What is a Eunos Roadster
A small rear wheel driven Japanese sports car

How can you tell it's a Eunos Roadster 

  • A small rectangular rear number plate - usually has 2 lines of text.
  • Rear Fog lamp is usually off-set to the right hand side and hangs below the lip of the rear spoiler.
  • Speedo is marked in KPH if it has not been changed. 0-180 km/h.
  • Distance traveled is in Kilometres.
  • The oil pressure gauge reads kg/cm3
  • All Roadsters have the boot/trunk mounted brake/stop lamp
  • Most have Air Con. fitted.
  • Large Radio (usually Panasonic), without a converter unit fitted will not pick up British Frequencies. with the re-tuner, the radio won't display the correct frequency.
  • Radio Antenna may be on the L/H rear wing instead of the R/H side as with all GB 5's.
  • Eunos has a lower price but higher insurance.
  • Headlights do not have CE markings. Replace them with 7" Sealed Beam Lights.
  • Tyres do not have CE markings. - Replace for MOT.
  • None or very little Service History.
  • No 'HPI' type checks available.
  • Glove-box Owners Manual in Japanese ?
  • May have Roll/Style Bars.
  • Some cars have engine / ECU modifications
  • Large non standard Exhaust systems fitted
  • Body Kits and Spoilers
  • RED side reflectors (UK MX-5 are amber)
  • Round front badge with a diamond shaped design
  • May have a temperature sensor on CAT
  • Could still have a Japanese Ministry of Transportation inspection sticker in the front windscreen.
  • Imports have not been rust-proofed.
  • If the car is an import then the first British MOT should have the cars chassis number as the Vehicle's ID number.
  • NA6CE-100021 = First Eunos Roadster VIN Number.
  • Mk 2 Roadsters have a similar back to European market MX5s, except on the European cars, the off-side reverse light has been converted to a fog light.

What was the first Japanese Eunos Roadster chassis number ?
NA6CE-100021
First 1.8i Roadster = NA8C-100016
First J Limited = NA6CE-150211
First S Special = NA6CE-209203
First MK1. Series II = NA8C-400007

Example of an USA Miata VIN number.
JM1NA3512L0100014

What size engine is in my Eunos ?
If the cam cover has sunken lettering then it is a 1.6 engine, if the lettering is raised then it is a 1.8 engine. also check the engine number. If it starts B6###### it's a 1.6 engine
and if it starts BP###### then it's a 1.8 engine.
Eunos Roadster - if VIN starts NA6CE = 1.6i or NA8C = 1.8i

Why are the 'Roadster' Badges Different Colours ?
badge colour Can be used as a rough guide to the cars age.

What are the plastic clips the passenger foot-well of my Eunos Roadster for ?
For holding a Flare/Distress beacon (required in Japan) ?

Can a Supercharger be fitted to my car (Mk.1) ?
Not if you have ABS fitted. This is because some of the brake pipes get in the way.
This info may be wrong as I think there are now special kits available.

Can a Turbo charger be fitted to my car (Mk.1) ?
YES.

Will a Mk.1 Air Intake Grill fit a Mk.2 MX-5 ?
No. The Mk.2 Air Intake has a larger opening.

When does my Cam-belt need changing ?
Cam-belt change is due at 66,000 miles or 100,000 kms.

Why is my rear screen is covered in scratches, ?
This is because of the way the roof folds down. The rear hood support rests across the plastic screen so as the car flexes and twists when cornering scratches the window. Also if you haven't got the hood cover fitted to keep the turbulent air away from the hood, results in the same. To stop this from happening cover the window with a small cloth, towel, or use a Rear Window Protector before lowering the hood. To remove some of the scratches use a plastic polish (Meguiars Plastic Polish #17 harsh, #10 fine). The other option is fit a glass rear screen.

Can the Japanese catalyst be exchanged for a UK or US spec one ?
YES.

Does my Eunos need a CAT. ?
For the UK market, if the car was first registered in Japan pre-August 1992, it can be replaced with a straight through pipe.

Why doesn't my Import/Eunos Roadster go faster. ?
Roadster imports are speed limited by law in Japan, to 180 km/h. so may not have been derestricted before export from Japan. The 1.6 cars are easy to de-restrict, merely removal of a screw from the speedometer circuit board, but the 1.8's are restricted through the ECU (as an anti-tamper design). To de-restrict these requires re-mapping or replacement of the ECU.