Question 1

What should I check for rear sills and rear wheel arches on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Rust in the rear sills and where the sills meet the rear wings is the most reported NA problem. It starts on the inside and works out, so bubbling paint usually means more rot underneath. Where to look: The back end of each sill just ahead of the rear wheel, the lower rear wing where it joins the sill, and the inner and outer rear arch lips. How to test: Press the sill end and arch lip with a thumb and use a magnet to find filler. Look inside the arch with a torch. Treat fresh underseal with caution unless there are photos of what was repaired under it.

Question 2

What should I check for hood drain tubes and damp floors on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Blocked hood drains are a common cause of rear sill rot and wet carpets. Where to look: The drain holes behind the seats at the base of the hood, the carpet behind the seats and the floor pans. How to test: Feel under the carpet for damp and smell for mould. Pour a little water into the drain channel and check it runs out under the car. Gunge or a rush of trapped water means the drains have been neglected.

Question 3

What should I check for front chassis rails, wishbones and crossmember on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Owners and specialists report corrosion and poor repairs around the front chassis rails, jacking points and suspension mounts, and corroded front wishbones. Where to look: Under the front of the car: the chassis rails, the jacking points, the front crossmember and the lower wishbones. How to test: Look underneath with a torch for flaking metal, crushed or bent jacking points and patch repairs. Rust here needs a hoist inspection before you go further.

Question 4

What should I check for short nose crankshaft (early 1.6) on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

On early 1.6 engines the bottom pulley can work loose and chew the end of the crank and its keyway, which upsets the timing and can wreck the engine. Where to look: The crankshaft pulley at the bottom front of the engine, and the build date of the car. How to test: Ask whether it is an early short nose engine and when the cambelt was last fitted and by whom. Watch the bottom pulley at idle for any wobble.

Question 5

What should I check for cam angle sensor and cam cover oil leaks on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Oil leaks from the cam angle sensor seal at the back of the cam cover are common. On the 1.8 a leak there can rot the heater hose. Where to look: The back of the cam cover where the cam angle sensor sits, the cam cover gasket edge and the heater hose below it. How to test: Look for wet oil and dust caked on the back of the head and a soft or oily heater hose.

Question 6

What should I check for clutch slave cylinder and gear lever boots on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

The clutch slave cylinder often fails, and the rubber boots under the gear lever split with age. The lower boot seals the oil for the gear linkage. Where to look: The clutch fluid in the reservoir on the bulkhead, and the boots under the gear lever surround. How to test: A low biting point or trouble selecting gears points to the slave cylinder. Black clutch fluid suggests it is close to failing. Ask whether the lever boots have been replaced.

Question 7

What should I check for viscous limited slip differential (some Eunos) on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

The viscous LSD fitted to some Japanese Eunos Roadsters has often worn out and now behaves like an open diff. Where to look: The rear differential, and the spec of the car on its export papers. How to test: With the rear of the car on stands and the handbrake off, turn one rear wheel. If the other turns the same way, the LSD still works.

Question 8

What should I check for rear brake calipers on a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Rear calipers seize, especially on cars left standing with the handbrake on. Where to look: The rear calipers and the handbrake mechanism on each rear wheel. How to test: On the test drive feel for the car pulling or dragging, and after the drive check whether one rear wheel is much hotter than the other.

Question 9

What should I ask the seller of a Mazda Roadster NA?

Accepted Answer

Is it an early 1.6 with the short nose crank, a later 1.6, or a 1.8? When were the cambelt and water pump last done, and is there an invoice? Have the hood drains been cleared, and has the carpet ever been wet? Has any rust repair or welding been done on the sills or arches, and are there photos? Is it a Japanese Eunos Roadster, and does it have the LSD?

Mazda Roadster NA (1989 to 1997): buying guide, problems and NZ numbers

Key facts

On NZ roads

Known weak points

Rear sills and rear wheel arches

Hood drain tubes and damp floors

Front chassis rails, wishbones and crossmember

Short nose crankshaft (early 1.6)

Cam angle sensor and cam cover oil leaks

Clutch slave cylinder and gear lever boots

Viscous limited slip differential (some Eunos)

Rear brake calipers

Service items

Questions to ask the seller

New Zealand notes

US recalls