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Hi all,

Looking to purchase a Mx5 and was wondering how to tell if it is a genuine J limited edition. The VIN number is JMONA306100103402 but googling seems to have come up with a different VIN pattern - JMOGV102200000000. Any insight would be appreciated! Also, it doesn't seem to have the standard wooden Mardi steering wheel, gear stick or hand brake...

Thanks,
Jen

j model?
I,m under the impression JMONA is AU specific?

If this is a JDM model.... should perhaps tell you if that is correct.

Ok so it's a sunburst yellow?

Check this out. http://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/Mazda/MX-5

2005 NC according to that site.

According to that site you posted my 2002 is a 2005!

If you're looking at a yellow NA it will most likely be an Australian malibu gold edition.
I've never heard of a real j-limited in Aus.

I think The J edition is what the US called it.

I cant recall about the steering wheel & gear knob.
an E-mail to mazda would confirm this.

I would also check for respary. & Colour code on the Compliance plate although that doesn't totally guarantee anything as the plate could have been swapped

StanTheMan wrote:I think The J edition is what the US called it.

The Americans had no official name for the yellow cars other than Sunburst Yellow Miata. It was just a paint colour thing. http://www.miata.net/faq/miatase.html
The J-limited and the subsequent J-II Limited (yellow NA8 which is my dream MX5) in Japan were similar to V and R special/limited models, getting LSD's, Nardi bits etc. and were yellow.

The Malibu gold models here were like the American models, just yellow paint, AC and a CD player. The last few were sold with red interiors from the R-limited model. Which was the only red interior NA to ever be sold here.

J limited was a Japanese model only afaik.

If it has a jmona vin it's an Aussie one, the vin plate should match the stamped vin in the firewall.


Japanese ones will have a far shorter vin, starting with NA6CE from memory.
If it's an import you will usually find a separate compliance plate riveted to the firewall, or strut tower.
Should stand out, they're normally bright blue.


As for options etc, you should find a small white sticker on the door jam that lists the options fitted to he car when new. Most of them are listed as letter codes so you may need to do some googling.

hks_kansei wrote:If it's an import you will usually find a separate compliance plate riveted to the firewall, or strut tower.
Should stand out, they're normally bright blue.

My mrs Legnum has a pinky/purple "used import compliance" sticker on the passenger door jam.

Private imports here (vic) used to be a pink plate riveted on.

I cant recall when Japan adopted the 17 didgit VIN standard for domestic market. Some compliance plates dont start with J as they were the old Chassis numbers. In order to be registered here thay needed the extra letters to complete the 17 digits. It was common for the importer/compliancer to add a few initials to the start referring to their workshop. I have even heard that the following numbers dont always corespond to the chassis number.

j3n-b wrote:VIN number is JMONA306100103402

It's actually JM0NA, ie a 0 (zero) as opposed to a capital O.
Contact Mazda Australia by phone: 1800 034 411 or email: <CustomerServiceEnq@mazda.com.au>, with the VIN requesting the info you want.
Btw, the Malibu NA6 JM0NA306100103402 has been for sale in the NT for about the last 6 months or so.

Wow thank you everyone!
The one in the NT was the one I was looking at - I use to own a Eunos Roadster NA6 but had to sell it due to not having enough money for maintaining it.
However, having a mechanic as a partner makes things much easier (and cheaper!) so I've been on the hunt for a rarer model of the NA.

Just to clear things up, it would be quite hard to get a j-limited in Australia by the sounds of it without importing one?
Also, the malibu ones still are "rare" aren't they?
By the sounds of it they don't really come with any real perks apart from the colour?

Thanks

Yes, only 55 malibu's ever made.
You can't import a j limited without actually living with it in japan. The rules have changed so the mx5/roadster loophole is closed.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

55 were brought to AU
I know one was totalled cause patchy had a Malibu yellow front & rear bumper painted red
I know of another which was painted white.......

StanTheMan wrote:I know of another which was painted white.......

Give that man (or woman) 150 lashes!

j3n-b wrote:By the sounds of it they don't really come with any real perks apart from the colour?

Apart from MX5 NB SP, NB SE & NA8 Clubman, Australian Domestic Market MX5 limited editions differences were cosmetic.