Tuning the "Lada Kalina" wagon - what to look for if you do it yourself
Content
It may seem to some that the station wagon Kalina is not a very good candidate for deep tuning. After all, the purpose of this car is a leisurely city ride, and not participation in street racing. Nevertheless, there are many enthusiasts who are not satisfied with certain characteristics of their station wagons. And they start tweaking them. Let's see how they do it.
Tuning the motor "Kalina"
The working volume of the eight-valve Kalina engine is 1600 cm³. With it, he regularly gives out the power stated in the instructions. But he categorically does not want to accelerate above 5 thousand revolutions per minute without refinement. Here is what it consists of:
The machine is equipped with a direct-flow exhaust system. The straight-through exhaust allows the engine to "breathe" more freely. This increases the number of revolutions by 10-15%.
Chip tuning in progress. This procedure allows you to increase the speed characteristics of the motor by 8-10%, increase its throttle response and improve other parameters (which ones depend on the firmware chosen by the driver).
Zero resistance filters are being installed. The purpose of the zero resistance filter is to increase the amount of air entering the motor. As a result, the volume of the mixture burned in the chambers increases sharply. The cost of such a filter starts from 2 thousand rubles.
The inlet receiver is installed. The intake receiver is installed in order to reduce the vacuum in the combustion chambers on the intake strokes when the engine reaches high speeds. The price of the device is from 7 thousand rubles. Installing a receiver can increase the power of the Kalina engine by 10%. And lovers of extreme tuning put high-volume sports receivers on their cars. To install them, they have to bore the throttle to 53 mm. The installation of a sports receiver is always combined with the “sports” firmware of the car. If it does not exist, you can forget about the stable operation of the motor.
Replaced crankshaft. In order to supply more fuel mixture to the combustion chambers, a special camshaft is installed on the Kalina, the cams of which have a slightly different shape and are able to raise the valves a little higher than usual. This measure increases the power of the motor by 25% and significantly increases its traction. But there is also a minus: fuel consumption also seriously increases.
Valve processing. Lightweight T-valves are installed in the cylinder head, and the valve seats are bored accordingly. The price of this operation reaches 12 thousand rubles (for 8-valve engines) and 32 thousand rubles (for 16-valve engines).
Cylinder boring. The goal is to increase the engine displacement to 1.7 liters. To be carried out only by a qualified turner. The price of such a service is from 12 thousand rubles. After boring, the power of the 8-valve engine rises to 132 hp. s, and a 16-valve - up to 170 liters. With.
Turbocharged engine. To do this, a turbocharger is installed on Kalina. Compressors from Garrett are in high esteem among motorists. But this pleasure is not cheap, the cost of such turbines starts from 60 thousand rubles.
Tuning chassis and brakes
Chassis "Kalina" has undergone a major revision at the design stage. So it is rarely subjected to deep tuning. Basically, drivers are limited to these measures:
- additional fasteners and supporting “sports” bearings of the SS20 brand are installed on the steering rack of the front suspension;
- standard front struts are replaced by more reliable ones. Most often, racks from the Plaza company are installed;
- springs with a low pitch are installed on the suspension. This allows you to increase the controllability of the car;
- standard brake discs "Kalina" are replaced by sports ones, the diameter of which is larger. Usually drivers put wheels from LGR or Brembo. There are more than enough of them to ensure a safe ride in an aggressive style;
Brembo discs are best for those who prefer an aggressive driving style. - regular synchronizers in the gearbox are replaced by reinforced sports ones. This increases the reliability of the box and extends its service life;
- a new clutch is installed. Preference is given to units with carbon, ceramic or Kevlar discs. Their wear resistance is much higher, and such a clutch perfectly withstands huge loads from a “pumped” engine.
Work on the appearance of "Kalina"
Tuning appearance can also be divided into several stages.
Replacing wheels. Almost all motorists remove standard steel wheels from Kalina and replace them with cast ones. They are much prettier. But at the same time, they are practically not amenable to repair. After a strong blow, such a disk cracks, and it remains only to throw it away. Another nuance is connected with the disks: experts do not recommend installing disks with a diameter exceeding 14 inches on the Kalina. Too large discs adversely affect the vehicle's aerodynamics and reduce braking performance.
Installing the body kit. This word here means a set of bumpers, arches and sills, purchased in a specialized tuning studio. Most often, kits from the company EL-Tuning are put on Kalina, which has two advantages: a wide range and affordable price.
Installation of spoilers and roof rails. Spoilers can be purchased by the driver or made independently. These parts can be made of plastic, carbon fiber, polyurethane foam and other materials. At the same time, the influence of the spoiler on the aerodynamics of the station wagon body is minimal. They are only needed to improve the appearance. Roof rails are metal strips in a plastic shell, fixed on the roof of the car. There is no need to make them yourself, as any auto parts store has a wide range of these parts.
Mirror replacement. Not everyone likes regular mirrors on Kalina either. Therefore, drivers often change them to mirrors from Grants. The second option is also common - the installation of special overlays that completely change the appearance of regular mirrors. Available in both chrome steel and plastic. Sold in a tuning studio. The cost is from 700 rubles.
Replacing door handles. Regular handles on Kalina are plastic, and it is difficult to call them beautiful. Drivers change them for more presentable handles, deeply recessed into the door. Most often they are painted to match the body color. But they are also chrome-plated, a set of which costs from 3 thousand rubles.
Tuning of salon
Car owners also make a lot of changes to the Kalina salon.
Upholstery replacement. The standard interior trim in Kalina is a combination of plastic tabs and leatherette. Many tuning enthusiasts remove the tabs and replace them with leatherette. Connoisseurs of comfort also get rid of leatherette, replacing it with velor or carpet. These materials can transform the interior, but they cannot be called durable. For decoration, genuine leather is also used. But this option is available only to very wealthy drivers, so it is extremely rare.
Seat replacement. When a car is deeply tuned, it rarely goes without replacing the stock seats with sports ones. They are more suited to the aggressive driving style that the car is prepared for. The Kalina-sport anatomical seats with high headrests and back support are in great demand. The cost of one such seat is from 7 thousand rubles.
Dashboard and steering wheel trim. To personalize the dashboard, Kalina owners usually use vinyl wrap. The film painted under carbon is in special demand. On the dashboard, it looks very stylish. But there is also a minus - after 5 years, even the highest quality vinyl film becomes unusable. As for the steering braid, you can buy it at any specialized store. The range of braids is now very wide.
Additional interior lighting. For illumination, various LED strips are used that are connected to the vehicle's on-board network. The cost of one such tape is from 400 rubles. Most often, additional lighting is installed on the floor of the car. Its purpose is not only aesthetic, but also practical: if the driver drops some small thing on the floor of the cabin, it will not be difficult to find it. Drivers also illuminate the door handles inside the cabin, using all the same diode tapes. This is a relatively new direction in tuning, which is rapidly gaining popularity.
Headlamps
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 the 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 dazzle oncoming drivers. And the traffic police really don't like it. That is why many car owners dim the backlight slightly with special sprays;Xenon illumination on the headlights of the Kalina shines brightly, but raises questions from the traffic police
- headlight replacement. This is a more radical option. As a rule, headlights are changed when a new body kit is installed, with which regular headlights do not fit well. Today on sale you can find headlights of various shapes, both LED and xenon. So any driver will be able to choose a suitable option for himself.
Trunk and doors
There is also something to improve in the doors and trunk of Kalina.
Trunk lighting. The regular lighting of the luggage compartment in Kalina has never been bright. Drivers solve this problem either by replacing the standard bulbs with more powerful ones, or by installing LED lighting on the luggage rack.
Audio system installation. Music lovers often place speakers and a large subwoofer in the trunk for more accurate bass reproduction. But after installing such a system, nothing else will fit in the trunk. So this tuning option is only suitable for real music lovers. Many people try to compensate for the lack of space in the trunk by installing a luggage box on the roof of the car. But this is a big mistake. Additional luggage space appears, but all efforts to tune the car are in vain. Boxing literally "presses" the car to the ground. There is an optical illusion, and it seems that the car has become much lower.
Replacing door cards. Regular door cladding panels can be replaced with more presentable and beautiful ones. Door cards are also changed when powerful speakers are installed in the doors. In this case, the panels will have to be seriously modified by cutting additional holes in them. Be that as it may, today there is no shortage of door cards. In the store you can buy a set for every taste, color and wallet.
Video: backlight "Lada Kalina"
Photo gallery: tuned station wagons "Lada Kalina"
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- White understated "Kalina" with a spoiler, body kit and alloy wheels
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- This "Kalina" has cross rails and stylish chrome sills
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- The owner of "Kalina" installed funny "eyelashes" on the headlights of his station wagon
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- This "Kalina" has an inexpensive plastic body kit in combination with a plastic spoiler
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- The owner of this station wagon got rid of the regular headlights of the Kalina by installing more stylish backlit lights
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- Body kits from the series "I am a robot" are very popular with the owners of "Kalina"
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- Black and white colors are organically combined in this station wagon.
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- On this "Kalina" bright xenon headlights are striking
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- The red plastic body kit of this station wagon goes well with white alloy wheels.
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- The owner of this "Kalina" replaced only the wheels and taillights
So, you can tune almost any passenger car, including the Kalina station wagon. But a car owner tuning his car must have a pronounced sense of proportion. Without this, he risks turning his car into a laughing stock.
