Julian's 1990 Eunos Roadster ("Riley")
Mazda MX-5 (Miata)
Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics
Read the full write-up at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Photo: Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of picsA 1990 Eunos Roadster rebuilt through rust repair, suspension and drivetrain work
Julian documents years of ownership of his Japanese-spec 1990 Eunos Roadster, nicknamed Riley, imported to the US via England. The thread covers tackling rust in the subframe and suspension, swapping in coilovers and rust-free control arms, upgrading brakes, and later dealing with a failed clutch and transmission rebuild. It is a long-running personal project thread with incremental updates rather than a finished restoration.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- 1.6 SNC, standard, with test pipe
- Gearbox
- 5-speed with 4.3 VLSD, standard
- Differential bushings
- Garagestar delrin differential bushings
- Suspension
- KW Variant 1 shocks with Eibach springs, 7k front / 6k rear, Static Nine frame rails, Eibach 24mm front sway bar
- Brakes
- '94-01 non-sport calipers and rotors, stainless soft lines, copper-nickel hard lines
- Wheels
- 14x7 Panasport Pro Rally wheels
- Tyres
- 195/60-14 Falken Azeris FK612
- Interior
- VW 12v LED flashlight, 330mm Broadway mirror, European NA Momo wheel, US '93 LE red seat belts, US 140 mph speedometer, LED cluster bulbs, various European switches
- Clutch
- Luk clutch kit with Exedy clutch disc
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Fuel & Ignition 1
- ARC intake chamber
Sourced undamaged and fitted to the engine
Cooling 1
- New thermostat and thermostat housing
Replaced leaking original parts
In the shops
Thermostat Housing ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USDThermostat Housing Gasket ↗
bpnorthwest.com· $2.88 USD
Thermostat Housing Gasket ↗James Paddock Ltd· £0.35 GBP
Gearbox & Drivetrain 2
- Garagestar delrin differential bushings
Replaced worn original differential bushings
In the shops
Cobalt Delrin Replacement Door Bushings ↗
Moss Miata· $25.99 USD
Bush Set, door bushings, Delrin, Cobalt ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £32.26 GBP
Cobalt Delrin Window Bushings (Set of 2) ↗Moss Miata· $29.99 USD - Luk clutch kit with Exedy disc
Replaced what was likely the original clutch after it failed
In the shops
Clutch Kit, stage 1, Exedy ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £528.30 GBP
Clutch Kit, stage 2, Exedy ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £662.50 GBP
Exedy Clutch Kit - 1.6 Mk1/2/2.5 ↗
MX5 City· $169.08 USD
Suspension & Steering 4
- KW Variant 1 coilovers with Eibach springs
7k front/6k rear setup with helper springs fitted for ride height and handling
In the shops
Springs, 40mm, Eibach by ILM ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £337.75 GBP
Pro-Kit Lowering Springs by Eibach ↗Moss Miata· $350.00 USD
Pro-Kit Lowering Springs by Eibach ↗Moss Miata· $350.00 USD - Static Nine Racing frame rail braces
Chassis bracing fitted along with a butterfly brace
In the shops
Ultra Racing Rear Lower Brace - 4 Point ↗
MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £133.99 GBP
Ultra Racing Rear Lower Brace - 2 Point ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £96.45 GBP
Ultra Racing Rear Lower Brace - 2 Point ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £89.99 GBP - Eibach 24mm adjustable front sway bar
Set to 25mm with RB mount blocks and end links
In the shops
Front 24mm Sway Bar by Eibach ↗Moss Miata· $299.75 USD
Front 24mm Sway Bar Kit ↗Moss Miata· $285.00 USD
Front 27mm Sway Bar by Eibach ↗Moss Miata· $285.00 USD - Rust-free subframe and control arms
Powdercoated 94-97 subframe and sourced upper/lower control arms replaced rusty originals
In the shops
Adjustable Rear Upper Control Arm Set (NA/NB) ↗MX5 City· $281.83 USD
RIDEX Front Right Upper Suspension Control Arm ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £84.99 GBP
Rear Toe Control Arm to Knuckle Pinch Bolt & Nut Kit ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £6.65 GBP
Brakes 5
- '94-01 1.8 calipers and rotors
Installed with new brake lines to restore braking function
In the shops
Front Brake Upgrade Kit with Wilwood Calipers (No Rotors) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $726.00 USD
Front Brake Upgrade Kit with Wilwood Calipers and EBC Rotors ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1,156.25 USD - Stainless steel soft brake lines
Replaced cracking rubber lines
In the shops
Stainless Steel Brake Line Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $431.50 USD
Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $115.75 USD
Mild Steel Brake Line Kit ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $394.50 USD - Copper-nickel hard brake lines
Replaced rusty OEM hard lines
In the shops
Brake Pipe Set, copper/nickel, LHD ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £133.50 GBP
Brake Pipe Set, copper/nickel, LHD ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £113.75 GBP
Brake Pipe Set, copper/nickel, LHD ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £115.50 GBP - New brake master cylinder
Replaced original unit after pedal went too close to the floor
In the shops
Brake Master Cylinder Brace (ND) ↗
Flyin' Miata· $128.00 USD
Master Cylinder Brace ↗Flyin' Miata· $88.99 USD
Brake Master Cylinder (Metal) ↗bpnorthwest.com· $308.76 USD - Replacement front calipers and rotors with Akebono ceramic pads
Fitted after a front caliper seized
In the shopsPowerStop Z17 Stock Replacement Front and Rear Brake Kit - Ceramic Pads and Rotors (06-11 Civic) ↗
JDMuscle — Mazda MX-5· $200.00 USD
Brake Pad Set, front, ceramic ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £62.75 GBP
Brake Pad Set, front, ceramic ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £36.76 GBP
Wheels & Tyres 1
- Panasport Pro Rally wheels
Mounted with Falken Azenis RT615K+ tyres after alignment work
In the shops
Dynamic Pro Gravel Rally Coilovers - Subaru BRZ 2022+ (ZD8) ↗JDMuscle — Mazda MX-5· $1,895.00 USD
Dynamic Pro Gravel Rally Coilovers - Subaru Forester 2014-2018 (SJ) ↗JDMuscle — Mazda MX-5· $1,895.00 USD
Dynamic Pro Gravel Rally Coilovers - Subaru Crosstrek 2018-2023 (GT) ↗JDMuscle — Mazda MX-5· $1,895.00 USD
Body & Trim 4
- R-package replica front lip
Added for styling
In the shops
Factory Style Front Sport Package Lip Spoiler by RSpeed ↗Moss Miata· $312.75 USD
Club Package Lip Spoiler ↗Moss Miata· $210.50 USD
Club Package Lip Spoiler ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £169.75 GBP - Hella H4 E-code headlight conversion
Replaced sealed beam headlights, with Osram Night Breaker Laser bulbs
In the shops
Hella Headlight Kit ↗
Techno Toy Tuning· $275.00 USD
7-Inch Round Hella Headlights ↗Techno Toy Tuning· $145.00 USD - Runabout M2 side mirrors
Fitted with convex glass conversion
- Hard Dog Hard Bar roll bar
Purchased with vinyl cover and padding, fitted with cut interior panels to accommodate it
In the shops
Hard Dog Deuce Roll Bar ↗Flyin' Miata· $970.00 USD
ND Hard Dog RF roll bar ↗Flyin' Miata· $1,245.00 USD
Hard Dog Deuce Roll Bar ↗Moss Miata· $675.00 USD
Interior 2
- Momo steering wheel (European NA)
Fitted as OEM+ interior upgrade
In the shops
Boss, steering wheel, MOMO ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £103.75 GBPBoss, steering wheel, MOMO ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £122.00 GBP
Momo Montecarlo Steering Wheel ↗Moss Miata· $272.50 USD - US 140 mph speedometer cluster
Replaced UK import speedometer with mph/odometer mismatch, with LED bulbs added and lens polished
In the shops
Speedometer Face - MPH ↗MGbits4U· £0.00 GBP
Ford Sierra GL Speedometer Instrument Cluster ↗Classic Parts Shack· £189.99 GBP
Ford Escort Mk4/Orion Tachometer Speedometer Cluster ↗Classic Parts Shack· £154.99 GBP
Electrical 2
- New OEM ignition switch
Replaced after a no-start issue
- Used alternator
Replaced after electrical fault caused headlights and wipers to fail while driving
Other 2
- TDR header blanket
Fitted new to the exhaust header
In the shopsProtective Header Blanket, V-6/V-8 Headers ↗Motorsport Auto (The Z Store)· $108.97 USD
Protective Header Blanket, Straight-6 Headers ↗ - Replacement muffler
Welded on after original rusted through and perforated
Photos
154 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:05:16-0500 20this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:09:42-0500 17this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:18:26-0500 20this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:23:19-0500 15this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:31:29-0500 11this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:33:21-0500 16this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-05T14:36:18-0500 15this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-06T16:10:22-0500 1this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-01-09T15:10:46-0500 6this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2020-04-23T17:58:25-0400 6this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2021-01-26T11:47:29-0500 15this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2021-02-13T05:23:32-0500 1this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
Julianachos · 2021-05-23T12:29:18-0400 11this post at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
Julian bought the Japanese-market 1990 Eunos Roadster, nicknamed Riley, from a friend who had imported it alongside VW/Audi cars. It came with an NB hardtop but visible rust, which he accepted knowing body guys who could help.
Breakdown and teardown
After cracking the oil pan on road debris and a botched repair kinking fuel and brake lines, Julian decided to turn the repair into a full project, pulling the subframe and control arms to deal with rust underneath.
Suspension and brakes
He fitted a rust-free powdercoated subframe and upper control arms, replaced brake and fuel lines, installed 1.8 calipers and rotors, delrin differential bushings, and later KW/Eibach coilovers, rust-free lower control arms, and an adjustable Eibach front sway bar.
Ongoing maintenance and upgrades
Over time Julian replaced the master cylinder, thermostat, alternator, ignition switch, muffler, and front calipers again after a seizure. He also added a Mazdaspeed Competition mount kit, ARC intake chamber, TDR header blanket, and a Hard Dog roll bar.
Clutch and transmission failure
In early 2021 the clutch and transmission failed on the highway. Julian replaced the clutch with a Luk kit including an Exedy disc, rebuilt the shifter with a Moss kit, and added Static Nine frame rail braces and a Flyin' Miata butterfly brace, though a faulty replacement kit later caused further transmission problems still being resolved.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Riley, the Roadster ('90 Eunos Roadster) lots of pics ↗