Honda Civic 5-Door to Type R/S Body Kit Conversion (8th Gen FK)
Introduction
This guide covers converting the standard exterior of an 8th-generation Honda Civic 5-door hatchback (FK) to the Type R / Type S look by fitting genuine Type R/S panels: front and rear splitters, all four wheel arches, both side skirts, the exhaust trim triangles and the rear reflectors. It is purely a cosmetic bumper-and-trim swap with no structural or mechanical work, but it is fiddly plastic-trim removal that rewards patience and the correct clips. Because the donor panels come from the 3-door Type R (FN2), several parts do not sit perfectly flush on the wider 5-door shell: the rear arches need modified clips or cut-and-shut work, a small gap remains at the rear door/skirt junction, and the tailpipe can vibrate against the new triangles. Each of these has a known remedy, all covered below. Read the whole guide and gather every panel before you begin, since a half-finished conversion simply leaves the car looking undressed. Adapted from a community writeup by geemac on Civinfo (https://www.civinfo.com/threads/how-to-5-door-type-r-conversion.70495/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- 10mm socket and ratchet
- Pliers
- Trim/panel removal tool (to release poppers without snapping them)
- Utility knife (to trim modified clips and gap-filling rubber)
- Angle grinder or hacksaw (optional, only if the tailpipe rattles on the triangles)
Parts Required
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Type R/S front and rear splitters
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Type R/S side skirts (pair)
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Type R/S wheel arches (set of 4)
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Type R/S exhaust trim triangles
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Rear splitter reflectors
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Replacement tree/trim clips (plus several spares)
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Longer clips or Tiger Seal for securing the rear arches
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Ford Escort exhaust hanger rubber (part number PSM54C) or Powerflex universal exhaust mounts (EXH011)
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Black rubber strip / door seal, fibreglass, or vinyl wrap to close the skirt/arch gap
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ Disconnect the parking-sensor connector before pulling the rear bumper away, or you risk tearing the wiring.
- ⚠ Remove the side skirts only by sliding them rearward toward the back tyre; pulling them straight out from the side shears all the retaining clips.
- ⚠ The two-part rear bumper cannot be split while on the car, as the exhaust-triangle bolt passes through both sections, so the whole bumper must come off first.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Confirm the complete Type R/S panel set
A clean conversion needs matching Type R (or Type S) panels throughout: front and rear splitters, both side skirts, all four wheel arches, the exhaust trim triangles and the rear splitter reflectors. Do not try to keep the standard arches with new splitters and skirts, as the standard arches leave a gap along the top of the rear splitter. Type S panels are dimensionally identical to Type R; the only difference is that non-GT Type S trim was supplied unpainted in matte grey rather than colour-coded, so matching-colour used parts may need no respray. Buy a few spare tree clips before you start.
2 Remove the rear wheel arches
Each rear arch is held by a star-head screw on the inner arch beside the rear door plus a matching one on the opposite edge, and a single popper underneath at the point where the arch meets the rear splitter. Release those fixings and pull the arch away; firm force is fine and expected. Repeat on the other side.
3 Remove the rear bumper
Prise off the four cap covers, two per side, to reveal a 10mm bolt beneath each one, for four bolts in total. Take out the eight poppers running along the lower splitter, then the star-head screw on each side that was hidden behind the arch. If the car has parking sensors, unplug their connector before easing the bumper off the car.
4 Transfer the Type R splitter, triangles and reflectors, then refit the bumper
Rest the bumper on a blanket so the paint is protected. Undo the two 10mm bolts holding each exhaust triangle, pull the poppers along the top edge of the splitter, then gently prise apart the small clips that run the whole length of the join. Fit the Type R splitter by reversing that sequence and add the rear reflectors; a forum member reproduces these more cheaply than the OEM item. Note that the coloured upper section and grey reflector section of the bumper cannot be separated while the bumper is on the car, because the exhaust-triangle bolt passes through both, so the full bumper must always come off first. Refit the completed bumper in reverse of removal.
5 Fit the Type R rear arches with modified clips
The Type R rear arches take a different retaining clip than the standard car. Trim the round head of a standard tree clip down to the smallest square you can so it seats in the Type R arch. Remove the fifth clip up from the bottom and fit the modified one in its place; some fitters replace both the fourth and fifth clips for a firmer hold, and Tiger Seal can be used as an alternative fixing. Then refit the arch by reversing the removal steps.
6 Remove the front wheel arches
Undo three star-head screws nearest the door and the popper directly above them, then a further screw and popper higher up above the tyre. Follow the arch line under the bumper to a rubber fin, behind which sit two more poppers and another screw. Release all of these and pull the arch off, then repeat on the opposite side.
7 Swap the side skirts
With the front arch already removed, take out the three poppers along the inner edge near the exhaust and the star-head screw beside the rear arch. Do not drag the skirt straight outward from the side, or every retaining clip will shear; instead slide it rearward toward the back tyre until it releases. Twist and pull the white clips out and transfer them to the new skirt, then push the skirt home. A gap will remain at the rear door, roughly 1.5 inches deep over about 4 inches of skirt length; this is normal and addressed later.
8 Remove the front bumper and transfer the front splitter
Take out the poppers on the slam panel under the bonnet, one star-head screw per side from behind the arch, and four poppers beneath the front splitter. Also remove the number-plate surround, as a small screw hidden behind it runs into both the splitter and the bumper. You do not need to remove the grille to free the bumper (a later correction from the author). Pull the bumper off and move the front splitter across the same way as the rear one, then refit the bumper.
9 Refit the front arches and reassemble
Reattach the front arches by reversing their removal. Expect some screw and clip holes not to line up exactly: the 5-door inner liner has a rounded profile while the 3-door arch follows a more triangular shape, so an arch may need firm persuasion to seat. The last white clip at the junction of the front arch and the skirt often will not seat, but it stays hidden from view. With both arches back on, the panel work is complete.
10 Close the door, skirt and arch gaps
Deal with the remaining gaps at the rear door/skirt and along the rear arches. Options in ascending effort are: a strip of door-seal rubber cut to size; a moulded double-U rubber profile made to shape (for example by a rubber supplier such as Walker Rubber); vinyl wrap over the black sections; or a fibreglass fill for an invisible finish. Fitting 3-door exhaust triangles and reflectors to the rear splitter is also part of matching everything up.
11 Cure the exhaust-triangle rattle
The tailpipe can vibrate against the Type R exhaust triangles, usually at idle. Any of these fixes work: fit a Ford Escort exhaust hanger rubber (Halfords, part number PSM54C); fit Powerflex universal exhaust mounts (EXH011), opening the holes a few mm if they are tight; trim about 1cm off the tip of each tailpipe with an angle grinder or hacksaw; or bend the exhaust hangers slightly to reposition the pipe.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Type S panels are the same shape as Type R; only non-GT Type S trim came unpainted in matte grey, so matching-colour used parts can go on without a respray.
- 💡 Buying arches new from a Honda dealer (around 70-80 pounds each) can cost about the same as a second-hand arch plus paint, but gives a factory finish.
- 💡 A straight 3-door kit will not sit flush on the 5-door: the arches must be cut-and-shut by a bodyshop or a gap opens along the top of the rear arches.
- 💡 If a new skirt sits slightly proud after fitting, push it forward toward the front arch so the clips slide fully back into their holders.
- 💡 Wear grippy work gloves; this is knuckle-punishing plastic-trim work.
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