How Far to Go with OEM Parts

Previously, even brake rotors and hoses cost less as factory parts than as aftermarket parts, so buying everything from Honda was an easy choice. However, the substantial price increase in January 2026 made factory parts far more expensive.
There are two types of calipers: the 02R version, with what appears to be a black chromate surface treatment, and the gold-painted version for other models (commonly called "gold calipers"). They used to cost exactly the same, but the gold-painted version had gradually become more expensive even before the major price increase. The difference eventually reached 79,750 yen per caliper, enough to have the 02R version professionally painted and still have money left over. On price alone, the 02R version is the only choice when buying new.

Aftermarket Rotors and Hoses

Perhaps reflecting a tendency for parts introduced later to be cheaper, the slotted 02R rear rotor actually costs less than the plain rear rotor for other models. That does not make the 02R rear rotor a bargain, though: one costs enough to buy an aftermarket set of all four front and rear rotors, so it is certainly not cheap. A single factory brake hose now also costs more than a complete aftermarket set for the car. At the increased prices, buying the entire front and rear brake system as factory 02R parts would total 825,220 yen, an amount that would seem enough to buy a front and rear aftermarket brake kit. Given these price differences, I think the practical approach is to use factory calipers and aftermarket consumables such as rotors and hoses.

Perhaps because they are often used on other cars, used front calipers are reasonably common, so I decided to buy a set on Yahoo! Auctions.
The calipers I bought looked to be in good condition, but the listing only vaguely described them as "probably late-model NSX calipers." However, I could confirm that the smaller piston was 34mm in diameter, and the photos clearly showed the bracket shape to be for a late-model NSX, so I bought them at the Buy It Now price of 66,860 yen including shipping.
The dust boots are marked with numbers corresponding to the cylinder diameter, so checking that the smaller piston dust boot is marked "34" provides a definite identification.
The bracket needs particular attention: calipers previously used on another car are sometimes listed with that car's bracket still attached.

1. The purchased calipers after disassembly and cleaning.

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Used late front calipers, stripped & cleaned

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Surface condition of the front calipers

1. The chromate layer is faded overall and peeling in places, but the lack of rust suggests that the underlying zinc plating is still intact, so the calipers appear to be in good condition.
2. The bracket shape is distinctive.
   The early caliper bracket has a pronounced curve along its length to follow the rotor hat. The late caliper bracket is offset outward and has a straighter shape, with a slight curve in the center to clear the rotor hat.
3. Markings on the caliper body and bracket.
   The "16CL 15VN" marking on the caliper body is identical to that on early calipers, so it cannot be used to distinguish them. This is probably because the casting is the same, with only the machining of the piston bores differing.
   Bracket markings also come in various forms, perhaps because of production batch differences, so identifying an NSX bracket from its markings looks difficult without gathering more information.

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Late front caliper bracket shape

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Late front caliper markings

Late-model NSX rear calipers are not used on other cars, and many owners retain the factory rear brakes even when fitting aftermarket fronts, so used examples rarely come up for sale. They also include parking brake mechanism components, so if their condition is poor, the required replacement parts can be very expensive. Listings were hard to find, but buying poor examples and spending a fortune on replacement parts would defeat the purpose, so I decided to take the plunge and buy new calipers.

1. The new calipers I bought.
   After the January 2026 price increase, another increase was announced for April, so I rushed to buy them at the end of March. As it turned out, calipers were not included in that increase.
   The packaging consisted only of a cardboard box, with the caliper simply placed inside without any cushioning. Perhaps as a result, rubbing had worn away the surface chromate in places such as the corners.
   The chromate will fade or wear off fairly quickly anyway, but I wish they had at least taken care to stop the caliper moving around inside the box.

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New late-model rear calipers purchased

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Late-model rear caliper

1. The visible difference from the early version is the bracket shape. The early bracket curves around the rotor hat, whereas the late version is straight because the caliper is offset outward.

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Late rear caliper markings

1. The marking on top of the late caliper body is "18CLP 16V."
   Early calipers are marked "14CLP 15V," so the markings can also be used to tell them apart.
   The caliper includes all parking brake mechanism components.

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Factory 02R front rotors

1. A set of factory 02R front rotors happened to be listed on Yahoo! Auctions. Their condition was unknown apart from the stated 50,000km of use, but I bought the left and right pair for 12,000 yen including shipping.
   The photo shows them after sandblasting everywhere except the pad contact surfaces and applying Gun Kote.
   At a glance, there are no obvious design features showing special attention to performance or other considerations. Thickness measured with vernier calipers was 27.7mm, slightly below the 28mm specification for new rotors, and the measured weight was 7.2kg. I have not compared them with aftermarket rotors of the same size, but they do not seem particularly light either. This made me feel there was little reason to insist on buying new factory rotors.

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DIXCEL SD rear rotors

1. I could not find used rear rotors, so I decided to buy new aftermarket ones.
   I bought the DIXCEL "SD."
   DIXCEL offers four types for the NSX: the standard "PD" without slots and "SD" with slots, and the heat-treated "FP" without slots and "FS" with slots.
   Balancing cost and performance, I chose the "SD," the standard slotted version.
   The left and right pair cost 34,492 yen including shipping.
   The anti-corrosion coating is a benefit, as it helps prevent rust on areas such as the rotor hats.
   Along with the rotors, the package includes black rubber gloves and a piece of cardboard showing the recommended slot direction. The slot direction is opposite to that of the factory 02R rotors, so the front and rear will not match in this setup.

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Projectμ TEFLON BRAKE LINE

1. A complete set of factory brake hoses costs 78,760 yen. Since a complete aftermarket set costs about the same as one factory hose, buying factory hoses was out of the question.
   I bought the Projectμ TEFLON BRAKE LINE.
   This is a three-layer product consisting of a Teflon hose covered in stainless steel braid, with an outer PVC tube.
   The steel-fitting version has a tax-inclusive list price of 30,800 yen for a complete car set, while the stainless steel-fitting version lists at 39,600 yen including tax. I bought the steel-fitting version for an actual price of 21,888 yen including shipping.

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Projectμ TEFLON BRAKE LINE

1. These brake hoses come with a choice of three PVC tube colors: green, clear, and smoke.
   The availability of the dark smoke color was another reason I chose these hoses.
   It is a translucent black that lets a little of the braid show through, which looks good. On the NSX, the brackets are positioned differently on early and late hoses, so they are not interchangeable. It looks as though the early hoses might still work if pulled hard enough, but I do not want abnormal stress causing damage, so I am replacing them. This product has movable brackets and is the same for early and late models.

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Purchased bleed screws, caps, and other parts

1. The bleed screws on the used front calipers were slightly rusty and their caps were missing, so I bought new bleed screws along with caps.
   I did not like the idea of reusing the banjo bolts with new brake hoses, so I bought new ones (only two are shown in the photo, but I bought four for the whole car).
   I also bought new countersunk rotor retaining screws, as removing them with an impact screwdriver usually damages the threads. The factory screws are 14mm long at the front and 12mm at the rear. Perhaps because the rotor hats differ in thickness, there is a 2mm difference in screw length, and the part numbers differ.