Alright guys, I'm prepared to start reproducing the "nightpager" brackets along with the proper centering rings to accommodate the 350Z track rotors. This should be a fairly straight forward process since I'll have brackets to start with for cloning purposes and the rings will be easy to measure for once the parts are in front of me. However, I have two complaints about this kit:
1. 300ZX brake calipers are becoming more difficult to find in good condition and the price of new/rebuilt ones is heading into the $100 per caliper range and higher. The required 350Z "track" rotors are also nearly $100 each for stock replacements, much more if you want a higher quality aftermarket rotor.
2. I'm still running on my stock wheels. Budgeting for a BBK also means that I'll need to budget for larger 17"+ wheels to clear the brakes which is going to take money that I wasn't otherwise planning on spending anytime soon.
So, it will cost roughly $280 for brackets and rings (this is a purely hypothetical price used only for this example) plus $200 for OE replacement 350Z track rotors and $300 for rebuilt calipers (including core charges). This comes to $780. Add another $50 for some decent pads and you're looking at $830. The benifits of the original nightpager kit are still here; it's a great budget BBK and you can still buy your replacement pads, calipers, and rotors and any auto parts store. However, I believe I have found a better option for the more budget minded buyer still looking for a great brake upgrade.
I have found a caliper that is very similar to the 300ZX caliper that is more readily available (in stock at most auto part stores) and costs half as much as a 300ZX caliper. It's also designed for a braking system that fits inside a 16" alloy wheel. The caliper is dimensionally very similar and the pads are almost identical. I have attatched a photo for comparison.
The benifits of this option:
- Can use stock-size rotors (no centering rings)
- Can use 16" wheels
- Parts are cheaper and easier to source
The benifits of the nightpager kit:
- 300ZX calipers weigh roughly 8lbs each. The calipers for my kit weigh in at about 13lbs, adding 5lbs of unsprung weight.
- The larger 350Z track rotors will provide more stopping power and stay cooler.
There's nothing that I can do about the extra weight of the caliper, but I do plan on producing a 2nd set of brackets to work with 350Z track rotors.
I believe that I can produce an even more cost effective brake upgrade using this easier to find and less expensive caliper that will work with stock rotors and 16" wheels. I will be purchasing a set of calipers and begin taking measurements for a bracket.
Who's interested in this one?
Collin