Help please!! Did they manufacture in 1988?

[Bounceman]

Apologies up front im new to the forum and posting stuff and I need some help. I have a 1989 Eunos Roadster I imported in 1999 from Japan. I have been living in Sydney for the past 5 years and have had the car garaged at home in Auckland. I really want to import the car now into Australia as we have decided to stay here, I have checked out the NSW import laws and unfortunately its a bureaucratic nightmare......

As long as the car was MANUFACTURED before 1 January 1989, I can import it. After this date, I cant import into Australia.

Can anyone tell me if they started manufacturing the Roadsters in 1988 and first registering them in 1989 or did they start manufacturing in early 1989 and registering in 1989???

Any help appreciated as I would love to bring my Roadster over to Sydney otherwise im going to have to sell it. Its a minter with a genuine 155kms on it...so want to keep it but no good to me in Auckland.

Cheers.

[Angreal]

I think they started manufacturing in 89 since in the States they refuse to accept 89 na6, 93 na8c etc

[SLYDIT]

You can usually identify the very early ones by the soft top clips which were a gloss black finish. They changed to the normal finish early in the production run. Not sure if they were 88 or notI have read that they started the Japan run in Feb 89 for sales starting September.

[siren676]

I'd say check with a local import company to verify 100% whether you would be able to bring it over.
Have read somewhere that you can bring over a car as a personal import if you have owned it for more than a year but im not sure what state that was in

[2low2c]

i don't thinck it would matter when they started production because they will check the chassis number any way.
are you Ian B ?
Cheers Paul

[Bounceman]

i don't thinck it would matter when they started production because they will check the chassis number any way.
are you Ian B ?
Cheers Paul

Hi Paul, yes its me mate. I checked with a specialist importer here in Sydney and he said that is got to be manufactured before 1 January 1989 dosent matter when it was first registered.

So if the car was built in 1988 im ok to import it.

They are really anal here about it and just not interested in helping unless you can prove its was manufactured before December 31st 1988.

I don't want to sell it mate as you know how passionate I am but we wont be returning to NZ for a good while yet as the company has extended my contract again.

If you know someone who wants to buy it, let me know, I will let it go at a very reasonable price.

[Snapfrozen]

Look towards a chap called Keith who works in one of the US Miata shops. I can't remember which one. I remember reading a blog he wrote where he met some chap from Japan who was in on the original build. The construction of them began in 1988. They were release in 1989 and the US called them 1990's to be retarded.

I may have Keith mixed up with someone else.. and posting from my phone so can't search. It was a relatively reliable source though..

[GRUVBB]

I wonder if the Yanks wanted to be different and work in Base 10 system starting from a 'round number'. The world uses metric THEY use imperial. We count every year and THEY want to start at a zero point. Maybe it makes it easier for them to count the years if starting at a zero point

I digress. Good luck Bounceman with getting your toy reunited.

[Angreal]

I wonder if the Yanks wanted to be different and work in Base 10 system starting from a 'round number'. The world uses metric THEY use imperial. We count every year and THEY want to start at a zero point. Maybe it makes it easier for them to count the years if starting at a zero point

I digress. Good luck Bounceman with getting your toy reunited.

I'll digress even further but the Brits! Everything is metric except they use MPH!!! I think from memory the Continent uses KPH and Ireland certainly does. They had a humerous sign saying 100 and then in massive writing it said "KILOMETERS NOT MILES"

[mazline]

Just email Mazda NZ or any Dealership you have had any dealings with,With your chassis number and ask for the build sheet ,that easy.
I have good dealings with a local dealer if you get stuck
Being your car was a import,It will have come in with rice papers,that could be god knows where now,But that has build sheet spec on it as well.

It will be a long shot,the other way to tell early cars is if the diff head is smooth as opposed to the finned type.

[SLYDIT]

pretty sure the U.S factory started production first in very late 88 but the japan factory not until early 1989. i doubt very much that youll find yours a 88 build unnless its a shiney clip version which possibly maybe at a long shot be an 88 build.

[dylann]

The parts car I have is a shiny clip version, i thought someone might have painted it but it must be a very early build then, especially with 280 on the clock! hah.

[marcellarius]

I'm pretty sure they were all assembled Hiroshima factory, then shipped for overseas markets. They were released mid-1989, so it's plausible that some very early VINs may have been built in 1988.

It may just be easier to have it sold here and buy a nice one in Aussie.

[jif]

a pre-89 build seems a bit unlikely, unfortunately:http://www.madracki.com/miata/vin.html

https://sites.google.com/site/miata00508/  - Apr-89, first month of retail build






On 25 November 2013 11:52, marcellarius <mx5talk@mx5forum.co.nz (mx5talk@mx5forum.co.nz)> wrote:

I'm pretty sure they were all assembled Hiroshima factory, then shipped for overseas markets. They were released mid-1989, so it's plausible that some very early VINs may have been built in 1988.

It may just be easier to have it sold here and buy a nice one in Aussie.

[Posted via external email]

[Bounceman]

Thanks everyone for all your help. It is sincerely appreciated.

Looks like Im shite out of luck in trying to import my beloved Roadster into Australia.

If anyone is looking for a great roadster, Ive owned this car for the last ten years and have done less than 15,000 kms in it. The last 5 years it has been safely stored and I have WOF'd it every 6 months on my frequent business trips to NZ.

Loads and loads of extras (and I mean loads).

Please make contact as I would only sell it to another enthusiast who will care for it as much I have.

Cheers again for all the advice.

[chris]

Yo! Before you think you're out of luck.

You can import the vehicle as you have owned it for more than 6 months (or 12 months) It's a speciality import!

I looked into this last year

[chris]

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicl ... s/pis.aspx

Turns out I'm not full of shit.

[SLYDIT]

NSW and victoria have the strictest restrictions but im pretty sure you can bring it in as a personal import as its over (20 years??) similar to nz's law, but it must get compliance so it must be esentially stock. no pod filters. no removed cat. and pretty sure you have to fit door intrusion bars and a new set of tires bought in aussie. perhaps give "mx5 mania" in sydney a call. they know all about importing mx5's into AUs. they import NC's as race cars.

[SLYDIT]

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The import laws are the same nationwide, registering the car will vary from state to state.

I work in the freight industry for a company that has a specialised automotive division and cliff notes are as follows:

You can import any car you like if you satisfy one or more the following conditions:

1 - It's manufactured prior to Jan 1st 1989, therefore can be imported under the pre 1989 scheme (caters to the classic car fans) and then face the same tests required of any car to pass local compliance.

2 - If manufactured after 1st Jan 1989, it can be imported under the RAW scheme (Registered Automotive Workshop) whereby the car is converted to ADR specifications, which is usually costly (think $2500 for a US Spec Harley) and then given a compliance plate. The RAW scheme is only for certain approved cars however, so for instance importing a Bugatti Veyron is going to present a challenge, as there are no RAWS workshops registered for that car if you want it registered for the road.

3 - You've owned and operated the car for a period of 12 months or more, with proof of constant registration, residence and evidence of having lived in the country you're importing from for that constant 12 month period.

4 - You're importing the car for pure race, rally or exhibition purposes - in which case you may be granted import approval, but you will not be able to register it for road use.

5 - Temporary Import - under a Carnet (pronounced car-nay, which is an internationally recognised temporary import & export certificate which last 12 months as a rule), usually used by bodies such as the WRC rally teams, as the cars are here for a short time, and then exported again.

Here's the link to the official version:
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/imports/

Also - here's a link to the SEVS, Specialist and Enthusiast Vehichle Scheme to give you an idea what can be imported, but you'll need RAW certification:
http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/sevs/sevsindex.htm

As a result, for instance, I cannot import my father's TVR3500 convertible for myself after he's restored it if I decide to buy it off him.

Hope this helps!

[GRUVBB]

pretty sure the U.S factory started production first in very late 88 but the japan factory not until early 1989. i doubt very much that youll find yours a 88 build unnless its a shiney clip version which possibly maybe at a long shot be an 88 build.

Whats a SHINEY CLIP version please?...... The info that can be learnt from ALL the members here is O 4 AWESOME!!!!

[Snapfrozen]

My 89 has shiny clips

[SLYDIT]

the very first batch of mx5's had the soft top catches painted in a smooth gloss black. they are just finished much more nicely than all the later ones. its the easy way to tell an early car.

[GRUVBB]

So I take it that the Shiney Clips are referring to the softtop latches???

[SLYDIT]

So I take it that the Shiney Clips are referring to the softtop latches???

yes.

[ross]

If you have a NZ new car with the chassis plates shown you can import into Australia no problems.
NZ new cars always had the ADR compliance plate.
Chassis plate always showed the date manufactured and fire wall numbers are different from Japanese versions.
Ive never seen a 1988 manufactured car.