2015 Orchid Pearl White Honda Jazz Si

[guest334]

Chris, did you spot the retrimmed front seats on EBay for your model?
They may appeal the asking
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275978355748?hash=item4041978424:g:Dr4AAOSwmAZkyjEb

[Chris_Music]

I just read the whole thread start to finish, its come along very nicely!

In my view the best Jazz is this model, and in this particular colour.

And your Amayama suggestion is a very clever one, thanks Chris!

Thank you for your kind words. Yes I agree about the best Jazz model. I don't mind the GK, but I can't stand the new GR Jazz, it just looks so ugly. Hopefully the next model of Jazz is nicer, otherwise I might just keep mine forever!

Did you find when swapping the bumper that you needed the lower arch liner sort of plastic pieces

Yes, the Si rear bumper sits lower, and I had to buy new arch liners to fit, which was annoying!

Chris, did you spot the retrimmed front seats on EBay for your model?
They may appeal the asking
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275978355748?hash=item4041978424:g:Dr4AAOSwmAZkyjEb

I don't get why it has RSX stitched into the seat? The RSX is the American Integra.
I think I still prefer the stock Si seats to those to be fair.

[Chris_Music]

My latest Summer Update

Black Bonnet Wrap

For a while I had been thinking of wrapping the bonnet black to go with the black roof, and I decided to purchase the wrap, as it was only £20, and if I decided that I didn't like it, I could always just remove it and it wasn't much money to lose.
I purchased the wrap in November last year, but then I realised that I needed warmer conditions to apply the wrap. So I stored it away until the summer.
I purchased my wrap from MDP Supplies, as I was very happy with the quality of my roof wrap that I bought from them, that has air release which makes it much easier if you get bubbles, and 4 years later the wrap still looks good, so I know it lasts well.

I did put off doing it for a while, as the roof was such a pain to do, but eventually I just forced myself to do it on a nice day.

It was a lot harder than I was expecting, probably because of the way the bonnet slopes. I couldn't just pull it and lay it flat to get the "glass" look straight away. I had to take my time and pull and lay it down, inch by inch.

Some dust did get underneath, which was annoying, but you can only really notice if you look closely.







Overall I'm really happy with how it looks, and I was surprised how much it changes the look of the car.
I wasn't expecting it to make such a difference.

I don't think I will be making many more changes to the appearance.
I have been on the fence about buying Red Honda badges for the front and rear, as I feel it will complete the look. But I'm also not a fan of up-badging, and I feel the Red H is solely reserved for a Type R. And if I do put red badges on, I can't go back as you have to snap off the old Honda H badges in order to install the red ones.

I did think about trying to wrap the wheels black (or white), just to have a nice temporary change, but I recon it would be a real pain and I don't know how well it would turn out.

[Chris_Music]

A minor update

New Battery and Battery Bracket + Painting.

So my 8 year old Varta battery started showing it's wear now that I don't need to use the car for work and only drive it once a week, it got to the point where I would have to jump start it every time I wanted to drive it, so I decided to replace it with a Yuasa 5000 Silver YBX5054 from Tayna Batteries.

When I removed the originally battery, I found the metal battery bracket was very rusty, so I used some white Hammerite paint I had left over from painting my Brake Calipers to bring it back to life.

The part was quite rusty


Used a wire brush drill attachment to remove as much of the surface rust as possible


After 2 coats of Hammerite


Freshly painted part installed


I also decided to buy a new battery bracket instead of painting the black one. I went for a red anodised bracket in keeping with the red Si theme. I got it from AliExpress for £7.38 delivered LINK.



It fits quite well considering. The bolts are a little long, but they don't touch the underside of the bonnet so it's all good. They could be cut shorter if necessary, or the original ones could be reused instead.



I'm currently on the look out for some Red Honda emblems for the front and rear, but finding the correct size and part numbers for the Jazz is turning out to be tricky.

[guest334]

Good spot the plastic battery tray can often hide a horror story, maybe add a smear of grease across the top of both terminals.
Ive just replaced the battery last weekend with the same model / spec on my wife's Jazz EX.

[Chris_Music]

I've got quite a few up dates and I keep forgetting to post them here, so I'm going to do a little update dump.

1st November 2023

I bought some £4 Si vinyl sill protectors from AliExpress for my Jazz Si.
I thought I would share my findings for anyone wanting to purchase some for their Jazz. They also do a Jazz or Fit logo as well.
Here is the link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005615377175.html?

The rear sill protectors were too big to fit the Jazz, so I had to cut them down to size to fit. You could probably make them fit if you used a heat gun to mould it, but I thought it would look odd and not match the front ones. I did use a heat gun to stretch the vinyl on some of the curves and contours, as it wouldn't stay stuck down.
For £4 I think they are pretty decent. Time will tell how well they hold up.

I measured the size it should be to fit the smaller door sill and cut off the excess vinyl, I then used a metal washer as a template to make the cornered edges so it matched the other sill protectors. Now it is small enough to fit the rear door sills.

[Chris_Music]

16th November 2023

Fixing Honda's Laziness? Or maybe being a bit OCD?

Anyone else with a European Facelift GE Jazz notice Honda didn't bother to paint the bulkhead in the engine bay and just left it primed? No? Well, you'll definitely notice it now if you didn't before! You're welcome 

I had the front bumper off anyway, as I was fixing all the stone chips and replacing the front rhino lip, plus mesh grill I made to protect the AC condenser. And I had that "while I've got it off, I might as well" moment.
Removing the upper bulkhead was fairly easy, it's secured with six 10mm bolts, and then all the brackets and the bonnet latch are also all 10mm bolts. But the rest of the bulk head is one welded together piece, so there was no way to remove it without drilling it out. So I had to get creative.

I didn't want to go crazy and spend all the money to buy primer, basecoat and clear coat paint to get it the exact colour of the car, I thought, as long as it is white, it won't matter if it doesn't quite match, as it is under the bonnet. So I bought some gloss white Hammerite, as you don't need to prime or clear coat, it's just one paint direct to bare metal.

I sanded off all the rust from the upper bulk head and then painted it, along with the 10mm bolts that would be visible.

The white doesn't quite match, but I feel it is good enough to pass, as the Honda pearl paint has a slight cream colour to it anyway, so it wasn't going to be an exact match without using the correct colour paint colour code.

I neglected to take a before photo, so here's one I dug up from a few years ago.


The upper bulkhead and the Bonnet latch removed. Not too much rust.


I had to remove the lights as well to get to all the necessary parts.


To mask off the side bulkhead parts, I took an old painters sheet and cut two holes in it, so I could cover the entire engine bay from getting over spray, and just have the parts I need to paint poking out.


All sanded and masked off ready to paint



4 light coats of white gloss hammerite. It turned out pretty good.


Lights and washer reservoir reinstalled.


Upper bulk head painted with 4 light coats of white gloss hammerite. It turned out pretty good.


The painted 10mm bolts



The latch mechanism all cleaned up and re-greased.

The upper bulkhead back on the car, looking much better already.





The final result. There is a slight colour difference, but it's barely noticeable, and overall looks 100x better than the primed metal.



Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I did chip some of the paint when installing it back on, but it's barely noticeable, and overall looks 100x better than the primed metal.
Any questions, feel free to ask!

[Chris_Music]

18th November 2023

Who needs to spend £700 on a stainless steel cat back exhaust when I can spend £16.99 on Amazon for the same look 
Amazon link: https://amzn.eu/d/jiZli8p
It just bolts straight to the standard exhaust and just finishes off the rear in my opinion.

[Chris_Music]

29th November 2023
Front End Freshen Up

The front end of the Jazz was looking a bit weathered, with the 5 year old Rhino lip ripped and falling off and the paint covered in stone chips. I figured it was time to give the front some much needed TLC.


The state of the front end:






Upon removing the front bumper, I noticed the crash support had some rust forming, so decided to remove it to give it a freshen up as well:




Sanded it down and gave it a couple of coats of Hammerite metal paint:



Looking much better:


I also added 2 layers of yellow tint to the fog lights while the bumper was off. I always liked the look of yellow fogs:



Next was to replace the worn out metal mesh that I had made to protect the AC condenser.
I invested in something a bit better than pray painted chicken coop wire.
Plastic dipped metal mesh. Should be stronger and last even longer:



Next was to replace the worn out Rhino lip, which did last 5 years to it's credit.
Unfortunately the company that used to supply them to the UK no longer exists, so I had to import it from the US which was annoying, but they are a good affordable alternative to factory lips & look great:


Due to the sharp curvature of the factory front lip, it is difficult to contour the rubber around the 2 points and have it stay in place. I did what I wish I had done the first time around. Rather than using the standard plastic washers, which were fine for a standard curved bumper, I bought some Aluminium bars to create a washer that was the same size and shape as the lip, and then bolt them with stainless steel bolts and locking nuts to force them in place and keep the contour of the lip:


It took quite a long time to make it, and it looks terrible and rough, but it's under the car, so you'd never see it:


It worked even better than I could've predicted, and kept the contours of the front lip perfectly and definitely won't budge. When I was talking to a Rhino lip representative about the best way to contour the lip, he said it was the best contouring he had ever seen with the rhino lip on sharp contours, so I will definitely take complement  :



Next was to get some Red Honda badges and a refresh for the Si and Jazz badges:


The part numbers for the Red badges on the GE:
75731-TF0-003 (92mm x 75mm) - GE Rear 08-15 JAZZ
75700-SNW-003 (113mm x 92mm) - GE Front 08-10 JAZZ (Pre-Facelift)
75700-SYY-003 (108mm x 90mm) - GE Front 11-15 JAZZ (Facelift)

Original Purchase links below:
Front Red Honda Emblem: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004763523262.html
Rear Red Honda Emblem: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134012600574
Front Si Emblem: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004175018033.html
Rear Si Emblem: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285312550792
Gloss Black Jazz Emblem: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004989424916.html

The rear badge fits perfectly with the curved surface:


Front H badge even the 2 prongs lined up correctly. I moved the Si badge a little further to the right, so its the same position as the JDM RS badge, and also not blocking the Air Intake as much:


The front end all back together after giving it a machine polish and using touch up paint on all of the stone chips, the front end looks new and fresh again:


And the final result on the car:

[Chris_Music]

1st of December 2023


Less than a year in the sun, my red wrapped fuel door was starting to fade and go pink. So I decided to go with something a bit more permanent. I picked up a Milano Red fuel cap from eBay for £13. It was in decent condition for the price, but had lots of surface scratches, so I had to attack it with the G3 compound and machine polish it, and it came out pretty decent!

The old faded wrap:


The new, freshly machine polished fuel door:


The fading is especially noticeable next to the new fuel door:


The Red fuel door fitted:



After this I took a break from working on the Car until April 2024.

[Chris_Music]

11th of April 2024

LED Daytime Running Light/Turn Signal Installation

I installed some DRL's on my GE Jazz and thought I would document the process, as well as all the parts I used.
Any questions, feel free to ask.

My next project will be installing rear reflector brake lights, so watch the space....

List of Parts used:
DRL Kit from AliExpress 7440 T20: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001854528405.html
Plugs from AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002838169228.html
Piggy back adapter with 5A fuse: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393132895356?var=662065835520
Solder Seals: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005550979525.html
Crimping Kit: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005604596236.html
Heat Shrink: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005192360568.html
Black Cable: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142494219116?var=441488111400


DRL Kit from AliExpress 7440 T20:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001854528405.html


The DRL kit has to be spliced with the power to the side lights so it knows when to switch off, but I didn't feel comfortable splicing into the factory loom, so I made an adapter to plug into the side light so I could connect the DRL kit to the side light without touching the standard loom.
Plugs from AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002838169228.html


Tested the kit and the adapter I made to check it all works before installing:


I wanted to run the wire to the fuse box via the bonnet release cable, and I though it was accessible from the engine bay, so I removed the cowl cover, only to discover it actually goes into the wheel well:


Had to remove the drivers side front wheel and peel back the wheel arch liner to access the hole where the loom enters the interior next to the fuse box:


In order to pull the cable through, I wrapped some white tape further down the bonnet release cable and then pulled it through at the other end until I saw the white tape. I then taped the power cable to the bonnet release cable, and then pulled it back through, bringing the cable through next to the fuse box:


I used a piggy back mini fuse adapter with a 5A fuse to connect to fuse 15 on the fuse box, and then crimped a connector so it could be easily disconnected if needs be.
Piggy back adapter:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393132895356?var=662065835520


To make it easier to install the kit and tidy everything up, I removed the front bumper and headlights, which made things so much easier to access, as the engine bay is so tight to reach things in there:


All the cable management. Trying to hide everything and keep it looking neat and tidy. You wouldn't really know it was there:


Final part was to install the adapter I made. I used waterproof solder seals and then covered in heat shrink to neaten it up. Then I tucked the adapter into the wing, hiding it so it looks as factory as possible:


DRL Turn Signal Kit installed:

[Chris_Music]

23rd April 2024

LED Rear Bumper Reflector Lights Installation

I installed some rear reflector lights on my GE Jazz and thought I would document the process, as well as all the parts I used.
Any questions, feel free to ask!

Total cost around £20

List of Parts used:
LED Rear Bumper reflector lights:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004314611863.html
3 Pin Waterproof Plug:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32873390417.html
Brake light plug & socket:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006100677080.html
3 Core cable (20AWG):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006584230445.html
Solder Seals:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005550979525.html


The reflector kit has to be spliced with the side lights/brake lights, but I didn't feel comfortable splicing into the factory loom, so I wanted to make an adapter to plug into the brake light plug without touching the standard loom. It was harder than I was expecting trying to find the correct plug, but the solution I came up with works:


The New light reflector compared to the original reflector. It's not exactly the same shape, but everything more or less lines up:


In order to route the cable through the bumper, a hole needs to be drilled:


The new reflector doesn't sit quite as flush as the original, but you can't really notice when it's on the car, unless you are looking for it:


The metal clip didn't quite go all the way in, so I removed it. I could've trimmed it down, but I decided just to use the screw fitting that is already there instead, which sits much better and doesn't rattle around:


I was concerned at how close the light cable was to the exhaust, so I drilled another hole above to route the cable away from the exhaust, as well as some heat shrink around the cable:


I wanted the cable to be neat and tidy behind the bumper, rather than flapping around. So I use some cable clips mounted to the inside to secure it:


I used a waterproof plug to connect to the brake light adaptor that will run inside the car, as well as some plug crimps to make it easier to install or remove if necessary:


I used some waterproof solder seal to wire up the lights to the waterproof plug, and then used some heat shrink to tidy it all up:


I used one of the rubber grommets that sits behind the spare wheel well to run the cable into the interior. I made a small cut and fed each cable through one by one. It should still be water tight:


You don't really notice the off fitment compared to the original reflectors once its on the car:


Now it was time to make the adaptor that plugs into the OEM brake light socket. I soldered the cables from the plug directly into the light socket and then used some black hot glue to ensure none of the exposed contacts made contact with each other. I then tidied it up with some heat shrink:


The final adaptor ready for fitting:


The light adaptor all fitted and working perfectly. I ran it parallel to the standard loom and just cable tied it to keep it secure. And it all works great without having to damage the original Honda loom, and can be removed without issue if needed:


For anyone wanting to do this exact mod with the exact parts I used, here is the wiring colours and their connections:


Brake Light Night time:


Normal Light Night Time:


Brake Light Day Time:


Normal Light Day Time:

[Chris_Music]

1st-9th of May 2024

Wheel Wrapping

I decided to try and wrap my standard Si wheels, and this is how it went 😅.
At least the centre cap came out alright!
I have a feeling the slope is too deep to wrap, as the wrap becomes over stretched and tears.
I tried 3 different shaped cuts, but no luck.
I had bought enough wrap for 6 wheels incase I made mistakes, so this was the test wrap to get the technique down and learn the best way to do it.





I wrapped one of the wheels black, and I debated wether to continue doing the other 3 (or possibly have them professionally refurbed & powder coated black) or just keep them stock.
I like the black, but I wasn't sure if I preferred it over the stock colours.



I tried something different and just wrapped the grey parts of the standard Si wheel.
I preferred this to the all black look.
It was just such a pain to do. I had to wrap each section in 2 parts, so I made some templates to make it easier. It still took 20-30mins per section.








I wasn't sure if I could be bothered to do all 3 wheels.
So I took a break and lived with it for a bit to see how I felt!

[Chris_Music]

12th May 2024

Honda Jazz GE EP3 short shifter install

I installed an EP3 short shifter in my GE Jazz and thought I would document the process.
With the Buddyclub short shifter being discontinued and the Hyrbid Racing one being so expensive, I was looking for an alternative and discovered that the EP3 short shifter was compatible with the Jazz with minor modification.
I watched these two videos for the install:

Here is the Kit I purchased:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181522471805
And the spacer I bought (though it is too big and will need filing down about 0.5mm to work):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192990852151?var=493194958979
I had some teething issues with the install, which I have documented in the photos. But you can definitely notice a difference, especially in 1st gear. It's obviously not going to be as good as the BuddyClub or Hybrid racing short shifter, but for less than £20, it's a good compromise.
I have included photos showing the before and after positions superimposed on eachother. I used the app "Before | After" on iOS to line up the photo.

The short shifter kit (The "C" tool is to remove the plastic cap off the original shifter):


The 10mm spacer I made using this aluminium tube: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192990852151?var=493194958979:


The spacer fitted in the short shifter:


Trying to fit the short shifter, I realised the spacer I made was too thick:


I shaved off about 0.5mm using a Dremel and a round file:


The adapter fits very snug. I had to hammer it on to get it all the way, but it's definitely not accidentally coming off!:


Installing the shifter, I realised my sound deadening was getting in the way of the shifter now it is sitting lower:


I had to cut out a suitable section to make sure it didn't rub:


The bottom of the shifter was very close to the chassis, so I used some 2mm metal spacers that I had, to raise it up very slightly. I also used the metal spacers that came with the kit to replace the rubber ones on the original shifter:


Shifter reinstalled and working perfectly with no rubbing:


1st gear comparison:


2nd gear comparison:

[Chris_Music]

23rd May 2024

New Wheels for the Jazz!

I drove a 6 hour round trip to pick up some 8 spoke Compass wheels off Facebook Marketplace on Sunday, which are originally from an EP2. Wheels are 16"x6.5J ET43, so they stick out a little more.
They were quite neglected and were left in a garage for nearly a year. Picked them up for £130.
I spent the last few days cleaning them up and restoring them as best I could, and now they are on the Jazz.
I hadn't planned on keeping them long term, As I intend to use them to swap for the actual wheels I want, the illusive Enkei T1's, but they are definitely growing on me.



In need of a damn good clean:


So much brake dust, it was not fun getting it off:


Used the trusty Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel to dissolve as much of the brake dust as I could:


Not a bad job:


The Wheels all cleaned:


I restored the centre caps with metal polish and some new Honda decals. I also sanded down all the curbing and put a layer of clear coat over it to stop it corroding. Long term I need to see if I can get touch up paint made up in the wheel colour.


The wheels on the car. I definitely prefer them to the standard Si wheels.