Hello All,
I'm new to the site and am in the process of getting a fit. I wanted to know what the difference is b/w the USDM front end and the JDM front end. If you could post a side by side comparison of a GD and GE that would really help me out.

Just for the hell of it below I posted a pic of my current car that I'm trading away for a fit.



'07 FA5 Civic Si
'09 Front Conversion
Tein Basic Coilovers
TSX Wheels
HFP Exhaust
Type-r Shift knob

 

Can any one explain the cosmetic differences?

 

The biggest differenence between the USDM and JDM Fits (of both generations) is their length. The front end on a USDM is noticeably longer compared to the JDM counterpart to help comply with US safety standards for pedestrians accidents and the rear is longer, but not by much.

Here is an example of USDM/CDM Fits that have the JDM conversions.

GD Example...

Blue Cell's Photo Thread

Fresh JDM

GE example... (look through the posts to see the details on the conversion).

AJR Project GE6/8

 

^ Thanks for the response!

I'm sure there are plenty of threads out there already, but are there fitment issues with JDM front lips and grills on USDM fronts?

It seems all the grill's i find that I like are for the JDM fits

 

^why are you trading a Si for a Fit?

 

I bought the Si brand new in 07 with 0 miles it now has 39k and I hardly ever hit vtec. I just cruise around in it.

Its a really nice car, but the money I would save in insurance and car payments is enough to justify letting it go. Plus I want something different

 

OT but I did the same and am absolutely in love with the mpg I get in the Fit.

You won't regret your decision, plus all the space is amazing. Also, to me there's nothing better than cruising at 75 on the freeway getting 40 mpg in a car that isn't a hybrid, that's still able to downshift and zip by other cars.

Back on topic, there are the obvious differences (one is LHD one is RHD), the tail lights are different and the front and rear bumpers are different.

 

I agree I know I'm making the right choice. I told my crew on 8thcivic.com and they all flipped out and started clowning me, but to each his own!!

I know the USDM and JDM fits have cosmetic differences. Looking at pics of the front ends I couldn't decipher what they were. Now I know the JDM fronts are shorter.

I need info on JDM to USDM grill fitment and front lip fitment

 

in order to do what you want. you have to do a jdm
front end conversion which costs a lot of money.
over 4k i think.
you need bumper,hood,fenders,headlights,front frame
support and lots of other misc parts.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...rt-w-pics.html

save your self the money and stick with your usdm
front end.
as for grills in usdm you have a few options.
honda grill,mugen grill and last but not least JDP's
grill.

 

I made a spreadsheet to compare the exterior dimensions of the JDM and American Fits and found there to be a bigger difference than most people realize. Below you should see a cleaned up version of my spreadsheet with the US Fit (vanilla or Sport, same dimensions) along with the Japanese FWD 1.5L Fit X and Fit RS (both on the GE8 chassis).



As you can see, they added a full 10 inches onto the overall length of the Fit when they brought it stateside.

The reasons behind this change mostly come from the difference in safety standards between Japan and the US. Many auto manufacturers exaggerate when they add to the "crumple zone" of a vehicle on US ports in order to guarantee they pass with a desirable crash rating.

Another big factor to consider is that many Americans (not us, obviously) thought the last fit looked like a minivan and that the new one looked even more like one. These supposed "American tastes" ruin a lot of things for us hatchback lovers.

I had a hard time finding good comparison pictures, so here's my best efforts...



I used Photoshop to first line up the proportions using the wheels as reference. Unfortunately, the JDM Fit's photos were taken slightly closer to the car, causing slightly more foreshortening than the US Spec Fit Sport's photos, but you should still be able to use this as a guide. If anyone has a link to a vanilla Fit profile photo, I'd be glad to redo this for more accuracy.

 

I thought it'd be good to throw some guide lines on the comparison pic so people could see that the pictures matched proportionally and see more clearly where the cars differ. I drew some straight lines from key points on the JDM Fit up to the corresponding points on the USDM Fit (with the exception of the front and back end, those didn't match up, lol). Enjoy...

 

Here is an example of USDM/CDM Fits that have the JDM conversions.

 

Praze, nice diagrams, thanks.

I didn't know the NA version is 8" longer. I always forgot about the rear bumper.

 

I have a JDM Fit RS front and rear end to sell in about a month and a half to 2 months from now

The 2008-2010 model, of course, not the just-released version.

 

Nice side-by-side comparison. :thumbup:

Unfortunately, after spending 4,000 clams...you will still have an unsightly gap here at the front pillar window...I haven't seen anyone come up with a solution for this yet:



@OP,
Why don't you just buy a 1.5 Jazz RS over seas and import it? SRSLY...you could find a used one and even with the added cost of shipping would still be cheaper than buying a used USDM Fit and doing the JDM conversion.

I spent 2 weeks in Thailand and to be honest, the short JDM front just makes it look cheap and toy-like. I agree it looks better in pictures, but in person....the USDM front takes the cake. Don't get me wrong, you will always hate the full side-on profile...there's no getting over that. I think the side profile is minimizedmost on black Fit's with the Mugen front lip.

I often take a circuitious route when walking to my car in the parking lot so I can approach at 3/4 angle.....LOL

 

How about a side facing turn signal?

I mean, as stock, there's no side facing turn signal in front since the front signals are near the middle, next to the grille.

Put some side facing signals, and viola, you have signals that can be seen from any angle in the front... so no idiot can say "I didn't see your signals."

I'm sure an LED panel can be made about the same thickness of the cover that's already there.

Sure, there are already options for the mirror... but hey, at least it's something for this spot.

 

Seems like it would just be easier to buy the JDM glass and plastic cap...I wonder if anyone has tried that approach?

 

That gap is why I don't like the GE. Praze nice diagram!!

 

I'd guess that dark window tint would basically eliminate that... it would disappear in a wall of black.[/quote]


@OP,
Why don't you just buy a 1.5 Jazz RS over seas and import it? SRSLY...you could find a used one and even with the added cost of shipping would still be cheaper than buying a used USDM Fit and doing the JDM conversion.

I spent 2 weeks in Thailand and to be honest, the short JDM front just makes it look cheap and toy-like. I agree it looks better in pictures, but in person....the USDM front takes the cake. Don't get me wrong, you will always hate the full side-on profile...there's no getting over that. I think the side profile is minimizedmost on black Fit's with the Mugen front lip.

I often take a circuitious route when walking to my car in the parking lot so I can approach at 3/4 angle.....LOL[/QUOTE]

You realize that you can't import cars from overseas for street use unless they are 25+ years old, right? That's why the only old (real) RHD Minis you see are from the 60's and 70's. They were in production until 2000.

Yeah... I'll take the crumple zones on a car this small. The UDSM version looks a bit better to me - the JDM somehow looks cheaper, like a low end Citroën. I'm not sure if those are wheels or plastic covers, but 1997 wants them back. They look better than the ones on the Civic hybrid, and that's about the nicest thing I can say about it. The wheels on the Fit Sport are really conservative and stuffy, but they look REALLY HOT by comparison.

As far as other market cars go, I couldn't care less about bumpers and doodads from their cars- I'd kill for a Civic 5 door with a 6 speed and that lovely, famous Honda 2.2L diesel that I saw last time I was in the UK.

 

to be honest After seeing the comparison pics (big thanks to Praze) I prefer the USDM front with the JDM rear. The added length makes the car look better. I just wish the JDM lips and grills would fit the usdm fronts.

Oh well

Thanks for all the info guys

Maybe this should be stickied so anyone asking for USDM JDM comparisons can just read this post?