I've been assigned the task of finding a 1989 through 1998 shape MX5 to replace a friend's Mini Moke.
(Never heard of a Moke? See url below)
She's decided after 16 years of Moking it's time she got a bigger car, a more "normal" car, with doors and a heater and all that stuff, and after briefly flirting with the idea of a new Proton Jumbuck, she drove an MX5, so an NA MX5 (Miata) it is.
We've driven a 1990 1.6 with no power steering. The Mazda dealer tryed to tell us none of them (at all, right to 1998) have power steering, so I've pretty much disregarded anything he told us about the cars.
My understanding is that Australian delivery cars did not generally come with "extras packages" the way American ones did, rather you could have an MX5 in red or white, with or without aircon, end of choices. More colours came along as time went by, and a few "specials", including one in a colour one of my friends christened "Monkey vomit yellow" at the time.
As far as I can tell, the major change was in Nov 1993 when the 1.6 motor was increased to 1.8, an auto was offered (hah!) and a bar was fitted behind the back seats (to restrain stuff on the shelf when the roof is up?). A boot release was fitted inside the centre console box, the car got electric mirrors around this point and doubtless the stereo changed annually.
The Australian Redbook automotive reference website:
would have me believe that power steering was fitted right from October
1989.So my questions: Were we driving a car with no power steering belt, or were there in fact Aussie cars without power steering early on. If so, when was power steering added to the Australian spec?
What other significant changes occurred to the standard Australian delivery spec over the life of the NA body shape?
Is there anything about the Australian models in particular which I should know about before deciding what to buy?
We're not really interested in the specials, such as that awful tan leather interior, just the standard model specs from 1989 to 1998.
Thanks
Graham in sunny(?) Melbourne.