mkII...mkIII confusion

first off i just got a '86 7mge two months ago... not running and im building it up. im shopping for parts and alot of parts are from '87 to '92....why not '86 i thought that was the first year for the mkIII or am i wrong?
whats the differences between the '86 & '87 and why wouldnt parts fit on my car?

any info would help

86 is just the transitional year, the MKII was last sold in 86 and the MKIII started in 86.5. All MKIII (this is what you have) chassis are the same with the exception of the 89+ body changes like the front bumper, tail lights, and wing. Most sites just don't list the 1986 and 1968.5 so people don't get confused about the half year situation.

ah, ok that makes sense....now to buy parts :biggrin: