after living in OZ for the past 35 + years I am glad I have an Eunos. Every time I drive the Mrs car I put the Wipers on when I want to indicate… just feels right having the indicators on the right stalk.
I think the right hand indicator stalk is part of the charm of the NA.
Lol, Don’t - I’ve owned my MK1 for nearly 14 years and the charm of the reversed stalks wore off many years ago. Now a source of embarrassment and slight irritation:-)
Right, a bit more info. Discovered there are 2 versions on the NA. My '91 Euno has straight stalks, a '96 UK MX5 has stalks that come out higher up and then have a bend. A Google on German Ebay (Ebay.de) for miata kombischalter or specifically mx5 na kombischalter brings up a few that look identical to the '96 UK model EXCEPT the indicators are on the left - that looks very encouraging, it may even plug straight in. Of course as well as Germany getting one from Ebay France or somewhere else in Europe might be an option if anyone knows the right words !
As an aside I also noticed that when you pull the headlight flasher on the 96 car the lights pop up, they don’t on my 91 Eunos, be nice to be able to fix that as well !
Anyone want to have a go at getting one of these, trying it and reporting back ? I’m not going to get a chance until the spring but I do want to do it !
DippedHeadlights
I did mean that rather tongue in cheek, of course it’s a pain as you never get used to it if you have another car with a left hand stalk.
When you think about it, having the indicator on the right side is perfect for right hand drive cars. You can indicate while your left hand is on the gearstick.
iddy.
Exactly
Later models with the cranked stalks has a spacer on the steering column and different shroud. Later models also used a different wiper motor, and the control of intermittant wipe was somewhat different.
Very early Canadian cars had straight stalks (no airbag), and reversed controls. The same would be true of 1990-1995 continental cars, but they are relatively rare.
Personally, I’d change your other cars to those that are correctly configured for RHD.
Easier said than done
and I’ll double that exactly. In my opinion a RHD car should have the indicator stalk on the right so you can flick that whilst changing gear. So far as I can tell that’s how all UK cars were until of course we started to import lots of cars from the continent which in the conversion from LHD to RHD simple had the steering column moved from left to right, but never handed. I also assume the reason older MX-5s have the indicators on the right is for the same reason, they were originally considered first and foremost as a product for the domestic Japanese RHD Market where as in later years Mazda had to bow to their overseas markets (ignoring the UK) and go by the convention of having the stalk on the right (opposite gears) in the LHD market.
Seems to me a compromise us as right minded drivers on the left should not have to contend with. Car manufacturers should build a handed steering column just for us.
Anyone know of any car that come in LHD and RHD versions that do hand the indicator stalk to the opposite side to the gears for the appropriate markets?
Noooo!!! The MX5/Eunos is a right hand drive car - made in Japan which is a right hand drive market. The indicator stalk is in the correct place for a right hand drive car with a manual gearshift.
If you are hooning it round a roundabout (ahem. correction) gently sweeping round a roundabout, you can operate the indicator by flicking your fingertips forward and have your left hand free for changing gear.
My main car is a VW, with the indicator stalk on the left and yes, I do operate the windscreen wipers every time I get into the MX5. But remind yourself that the other manufacturers have got it wrong.
So i’m not the only one who prefers the indicators on the right! Phew!
It is just a case of remembering which car you are in. Now and then when I drive the NC I get it wrong the first time i indicate but after thatit is no longer a problem.
On my UK car, the airbag and indicator plugs are only taped together, they are very separate. Horn and airbag on one connector, the rest on the other two.
If the US spec cars are the same, it shouldn’t be too hard to swap it over to a UK spec plug.
Personally though, my indicators are on the right and it’s so much of a non-issue that such a job seems a bit of a WOFTAM to me.
Just imagine you’re driving a BMW then you don’t have to worry about indicating at all.
( Only joking folks )
I don’t think I have indicators on my 330d, must have a look sometime. ??(LOL)
I know it should be on the right but I think it’s an age of car more than Japanese thing, the Toyota and Subaru which are our daily drivers have indicators on the left. I’m pretty sure that on some classic stuff (Triumph Herald comes to mind) you could undo a clamp and position it as you want.
And yes, we “Righties” have been bullied in to this by the LHD car manufacturers !
Anyway, I’m going to try and find a MK1 assembly in Europe and have a play, It could always be reversed back for the next owner. I think it would be nice at the same time to fix the problem of the lights not lifting when you pull the stalk - they do in a '97 UK spec Mk1 MX5.
Google flash to pass.
As for Euro parts
Late type indicators, note airbag clockspring
http://mx5centre.com/Webshop_gebruikt/MX-5NAOnderdelen/MX-5NAInstrumenten?product_id=463
Early type, albeit out of stock
http://mx5centre.com/Webshop_gebruikt/MX-5NAOnderdelen/MX-5NAInstrumenten?product_id=464
Another early stalk;
https://www.japoto.nl/en/part/Mazda/MX-5/Steering+column+stalk/396/178215
Brand new part:
If you do get a continental set of stalks you’ll need the matching plastic column cowling as well, the cutout for the wiper stalk is bigger.
Unless you want to take a Dremel or similar to the cowling you have.