PAS, talk to me.

[Conor D]

Power assisted steering in the MK1 MX5s, yay or nay?

I've been looking at later mk1s with PAS, but there seems to be alot of earlier cars within my budget.. How different is it to drive without PAS?

[GravelBen]

I hear good things about the non-PAS steering feel, but the PAS has a quicker rack.

Lots of early cars have PAS too btw, the car was designed with it right from the start.

Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 9th September 21:42

[MX-5 Lazza]

As GB says, the car was designed to have PAS and all the rave reviews you can read are based on a car with PAS (Mazda would never send a low-spec car for review).
As GB also says, most MX5s, regardless of age have PAS. It's only the lowest spec UK cars and a few rare JDM cars that do not have PAS.

[Mazdamender]

PAS for me everytime unless it's for track use.

[MX-5 Lazza]

The other problem with choosing non-PAS is that you then get a gutter-spec car (no offence PNM) so unless someone has added them it won't have LSD, leccy windows/mirrors, leather, 15" wheels etc. if any of those are of interest to you.

ETA: PAS is also fine for track use. The only reason you'd choose non-PAS or remove the PAS is to save weight

Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Friday 10th September 09:43

[GravelBen]

MX-5 Lazza said:

ETA: PAS is also fine for track use. The only reason you'd choose non-PAS or remove the PAS is to save weight

PAS is probably better if you like going sideways too due to the quicker rack

[Pete Franklin]

only problem i have had with the PAS is in really tights autosolos with superquick direction changes- the fluid gets very hot and the system stops working meaning that you get a mixture of assisted and non-assisted which isnt very helpful. generally though i think PAS on the MX5 is pretty good.

[GravelBen]

My power steer fluid did boil over on a fantastically sideways trackday session but as far as I could tell it was still working - I guess you'd only really notice it at lower speeds though.

[Pete Franklin]

it still works when that happens it just gives you the odd moment of unassisted steering which on PAS rack is quite a shock- especially in the heat of competition.

[youngsyr]

Can you not get uprated power steering fluid with a higher boiling temperature like you can with brake fluid?