Hi all,

I'm wondering if anybody can provide a definitive answer on this question. It seems to be that USDM Type R clusters had red needles, whereas JDM and UKDM clusters had yellow needles. Is this correct? If so, is this true of all model years or are there variations to this rule? The only reason I ask is because I'm seeing a Type R cluster with yellow needles on eBay that is being listed as USDM, but frankly so far it's the only example of a USDM with yellow needles that I've seen. Any thoughts?

 

USDM Type R clusters had yellow needles.

 

No they have red. JDM have yellow.

 

whoops, you're right.

 

All good. Had to check both caR's to make sure.

 

USA & Canada had the red needles. All other markets had yellow.

 

I think red meant that it had a few more horses.

 

Ok, so it seems like the consensus is that USDM Type R's had the red needles, whereas all other markets (including JDM and UKDM) had yellow needles. Does this apply to all model years? That is, does anybody know of any exceptions?

 

Correct.

 

Any idea why they're different?

 

From what I've been able to ascertain JDM, EDM(inc UK/IRE), NZDM, AUSDM all came with the yellow needles, only the North American folks got the red for some reason. The JDM SiR(equiv to you guys' GSR) I had before my JDM 98 spec R had the red ones too. Was it maybe a regulations thing for the US/Can markets? Seems odd they'd make such a small change like that. It would have been cheaper for example to just use the EDM gauge cluster(though NA had extra printing with "premium unleaded only"). Then again they seemed to make small changes for even tiny markets for no obvious reasons*. The NA R's have the most changes. Different seats, steering wheels, wheels(which were EK9 R wheels in Japan), rear seats(with the plastic tray/divider) centre console included that was deleted everywhere else, different valve covers and that's just the obvious stuff. Honda Canada went for broke in the odd local small run dept and got the crazy rare red rear seats too(though the Swiss and Australian Yellow R's must be about the rarest).

That kinda brings up another larger question for me: We know of USDM, CANDM, JDM, EDM, NZDM, AUSDM? Were there any other markets where our R's were officially sold? Malaysia is one that I can think of, but were there any in say South American countries like say Mexico? Or Africa, South Africa springs to mind? Or the Middle East? Lots of major petrolheads in those places, so you'd think there was a market. I've heard of Russian and Dubai lads with R's and one bloke I saw had one in Saudi Arabia, but I presume they were later imports?






*EG, my local Irish market R's looked like the next damp island over :-) UKDM's, but we got the JDM style orange rear indicators, rather than the UKDM clears. And they sold minuscule numbers in my neck of the woods. Like count on your fingers numbers. If that. I actually drove the Honda Ireland press demonstrator(in black) in '98 because a friend of a friend bought it and I was hooked when I threw it into second gear, mashed the pedal to the floor and that engine sang. Funny enough the owner was not impressed at all by the car. Thought it too "rough for the "luxury" price" and it was an expensive enough car over here. Like BMW and Mercedes territory. He traded it in a couple of months later. The dealer who took it in couldn't sell it either. It was passed from dealer to dealer for ages until it finally found a buyer at a very depreciated rate. And he was an employee of Honda Ireland. It was really only when the massive JDM import thing kicked off in Ireland that they started to become popular and the JDM front was very much the preferred.

 

Nope never changed through the model years so whoever listed a yellow one on ebay as USDM is incorrect.

Ebay isn't exactly known for correctness of information either...

 

Very true michaelz. Also, not to be a stickler but Mexico is part of North America.

 

Good point M. Doh! on my part. Did Mexico get the R officially I wonder?