My Mk1 Eunos S-Package

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Hi all, this is my first post on the forum (despite being a member for a little while) so thought i’d start a thread on my car and the ‘journey’ so far 

So it’s a Mk1 Eunos Roadster, 1.8 S-Special (EDIT: Now we know it’s an S-Package!) finished in Chaste White which was imported into the UK by Dandy Cars in 2004. I bought it myself at the end of October - a lengthy drive from Norfolk down to Southampton may I add - so as I write this I’ve had the car a little over a month. I actually purchased the car via this forum so some of you many recognise it or know Steve the previous owner! 

I’d been looking for an Eunos for a little while when this one popped up for sale and I had previously been looking at far more expensive garage queens but this car, despite being relatively cheap compared to some i’d looked at on the internet, appealed to me due to the very lengthy and honest advert and large history file etc, plus I saw this as a car I would actually use rather than store in the garage which of course is what these cars were built for - to be enjoyed!

So anyway, I viewed the car in what turned out to be the pouring rain but it was straight and honest and the deal was done - I then just had a very long, wet and dark drive back home. BUT! the car never missed a beat - this was a good start!

The first thing I wanted to do when back home was go out and get some photos of the car, as I purchased it - as I knew it wouldn’t look the same way for long…

 

 

As you can see it had lost the original BBS wheels, yellow strut brace and pretty much all the visual clues that it was an S-Special!

I also had my work cut out with cleaning. As well as needing a good tidy up in all the noks, crannies and crevasses in the interior and a decent engine bay clean, it also had damp in the boot and what looked like an oil explosion under the bonnet! 

 

 

I keep a tray under the car in my garage and it was drawing and leaving me works of art if left for a few days with both an oil leak AND coolant leak!

 

 

As well as all this, I must have broken a spring on the car during the journey home as shortly after purchase it was leaning over towards the driver’s side at the back, like 10 sacks of potatoes were sitting on the driver’s seat! Lowering the car was near the top of my list however so didn’t matter.

So with all this in mind, plus a clear view in my mind of some small-ish modifications I wanted to do to the car as well, I set about starting to order the long list of replacement and upgraded parts. Within a few days, it was starting to come together;

 

 

In short I accumulated a decent list of new parts very quickly and the car soon had;

 

 

  • Mobil 1 Oil change
  • New genuine oil filter
  • New genuine fuel filter
  • New NGK spark plugs
  • New Jackson Racing HT leads
  • New K&N panel air filter
  • New genuine rocker cover gasket
  • New headlamps with H4 Lucas bulbs (old ones were cloudy)
  • New genuine dipstick (original was broken)
  • New genuine radiator cap (one on the car was aftermarket)
  • New genuine red screw in fuel cap (seal was gone on original and could smell petrol in garage - new cap solved this)
  • New Tein lowering springs (30mm approx. drop)
  • Wrinkle red freshly painted cam cover
  • New Ultra Racing white strut brace
 

Most of that all got fitted over a couple of days by a trusted local garage and when I got it back, it was starting to look the part! But that’ll do for the first post, will update again shortly with what it all looked like when it was all fitted!

 

 

 

 

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After a few days of ownership and when time allowed, I made a start on the clean up - the boot came up nicely with the right products and some elbow grease, but the underside of the bonnet was much more of a job due to the oil of course - it’s not perfect, but a lot better than before but still needs some work in the corners to get it perfect;

(ignore the rust spot, it IS a Mk1 Eunos afterall!)

 

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The car had clearly been leaking from the rocker cover for some time, oil was absolutely everywhere and had been leaking down from the top, onto the alternator and alternator belt etc - the belt then making a loud squeal on start up and I assume flicking oil up onto the underside of the bonnet! The new genuine rocker cover gasket was fitted, along with the new red painted cam cover and red Jackson racing HT leads and I also bought all new stainless steel bolts for fitting the new cover as well and when it all went back together, this solved the oil leak from the top of the engine. The car has now also had a new alternator belt and this has stopped the squeal on start up and the alternator has been cleaned up the best it could. The coolant leak turned out to be the thermostat housing gasket - or more like it didn’t have one so fingers crossed now sorted! There is still an oil leak somewhere being pushed out elsewhere so i’ll get to that eventually but the rocker cover gasket now means the top is done at least.

So with all the engine bay cleaning, service work done and new parts fitted, this is the new look engine bay;

 

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As mentioned above I changed the headlamps for new units as for the cost of two new ones, it just wasn’t worth the time trying to buff up the cloudy and dull old ones. These were changed with Osram bulbs but within a week or so I had the usual ‘one dim headlight’ routine. Thinking it might be the more powerful Osram bulbs I pulled it all apart again and put in some standard Lucas ones and all was fine again… for a week! Then it went dim again. This turned out to be an earth issue and the spade connectors on the back of the light, hopefully all sorted for now.

I was also getting moisture in both side light/indicator lenses with obviously knackered seals, so purchased some good quality second hand ones, pulled it all apart, thoroughly cleaned the areas, put in all new bulbs and job done!

 

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Moving on, wheels were high up on the list as well as those old Mk2 wheels were never going to be on the car long, especially as my friend wanted them for his red G reg Eunos Mk1! So in the end I settled on some Japan Racing wheels suppled brand new from Drift Works - I went for 15x7, 4x100 15" as didn’t want anything tooo big or wide but an improvement over standard at the same time. I had these wrapped in new Pirelli P1 tyres all round for a great price by a good friend at the local tyre place.

 

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I bought a set of the rubber ‘Roadster’ logo mats from Moss and they are fantastic for the money, I also ditched the broken ash tray for a cubby hole thingy for the same space!

 

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I like your work so far.

TBH, the car looks so good, I’m thinking…how far are you needing to go really?Wink

Also, did you do the camcover? Splendid looking.

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So within a short space of time, the car had changed quite a bit what with the engine bay changes, lowering, new wheels and all the cleaning and service work done. So with this in mind, it was time for some more photos 

 

 

So this is where the car is now pretty much up to date, not bad going for just over a month, but the last update is in regards to the interior! It was pee’ing me off not having a clock in the car and I tried a cheap eBay stick on thing that was awful, I even considered getting a 52mm Smiths gauge clock in a pod but after some random google searching I came across someone’s clever idea of putting an E36 BMW clock in the car. This instantly appealed to me as was from the same period as my car so would look nice and oem, so I went on the hunt. Plenty can be found for sale but most have the clock on the left. I wanted the clock on the right! So in the end I managed to source a frame only with clock space on the right, then the clock and I also managed to get the correct plug, very similar to that off a Land Rover Defender so I got one slightly tweaked for my car. When it all arrived, this is what I had;

 

 

This all went in lovely and was fitted by my local auto-electricians/car audio shop, a place i’ve trusted with my cars for 15 years now! While the clock was getting fitted I had them fit my old Alpine CD player/radio as the JVC in the car when I bought it would skip and jump CD’s over every bump - I also had some new Audison speakers fitted into the doors and the headrests while it was there - the car had some Pioneers in there already but they are no match for the Audisons! The gap under the clock has now been sorted. 

 

 

So there we go, but one last thing for now, this was an interesting bit of the car’s history found behind the dash when the stereo got changed 

 

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Thanks for the kind words! 

I’m not doing anymore to the car now other than maintenance, for me it just needed some tweaks to lift it up a bit such as wheels and lows etc but I am not a bodykit and all that stuff kind of guy, so I very much prefer the OEM look instead - I think it’s there now.

I actually got the cam cover off eBay! Was a spur of the moment thing to look for one knowing it was to be pulled apart to do the rocker cover gasket etc so it was right place right time.

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Nice car, and a good basis for a future project, but…

 

 

It doesn’t make a lot of difference, but that looks more like a S-Package. The drivers door shut, for that year of car, should have the identifying model designation, and there are some online VIN decoders which might have your car (their coverage is a bit patchy 1993-1995).

 

Yellow Bilsteins were factory standard on S-Specials, dealer fit option for everyone else. Plus Dandy did a fair bit of mix and matching of bits.

 

Interior; should have had the teardrop speaker covers, and seperate tweeters, conceivable that they might have parted company. over the years, as well as the Nardi leather gearknob and the original fit Nardi (Momo was standard fit in the S-Package). Spoiler wasn’t only fitted to S-Specials. I feel fairly certain these 1.8 S-Specials would have had the metal footrest, not a plastic one, and possibly stainless steel pedal covers The door shut sticker remains the definitive means of a positive identification, though from 1995, populating the respective lines on the sticker seemed patchy (my 1996 S-Special II has nothing there). Or you find an import-friendly Mazda dealer to look it up for you. If you PM me your vin, I can see if there is any trace of your car in the public records.

 

The door sticker should look something like this:

 

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This is the vin sticker of a white 1.8 S-Package:

 

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Old Dandy ad from the period?

 

White 1.8 Roadsters make a great basis for a M2-1028 replica. Such as this white replica in Japan

 

https://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/449287/blog/28509029/

 

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That is some really interesting information there, thanks very much!

I shall have to look into this some more but it defo looks more like an S-Package doesn’t it, I didn’t even know such a model existed! 

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S-Spackage was basically same as UK iS, except for no speaker grills, and most of them were optioned with Torsen.

1.8 Japanese brochure:

https://www.atelier-nii.com/cars/rs_catalog/jp/1993_08jp_Roadster_brochure.pdf

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That brochure is really interesting as shows a few things - I see what you mean about the interior door cards, colours and specs etc, even the larger ‘Roadster’ sill plates were not on my car - I’ve bought a set already though and fitted them myself a few days ago so I do now have them lol!

I’ll have a look tomorrow at what the stickers are saying on the door shut!

If no joy, can you get any info from the VIN you mentioned?

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 Nice looking example - enjoy your car. 

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Steve is a regular poster on here.

You have done well there.

Like your new wheels. The old ones were TSW stealth 14s? Quite common on the basic MK2. My 1997 has a similar style but different 5 spoke original spec wheel type on it.

Intrigued by the ticket you found - looks like a subway/train ticket and barrier pass. 

Weird! - I was looking at the description of your car in the sold section one moment and then it disappeared. Steve did not mention a Torsen but would be interesting to know if it had one - would doubt it to be honest.

Surprised about the rocker gasket failing - you did the right thing replacing with OE. Where did the coolant appear from? 

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Thanks! I could have got a car for the same money or less much closer to home but a good honest advert and seller makes all the difference doesn’t it… yes they were 14’s on the car, nothing wrong with them, just a bit small and basic for what I wanted!

Yeah the rocker cover gasket was flat and quite badly needed changing, but was a cheap fix - the coolant i thought was the water pump gasket but turned out to be the thermostat housing gasket, there wasn’t one, so now it’s on i’m hoping thats the leak sorted

 

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See:

 

 

If the car is there, will give month and year of production, model code, modification (trim level), colour, interior colour code, catalogue number, advanced code (which might indicate the original suspension, and whether LSD was fitted.

 

Gives day, month, year of production

 

eg.na8c-306659

 

Was a white R-Limited, with Bilstein and Torsen LSD. Built 7th April 1995

 

But these databases are not 100%, and its likely your car (at a guess, its falling into the high NA8c-1xxxxx or low NA8C-2xxxxx range) might be one of these cars not included. But even if the car is not listed, a fair bit can be decoded from that sticker.

 

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Thanks again for all the great info!

Frustratingly however i’m not getting anywhere, neither one of the links returned any results for my car and also, the sticker mentioned in the door shut is missing or has been removed! 

All I have is a sticker on the drivers door half in Japanese and half in English saying about tyre pressures! 

That all said, I checked the original advert for my car from Dandy (which I have in the file) and it does indeed say S-Package next to the £5500 price tag and original import photos - the import photos show the rear spoiler, BBS wheels, black and white chequer mats, different gearknob but that’s about all!

I see there’s an S-Special II in the for sale section too that HAS the teardrop speaker covers and separate tweeters etc etc which my car does not have

This is all very interesting! I’m glad that custom badge only cost me a few pounds as i’ll be taking that off again now I know all this haha!

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Hi Steve,

Good to see you here - and I’m really heartened to see that you’ve already done so much to improve ‘my’ Eunos! - excellent work.

Some random thoughts:

*  Wheels, tyres and lowering look sublime - just what I’d have liked to have done, had I the time, the cash - and no other Eunos in my garage.

*  S-Package vs S-Special - like you I had no idea that the S-Package was a thing (even though it’s described accurately as such on the original DandyCars paperwork - doh.)  Apologies for misleading you - nice badge though.

  • You’ve made a fab job of sorting the oil leak and mess that I just never got around to.  I was slightly surprised that the culprit was the cam cover gasket - I used a genuine Mazda one from Autolink when the cambelt was done, what, 2 years ago?  But good job sorting it, and the attendant belt/screech.

  • I suspect you may find a leak from the CAS O-ring, which may account for slight leakage.  I was aware that there was something going on there when I changed all the coolant hoses, so that may be your culprit.

  • The link to an old DandyCars ad that SAZ found - is your car!

  • When the car came to me, it was without the VIN sticker on the driver’s door shut, annoyingly.

  • Replacement & sorting of front headlights and sidelight units long overdue - good man.

 

Really pleased to see the investment you’re making to the car in terms of time, money - and subtle upgrades, and I hope that M57 continues to give you enjoyment.  Please keep us updated through this thread.  

Cheers,
Steve

 

 

 

 

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Hi Steve! Thanks for the kind words, I was hoping you would come across the thread at some point to see the ‘progress’ so far and i’m really pleased you like the direction the car has taken - as said above, i’m all about the oem+, standard with a twist, so subtle upgrades are always the way! This car to me, is the equivalent to your green one as I have my other car as a daily, hence it can sit in the garage and have a few more pounds spent on it - that’s my man maths anyway!

No issue whatsoever regards the S-Special vs S-Package scenario, I find all that really interesting and I am just as happy with the car either way and it makes no difference to me - on a comical note, I have taken the badge off now and re-ordered one that says S-Package - my ocd wouldn’t allow to call the car something it’s not haha!

The CAS O-ring is something I shall look into, cheers for the nod in the right direction there, I keep getting a few drops of oil on the tray so sealing the top has defo pushed it out elsewhere - the rocker cover gasket that came off was quite ‘flat’ which was a surprise as I knew you’d changed it and it was quite new - these are old cars so it’s just a case of working through them isn’t it!

EDIT: The Mk2 wheels are sitting pretty on my friend Daniel’s Mk1, who I came with to buy the car, he loves them!

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Just took a photo of the Roadster logo sill plates that I bought to replace the ‘MX5’ ones, nothing overly exciting, but for 20 quid I think they are a nice addition and more JDM

 

 

Also another random pic of the car while it’s clean for 5 minutes!

 

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Your car look fantastic and they do look great in white. All credit to you ! Can I ask what dampers/shocks you used with the Tein springs ?

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Thanks 

I just kept the standard shocks for now with the new springs, so whatever was in there when I bought the car is still there now