WHY DO HONDAS SOUND LIKE TIN?
¿Why do Hondas sound like tin?
We could say that this is the main reason why Hondas have that "hate" or nickname of lawnmower. We are many fans who share the pleasure of modifying Hondas, but are we really doing it JDM style?
STYLES
There are many styles that can be done, both JDM, USDM, Stance and much more. But when it comes to exhausting your Honda, is it going to sound like a can? Well, the answer is that it is not. It depends on the sound you want to give it, it can have a totally different tone or another.
USDM STYLE.
The USDM usually encompasses the Static, Stance, Bagged etc. style. however you like to mention it.
JDM STYLE.
The JDM Style in the Civic is very influenced by the Kanjozoku, but this does not mean that the style is only that way, another example of the style with this Accord Euro R CL1:
With styles a little clearer, let's focus on the sounds, encompassed in two categories.
MUFFLER TYPE EXHAUST
This type is the one that is usually most used due to decibels and aesthetics. This type of exhausts have a final silencer modifying the final tone. We know them as HKS type, 5zigen, etc. The sound of this one is usually always nice but not exaggerated, resembling more the USDM style, although it is also used in the JDM for other cars apart from Honda, such as Nissan, Mazda, Toyota etc.
Something to keep in mind when looking for a nice sound is to compensate for the diameter of the exhaust. In other words, an exhaust line with a larger diameter will always help to capture a more serious sound, on the other hand, if we carry a line with a smaller diameter, it will favor a more acute sound.
Here are a couple of videos to learn about this type of sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXv1RvVqGg&t=155s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhMqiyN6-Yo
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RGdnPpZbuoY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiv5FdWcpSA&t=7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=melbFDwPHzU
STRAIGHT TYPE EXHAUST
The straight type exhaust is the one that causes the most debate, since it is very noisy, and there are people who do not prefer it and even bother them. From this configuration comes the “tin” sound, a straight tube from headers to end. In this way a very high sound is achieved, and if it is done well, beautiful. There are those who prefer to keep the series intermediate with a resonator so as not to lose so much bass in the engine, or even leave the catalytic converter.
The best known, and to personal taste the most spectacular by far, is the ZeroFighter brand, selling various configurations of straight-type exhausts. There is also the Buddy Club brand with the Spec II line, or the artisans themselves.
Below we show you this type of sound in the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7zsTBGfOnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvXAci2Q4rA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAcmgfbLr1g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=860cwV0GyRk&t=19s
This style, as we can see, is widely used in Japan for Civics in general, as it is used for racing cars and Kanjozoku.
AND WHICH DO YOU PREFER?
Finally, you can see how a 4-cylinder engine can have different tones, within its configuration. Which one do you prefer?