The first gen is a nightmare as far as brakes go if you ask me. I have been trying to sort the mess of fitment and interchangability for some time now. This is what I have come up with:

1979-80

Front
Calipers - 79-80 Style Only
Pads - 79-85 Style Except SE
Rotors - 79-83 Style - Small Diameter Bearings
Rear
Drum and Shoes - 79-80 Style Only

1981-83
Front
Calipers - 81-85 Style Except SE
Pads - 79-85 Style Except SE
Rotors - 79-83 Style - Small Diameter Bearings
Rear
Drum and Shoes - 81-85 Style Only
OR
Rotors and Pads - 81-85 Style Except SE

1984-85 Except SE
Front
Calipers - 81-85 Style Except SE
Pads - 79-85 Style Except SE
Rotors - 84-85 Style - Large Diameter Bearings
Rear
Drum and Shoes - 81-85 Style Only
OR
Rotors and Pads - 81-85 Style Except SE

1984-85 GSL - SE
Front
Calipers - 84-85 GSL-SE Style Same as 86-91 4 Lug
Pads - 84-85 GSL-SE Style Same as 86-91 4 Lug
Rotors - 84-85 GSL-SE Style Same as 86-91 4 Lug
Rear
Rotors - 84-85 GSL-SE Style Same as 86-91 4 Lug

Please shed some light on this.

 

Pretty good except that the 81-85 GSL models used rear disc brakes.

 

IIRC the 86-88 4 lug rear discs are not vented where the GSL-SE's are. If thats true they aren't compatible(and would explain the inflated price for new rear discs, $130 a piece.

 

True - I'll put all the info together once we figure it all out.

 

and then you're only talking US-spec...
ours got drums only for 79-80, where as you state drums for later ones aswell?
Iguess that's not very important info for you, since no cars will go from here (EU) to you, but quite a few go the other way around. So for us things are even more complicated...
This is what I think we have:
79-80: as you said
81-83: disc all round
84-85: (didnt have GSL-SE): vented discs

 

Yes, I'm talking US only for now. We did have 81-85 non SE non GSL with drums. Our 84-85 were not vented unless they were the SE.

 

yeah, the rears are specific to the gsl-se... the second gen with vented rears were 5 lug.

 

Not sure if your US models are the same as Jap domestic in this respect, but I used to work at an auto shop and the RX-3 rear brake shoes and cylinders carried the same part number as the '78-80 RX-7 ones.

Our NZ/Aust domestic '78-80 models used RX-4 (929) rear cylinders with completely different shoes.