90 model

Has anyone ever fitted a map light assembly to an MX-5 with the '90 body style?

By map lights I simply mean an overhead light unit which attaches to the car on the small metal band above the front windscreen glass.

I have a unit from a Suzuki Vitara which actually fits perfectly over the rear vision mirror mounting bracket in exactly the same way it does on the Vitara it was designed for. The slope of the panel is very close to that of the Vitara also, so the two individual lights will shine in the right direction for both driver and passenger. The end result (if you are not following me) is two small spotlights which are similar to the air vents of a plane, complete with surrounds which twist to direct the light in the same fashion that a plane air vent twists to change the airflow direction.

My biggest concern of course is routing the wiring up inside the panel. The wiring can be hidden under the panels up the side of the front window, but I would like to conceal the wiring from the corner of the screen to the centre by actually embedding it in the hollow of the panel itself and I would like to know if this is accessible.

N.B. I do not understand why any convertible car would not come with this type of overhead lighting. Has anyone ever even 'tried' to read a map (by holding it in the well under the dash) with those pathetic 'in-dash' lights?

Thanks in advance.

Came off fine on my 96 after a bit of wiggling. Even though I did not have the tool (whatever it was called) to take off the screws from the top attachment points.

Need to take off the visor bases, of course.

But the '96 has an OEM light up there to start with. (Serrano does, anyway.) I assumed that his '90 has never been wired for a light up top, and therein lay his predicament.

Jerry & Serrano '96 Classic Red

From the Enthusiast Manual page 10:7, it appears that the early header trim panel comes off much the same: unclip mirror plastic cover, unscrew mirror, soft top 'locating cups' 'Torx' screws (noting cups' positions first), sunvisors. Detach trim, carefully working from one end.

Cheers.

Weekend coming up.....