting them within the next few weeks—or perhaps within the next month if everything goes according to plan.

By DJ_Party_Favor · 6 hours ago6 hr
ADAMZX's OEM+ 2000spec Version R Replica Conversion & Rebuild Project Build Thread

Although I had been fairly consistent with my monthly progress updates up until July 2025, I unfortunately wasn't able to make any progress on the build during August. This was mainly due to spending quality time with my wife and kids on a two-week family cruise through the South Pacific, visiting New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
After returning from the holiday, I was able to get back into the project and continue work on both the front and rear brake calipers. This included stripping down the rear calipers and carrying out additional masking and preparation work on the front calipers.
I also managed to track down and purchase a crucial replacement part for the Z, which I’m hopeful will resolve one of the major driving issues the car is currently experiencing.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ADAMZX Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamzx_z32

By DJ_Party_Favor · 6 hours ago6 hr
Master cylinder overhaul kit

Thanks I'll give them a try..

By Mash · Friday at 13:332 days

help - just paid £200 for rusty old calipers

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