External tuning of Kalina
It is quite difficult to make a car look beautiful; you need to take into account all the trends of modern requirements for car tuning so that the car looks strict and without unnecessary “collective farm” tunings.
Lip
Installing a lip under the bumper of Kalina will give a stylish look and a slightly sporty look to the car. There are many different bumper lips, but the most popular and reliable is the samurai lip. This part is inexpensive and is made of rubber, which is very good for its durability.
The cost of this lip starts from 600 rubles.
Alloy wheels
Wheels are 50% of a car's appearance. After all, a car on boring, inconspicuous rims is unlikely to catch the eye, but if you install beautiful, stylish rims with a larger radius, you will undoubtedly gather crowds of onlookers with smartphones.
On the Lada Kalina, wheels up to R17 are installed without any modifications. But it should be remembered that beauty requires sacrifice. When installing large-radius discs, the rubber profile becomes minimal, which greatly affects ride comfort; the car becomes stiffer, but noticeably more maneuverable.
Spoiler
The spoiler on fast cars such as Formula 1 or Bugatti Veyron serves as an aerodynamic wing. It pushes the car to the ground or helps it brake when it accelerates to unimaginable speeds.
As for the Lada Kalina, here it only plays the role of external tuning of the car. Spoilers are quite different, both in appearance and type of installation. The most popular lip spoiler in modern times. When installing it, there is no need to drill holes in the car body, which spoils the paintwork. The lip spoiler is attached with double-sided tape.
Its cost depends on the region, the starting price is from 600 rubles.
Lux
As you know, Lada cars are available in several trim levels, ranging from standard to luxury. In the luxury configuration, the car received painted mirrors with turn signals, PTF, heated seats and much more. If your car has a standard configuration, do not despair, as it is quite easy to give it the appearance of a Luxury car.
Replacing the turn signal repeaters with those installed in the side mirror. And in place of the old repeaters, SE plugs are installed, which indicates the luxury equipment of the car.
It is recommended to install mirrors from the restyled grant. They have a more modern look.
Antishildik
Nowadays, you can notice that a large number of cars are driving without nameplates. Indeed, this decision introduces some nice changes to the car, allowing it to stand out from the crowd.
The nameplates are quite easy to remove; you just need to heat them with a hairdryer and remove them, as they are installed with double-sided tape.
Suspension
Tuning the Lada Kalina Sedan will be incomplete without making changes to the suspension. There are options for radically changing all suspension mechanisms with tuning elements made from pipes. This suspension option will significantly improve the car's handling and make cornering more predictable. But this option has a significant drawback - its price, due to the fact that the introduction of a tuning suspension is associated with a change in the body structure. A budget option would be to replace the rubber silent blocks with polyurethane ones, as well as install a transverse link between the upper parts of the front struts.
Interior tuning
External tuning is of course good, but you still need to take care of yourself. Tuning the interior is also huge and great, because the exterior is made for others, and the interior is for yourself. It is necessary to approach modifications to the interior in such a way as not to sacrifice the comfort of the car.
Cases
Stylish covers help you choose any pleasant color for the interior, if you don’t like the standard colors in the Kalina’s interior. The covers also protect the seats quite well from dirt and retain their original appearance much longer.
The cost of good covers starts from 5,000 rubles.
Salon Suite
Luxury Lada cars differ from the norm not only externally, but also in the interior. The luxury version of the viburnum includes heated seats, full power accessories, a touch screen and much more.
To give your car a luxury touch in the interior, you can install heated seats and connect a full electrical package.
Steering wheel
The steering wheel is the element most susceptible to aging and in many Lada cars, by 100 thousand km, it already falls into a sad state. To protect it or hide signs of wear, a steering wheel braid is installed.
There is a huge selection of different braids, so choosing steering wheel protection to suit your taste will not be difficult. There are two types of braids: completely covering the steering wheel and partially covering it. The most popular braids are those that partially cover the steering wheel; they are simple and quick to install. But their main drawback is that the steering wheel only partially closes.
The cost of braiding is from 300 rubles.
Currently, braids that completely cover the steering wheel have begun to gain popularity sharply, that is, they are put on around the steering wheel, sewn up with threads and protect it from all sides.
The cost of stitched braiding starts from $5 on AliExpress.
Rugs
If you decide to give your car originality in the interior of the car, then undoubtedly you will have to replace the floor mats in the cabin with more popular and attractive ones.
EVA carpets are very popular rugs. They not only add style to your car, but also help retain moisture, preventing it from getting past the carpet. One EVA mat can hold up to two liters of water.
The cost of carpets is from 2000 rubles.
Side mats
To protect the car from various dirt between the seat and the door, it is recommended to install side mats. They have a special shape and completely cover the fleecy covering of the car, preventing it from getting dirty.
The cost of such rugs starts from 500 rubles.
Headlights
The standard headlights on Kalina are equipped with optics from BOSCH, and they work well. Here's what those who still want to change something in the lighting system do:
- replacement of optics in headlights.
To replace the “native” optics, optical kits with white xenon illumination are installed, which are freely sold in almost all spare parts stores. But when installing such a kit, the driver must remember: he does this at his own peril and risk. These headlights produce a very powerful luminous flux that can blind oncoming drivers. And the traffic police officers really don’t like this. This is why many car owners slightly dim the backlight using special sprays; The xenon lighting on the Kalina's headlights shines brightly, but raises questions from traffic police officers - replacing headlights. This is a more radical option. As a rule, headlights are changed when a new body kit is installed, with which the standard headlights do not fit well. Today you can find headlights of various shapes on sale, both LED and xenon. So any driver can choose the appropriate option.
Technical part
Improvements on the technical side involve tuning the engine and transmission, which allows for more power and dynamics. Below is a list of modifications that will make your car drive much faster.
Chip, Firmware
Car firmware is done with a special device used by specially trained technicians. The computer connects to the car via the OBD connector and changes the factory firmware of the electronic control unit to a tuned one. Chip tuning allows you to increase power by several horsepower, which is noticeable immediately after the firmware.
The cost of firmware from a good specialist starts from 2000 rubles.
Exhaust
The exhaust on Kalina is equipped with a catalyst from the factory, which during tuning can affect the increase in power. In faster cars that have already undergone a large number of modifications, the catalyst is removed. This allows the internal combustion engine to more easily release exhaust gases without unnecessary resistance.
The catalyst is also removed when the car has a high mileage; when the catalyst becomes clogged, it begins to poorly pass exhaust gases, thereby “choking” the car.
It is not advisable to replace it with a new one, since it is quite expensive, so many people replace it with a spider insert from.
The sound with such an insert is more bassy and pleasant, and the car dynamics feel much more pleasant.
Camshafts
Sports camshafts will help achieve better vehicle dynamics. Installation of such shafts should be carried out at trusted service stations, followed by tuning of the ECU and its firmware.
Flywheel
A lightweight flywheel is installed for a sharper increase in speed. This flywheel allows the motor to spin much easier and faster. Reviews about this modification are only positive, but it was noted that starting from a standstill after installation required higher speeds than with a conventional flywheel.
Blocking
The self-locking differential allows you to block the wheels during a sharp start with slipping. This modification allows you to achieve a clearer and sharper start in drag racing competitions. On a standard differential, when slipping, only one wheel spins, but on this differential, both wheels are locked and the car jumps off the start much more efficiently.
Brakes
When finalizing the technical part, do not forget about the brakes, because they must always be in good working order and effective. It is recommended to install disc brakes on the rear axle instead of drum brakes. And also replace the front brake discs with perforated ones. This will allow for better brake cooling. Cold brakes are much more effective than overheated ones.
Let's sum it up
Do-it-yourself modification of the domestic LADA Kalina station wagon in any of its manifestations, as expected, brings enviable “fruits”, this can be assessed from the photo. For some types of transformations, the manufacturer has prepared a “base” in advance so that it is not too difficult for the owner to implement this or that modernization plan. If there is no limitation in financial resources, then you can resort to comprehensive tuning, when not only the body or interior, but also the mechanical component of the car and its electronic equipment are subject to modifications.
Improvements at the factory
The manufacturer cannot always make what will actually be effective under different operating conditions. Therefore, car enthusiasts often modify their cars on their own.
Rear shelf
In viburnum, the rear shelf is made of low-quality material, which soon leads to it being skewed. Also, if you install a speaker system in your car, then a standard shelf will not allow you to achieve good sound.
An alternative to all these problems is an acoustic shelf made of thicker materials and covered with carpet.
Weight
Masses affect not only the car’s electrical appliances, but also the operation of the internal combustion engine itself and the battery charge. Standard masses are not very effective, so it is recommended to duplicate them in order to achieve more reliable battery charging and smooth operation of the internal combustion engine.
Dashboard
The torpedo has a great influence on the interior of the entire cabin. And if we compare the tidy of the Kalina with the classic Zhiguli models, then the Togliatti engineers have stepped far forward, but they are still very far from ideal. To produce torpedoes, the factory uses very low quality plastic. This negatively affected the performance of the instrument panel. The colors fade over time, the plastic itself becomes covered with small cracks, and the entire torpedo begins to make unpleasant sounds when moving. You can improve the appearance of the dashboard and get rid of extraneous sounds yourself, for this you need:
- Disassemble the torpedo and glue all the places where the plastic comes into contact with metal, foam rubber or other insulating material.
- If necessary, secure all electrical wiring harnesses with plastic clamps.
- Secure the air ducts that direct the flow from the heater.
- Replace all plastic fasteners with new ones.
- You can also make changes to the color scheme of the torpedo along the way by covering it with a special film. If the hands grow from the right place, this procedure is not difficult to perform on your own.
- Installing a “Grant” central tunnel with cup holders will significantly improve the appearance and add more practicality. The tunnel has a different color from the original instrument panel, this can be corrected by covering it with vinyl film. There are also no holes for the electronic mirror adjustment unit. They will need to be made separately or find another place for installation.
- By installing an armrest between the front seats, you will significantly reduce fatigue from driving a car over long distances. The armrest is also an additional niche for various small items.
How to take up trunk space
In Kalina-2, as in most other hatchbacks and station wagons, the trunk and interior are separated by a removable shelf. This shelf can be dismantled, or you can use it to install speakers. True, then there will be little space left for the subwoofer, especially if we are talking about a hatchback:
Subwoofer housing in the trunk of a hatchback
Everything looks great in the station wagon, especially if the shelf has been removed:
Homemade subwoofer housing in the trunk of a station wagon
The amplifier in both cases is mounted on the back of the rear seat. In fact, it is not recommended to do this - the cladding elements are not designed for significant loads.
