Fitting Honda Accord Oval Exhaust Tips to a Fit Sport (GE8)
Introduction
This guide covers bolting a set of chrome oval Honda Accord exhaust tips (Part# 18310-TA1-315) onto a 2013 Honda Fit Sport (GE8). The Accord tip's oval profile lines up neatly with the oval cutout in the Fit Sport rear bumper, giving a wider, more finished appearance without cutting any bodywork. The challenge is purely mechanical: the Accord's exhaust pipe is fatter than the Fit's, and the Accord tips are shorter than the factory Fit tips, so a pair of spacer brackets and a retaining strap are fabricated to bridge the size difference and hold everything firmly. A couple of cosmetic tricks hide the smaller Fit pipe visible inside the larger tip opening. This is a bolt-on appearance modification with no exhaust cutting or welding required on a stock bumper. Adapted from a community writeup by BMW ALPINA on FitFreak (https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-gen-ge8-specific-fit-engine-modifications-motor-swaps-ecu-tuning-sub-forum/76530-diy-accord-exhaust-tips.html), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Metric wrenches and sockets
- Drill and metal bits
- Hacksaw or metal file
- Oven for curing high-temp paint
- Ruler or tape measure
Parts Required
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Honda Accord oval exhaust tips, Part# 18310-TA1-315
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Two U-shaped pipe brackets (used as diameter spacers)
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One flat perforated metal strap, about 7cm long
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Two metric bolts and one nut
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Round escutcheon / wall water-tap cover plate (hardware store)
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High-temperature black paint
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Permanent-strength thread locker (Loctite)
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Only work on the exhaust when it is fully cold to avoid burns.
- ⚠ Use permanent-strength thread locker on the bracket fasteners; heat and vibration will loosen untreated bolts and the tips can fall off.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Confirm the parts and understand the fitment gap
Obtain the Accord oval tips, Part# 18310-TA1-315. Hold one against the bumper cutout to confirm the oval shape matches the Fit Sport opening. Note the two mismatches you must engineer around: the Accord pipe diameter is larger than the Fit's tailpipe, and the Accord tip body is shorter than the factory Fit tip. Because of this, the tip cannot simply slip over the Fit pipe; it needs spacers to take up the diameter difference and a strap to anchor it to the existing tailpipe flange.
2 Coat all mounting hardware and cure the paint
To protect the brackets, spacers, and fasteners from rust in the harsh under-bumper environment, finish every metal piece with high-temperature black paint. This type of paint is not fully protective until baked: cure the painted parts in an oven, working through the three separate heat stages listed on the paint can. Do not skip the curing schedule, or the finish will not harden properly.
3 Build the diameter spacer from two U-brackets
To make the narrower Fit tailpipe fill out the wider Accord tip, use two U-shaped pipe brackets stacked as shims around the pipe. Paint and cure these along with the rest of the hardware. Together they build the pipe up to a diameter the Accord tip can grip securely rather than rattle around on.
4 Fabricate the retaining strap
Cut or source a flat metal strap roughly 7cm long and drill mounting holes in it. This piece bridges the Accord tip back to the factory mounting flange already present on the Fit tailpipe, transferring the tip's weight to a solid anchor point rather than relying on friction alone.
5 Clamp the spacer brackets onto the tailpipe
Position the first U-bracket on the tailpipe about 12cm back from the pipe's open end. Install the second U-bracket immediately behind the first. Doubling them up over a short span gives the tip a longer, more rigid seat so it will not sag or tilt once loaded.
6 Bolt the tip and strap together
Attach the flat retaining strap using two metric bolts and one nut, tying the Accord tip to the pipe flange and spacer assembly. Apply permanent-strength thread locker to the fasteners so engine vibration and exhaust heat cannot back them out over time. Torque them down and confirm the tip sits square in the bumper cutout.
7 Cap the exposed inner pipe
The Accord tip has a wider mouth than the Fit pipe, so the smaller tailpipe is visible recessed inside it and looks unfinished. Cover this gap with a round wall escutcheon or water-tap cover plate from a hardware store, centered inside the tip opening. This closes off the view straight through to the smaller pipe.
8 Black out the chrome interior
Because the Accord tips are chrome plated inside and out, the shiny inner surface makes the true bore obvious. Paint the interior of each tip with the same high-temperature black paint. The dark inside makes the outlet read as one large, deep exhaust opening rather than a chrome tip with a small pipe inside.
9 Check fitment and clearance
Step back and view the tips at eye level from several angles; camera angles can make them look off-center or gapped when they are actually seated correctly. On a stock 2013 Fit Sport bumper there is ample clearance around the opening, so no trimming of the bumper is necessary. Verify the tips are stable and do not contact the bumper when the exhaust heats and moves.
Pro Tips
- 💡 The Honda S2000 (AP2) exhaust tips are an alternative and are larger in diameter than the Accord tips; note that mounting them typically requires welding to the muffler rather than a bolt-on strap.
- 💡 Painting the chrome inner surface flat black is the single most effective trick for making a small tailpipe look like a much larger outlet.
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