Civic Type R EP3 (2005) Spoon N1 Exhaust System

[Wheeler88]

Hi guys,

I am looking for advice from anyone who has or who is looking to upgrade the exhaust system on their EP3 Type R.

Trawling through the various forums, the Spoon N1 keeps cropping up as a favourable replacement for the stock exhaust system. However, I do not want to de-cat my car as I need it to pass MOT's etc. I was therefore thinking of going for the Spoon N1 back box only (rather than the full Spoon system which is de-cat) and purchasing a separate b-pipe.

Any suggestions for a good quality centre pipe? Or any suggestions for any other exhaust systems that people get on well with.

I am not trying to save money as I want a high quality replacement - don't see the point in having a nice car to replace it with crap!

Any advice will be much appreciated!

Cheers,


Ash

[jord294]

i have a custom made 'longlife' cat back system which keeps the twin exit style tailpipe

i HATE oversized round or oval type tailpipes on the ctr

[Wheeler88]

jord294 said:

i have a custom made 'longlife' cat back system which keeps the twin exit style tailpipe

i HATE oversized round or oval type tailpipes on the ctr

I agree, I hate oversized melon-holders but I don't mind the Spoon N1 round look - not too big or too small (beginning to sound like a children's novel). The stock exhaust looks nice on the CTR but really looking for something new and raspy.

I have contemplated a Supersprint unsilenced B pipe and then keep the OEM back box but I just don't think it sounds as nice as the SS mated up to the Spoon N1 back box - can anyone with this combination let me know what it is like to live with day-to-day?

[Mastodon2]

Unsilenced centre and Spoon N1 backbox is going to be louder than you think, and Spoon N1s on unsilenced centres are more boomy than raspy. It will give a real droney boom in the cabin at speed too. It's a good sound, but it's louder than you think it will be, so try and get a ride in a Civic with a Spoon / Buddy Club or any other unsilenced catback to get an idea of how loud it is and whether you, your neighbours and your local police will be ok with it. When you are driving with one of these systems, if you are on the VTEC you'll likely be able to hear the car over a mile away on a still night.


I ran my Type R for over a year with a straight through custom exhaust system on it, it was silly loud, but good fun. I recently changed for the standard Honda backbox with a Supersprint unsilenced B pipe, which is raspier than a Spoon, but nowhere near as loud. The straight through systems make your car sound like a touring car, but the unsilenced B pipe and Honda backbox is classic fast Honda tone. If you just want to have fun with the sound of your car, I'd suggest the straight centre and OEM backbox, with an induction kit. I wouldn't bother with a Gruppe M / Tegiwa bonnet scoop style induction kit, unless you can live with cling-filming the air scoop every time you wash the car, and you don't mind some arse-clenching drives in heavy rain. AEM long ram is another one to avoid, too many hydrolocked engines out there, but there are plenty of good options, like ARC induction boxes, K&N Typhoons, AEM short rams etc. The induction noise on a Type R with a hard pipe induction kit will make you laugh out loud, it's just brilliant.

[Wheeler88]

Mastodon2 said:

Unsilenced centre and Spoon N1 backbox is going to be louder than you think, and Spoon N1s on unsilenced centres are more boomy than raspy. It will give a real droney boom in the cabin at speed too. It's a good sound, but it's louder than you think it will be, so try and get a ride in a Civic with a Spoon / Buddy Club or any other unsilenced catback to get an idea of how loud it is and whether you, your neighbours and your local police will be ok with it. When you are driving with one of these systems, if you are on the VTEC you'll likely be able to hear the car over a mile away on a still night.


I ran my Type R for over a year with a straight through custom exhaust system on it, it was silly loud, but good fun. I recently changed for the standard Honda backbox with a Supersprint unsilenced B pipe, which is raspier than a Spoon, but nowhere near as loud. The straight through systems make your car sound like a touring car, but the unsilenced B pipe and Honda backbox is classic fast Honda tone. If you just want to have fun with the sound of your car, I'd suggest the straight centre and OEM backbox, with an induction kit. I wouldn't bother with a Gruppe M / Tegiwa bonnet scoop style induction kit, unless you can live with cling-filming the air scoop every time you wash the car, and you don't mind some arse-clenching drives in heavy rain. AEM long ram is another one to avoid, too many hydrolocked engines out there, but there are plenty of good options, like ARC induction boxes, K&N Typhoons, AEM short rams etc. The induction noise on a Type R with a hard pipe induction kit will make you laugh out loud, it's just brilliant.

Thank you for your response! Really sound advise there. I will be using the car for track days and from what I gather, the unsilenced b pipe mated with the N1 back box is too loud for 105dB days!

I like the idea of the unsilenced b pipe with the Honda back box. Having looked at some videos, you still get a great sound! And with the unsilenced pipes being an absolute steal online, it is a cheap and cheerful change.

Does anyone know if you would get better gains from an UNsilenced b pipe and stock back box - or a SILENCED b pipe and a Spoon back box? Which combonation would be more restrictive?

[Mastodon2]

I cannot say for sure which would be more restrictive, but I've read people say on the Civic forums that the turbocharged Civics have been run at 300bhp+ on the standard backbox, so neither should really hold you back. Of course, it's a naturally aspirated car already making near enough 100bhp/L, so getting anything more out of it is of course, expensive and the gains are small, until you've done the absolute lot, and even then, a turbocharged car with £100 for an exhaust a remap will get much bigger gains. Not to say you shouldn't mod your EP3 for power, but don't expect a totally different car at the end.

As for an unsilenced B pipe and a Spoon N1 backbox (or any straight through box), no, you will not get on a 105db trackday. I've seen Civics on with similar exhaust systems making 120db+, so I'm not sure which, if any trackdays you could get on with an exhaust like that.

[dan11219]

I've just orderd an unsilenced sportex b-pipe as a stop-gap before I can afford a full system. It's ment to be arriving either tomorrow or wednesday. I also have an induction kit, that sounds the nuts on its own!

I wanted a more raspy tone, my friend has an N1 on his, it does sound nice but just not the sound im looking for, not very raspy.

The b-pipe was £77 deliverd new, i'll get it fitted sometime this week and post a video up at some point if you want to hear it

[Wheeler88]

Yeah I will be going for the induction kit (typhoon) too. I LOVE the induction noise in VTEC!

And yeah post a video up. Will be good to get an idea of sound. Will you be using it with your standard back box?

[dan11219]

Yeah im mating it to an OEM backbox and manifold.
The OEM one is ment to be the most raspy of any, join ctro though, some good modding advice on there!

[dbvilla]

I used to run the OEM backbox with an unsilenced B-pipe, was really raspy when cold and then as it warmed up not so much.
I now run a japspeed 4-2-1 manifold with decat and a DC Sports exhaust. Even with two silencers its all kinds of loud in Vtec.

[itsnotarace]

Mastodon2 said:

I wouldn't bother with a Gruppe M / Tegiwa bonnet scoop style induction kit, unless you can live with cling-filming the air scoop every time you wash the car, and you don't mind some arse-clenching drives in heavy rain.

I can't comment on Tegiwa but have owned a GruppeM since 2004, there is a drain hole at the bottom so there is no problem jetwashing or with heavy rain. HTH

[Mastodon2]

itsnotarace said:

I can't comment on Tegiwa but have owned a GruppeM since 2004, there is a drain hole at the bottom so there is no problem jetwashing or with heavy rain. HTH

The Tegiwa also has a drain hole, however, I've driven in some absolutely incredible rain this past year that really made me think "No drain hole is going to protect against this!". That said, I've not heard of failures like you get with the AEM long rams, but I do know a number of Gruppe M / Tegiwa owners that advocate the use of cling film over the scoop when washing the car.

[dan11219]

I completly forgot to make that video now its fitted, i'll go do it now!

[Wheeler88]

dan11219 said:

I completly forgot to make that video now its fitted, i'll go do it now!

Been waiting for you to post haha

[itsnotarace]

Mastodon2 said:

That said, I've not heard of failures like you get with the AEM long rams, but I do know a number of Gruppe M / Tegiwa owners that advocate the use of cling film over the scoop when washing the car.

I've sprayed jetwash directly down my GruppeM scoop a bunch of times with no issues, totally unnecessary to use cling film

[dan11219]

st video, i'll get a better one of a flyby in VTEC at some point, but here is just a quick rev from warm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdC_aQP6ugQ&fea...

[Wheeler88]

dan11219 said:

st video, i'll get a better one of a flyby in VTEC at some point, but here is just a quick rev from warm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdC_aQP6ugQ&fea...

Thanks for putting that up Dan. Sounds from videos like that I know don't show off the full depth of the noise. But the raspyness is exactly what I am after. I shall be going for a straight through b pipe mated to oem back box too. Let me know when you have a fly by one sorted. Ash

[dan11219]

Wheeler88 said:

dan11219 said:

st video, i'll get a better one of a flyby in VTEC at some point, but here is just a quick rev from warm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdC_aQP6ugQ&fea...

Thanks for putting that up Dan. Sounds from videos like that I know don't show off the full depth of the noise. But the raspyness is exactly what I am after. I shall be going for a straight through b pipe mated to oem back box too. Let me know when you have a fly by one sorted. Ash

Yeah that video makes it sound more tinny than in the flesh, it has a lot more grunt to it, ill try and do a fly by today

[Mastodon2]

Wheeler88 said:

Thanks for putting that up Dan. Sounds from videos like that I know don't show off the full depth of the noise. But the raspyness is exactly what I am after. I shall be going for a straight through b pipe mated to oem back box too. Let me know when you have a fly by one sorted. Ash

That video is pretty much exactly what my car sounds like (R8BYB straight centre pipe). Loads of rasp, yum.