The first issue I ran into with my NA happened on the journey home from buying it. The headlights refused to stay up!, so the car spent the entire drive winking at everyone I passed!! 
I had no idea at the time why it was doing it! It still makes me smile when I look back on it. 
I’m curious—what was the first quirk or problem you had with your MX‑5? Was it as amusing as mine? 
I had a slight smell of fuel not long after I bought my NA. I assumed it was because I had de-catted the exhaust. but then, during a spirited drive, having just overtaken someone, they started flashing their lights at me so I thought I had annoyed them. But they were trying to warn me. It turns out my fuel return pipe had come off the top of the tank so fuel was pouring out, leaving a trail on the road!
Finding out it was a detuned 88bhp model 
Wow! That was a disaster in the making! Hope the seller wasn’t aware then they sold it! 
Bah! Bet that was disappointing still bags of fun even with a budget spec NA, hope you still had fun in it either way!
I had a similar thing in my TR6 many years ago with the breather pipe. Someone flashed so I pulled over, he said “I can see smoke coming from the back” I popped my head under and said "oh yes there’s petrol dripping onto the exhaust, I’ve never seen anyone move so fast!! I just put a kink in the pipe as a temporary fix and carried on to work.
The first problem with my NC was a day or two after buying it and was a standard fault. The front caliper had seized and smoke was coming from the wheel.
The worst, and possibly only, problem I can think of having with my NC 1 were non retracting seatbelts and squeaky driver side window. Other than the usual creaks you’d expect on a 20 year old car, it’s done me proud so far.
When I bought my NA I knew I would be spending some money on it, but was delighted that I’d found a late, low mileage low owner Eunos with no rust on its MOT history and good sills. I stopped off at Michael Cleverley’s as it then was on my way home with it for a once over. He put it on the ramp and stuck a screwdriver through my fibreglass and filler sill. That was the first of many disheartening experiences with that car. I loved it, spent a fortune on restoring and supercharging it, but it never really loved me back.
Got home and noticed funny smell and smoke from Madges N/S /F seized brake caliper, took the 16 year old car back and to his credit the dealer did not quibble and had a new one fitted by lunch time the following day 
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