Refinement of the interior of "Kalina-2": a new interior with a minimum of costs

Interior tuning is the easiest modification method. By spending a few minutes, the “internal appearance of the car” can be changed very significantly. To immediately obtain a visible result, individual interior details are modified, including standard decorative elements, etc. This covers various trims, interior door handles and trim. In addition, the presence of covers that protect the seats, if their design is chosen correctly, will help improve the subjective perception of the interior. Let's look at solutions that relate to tuning Kalina-2 and look quite successful.

Content

Cars of domestic origin are more often subject to tuning than others. This is due, first of all, to their low cost, as well as a large number of factory defects. Many people buy a Lada because of its affordability, and only then realize that the car has more disadvantages than its advantages. Tuning the Lada Kalina station wagon can be done independently and significantly improve some technical characteristics, as well as make the car more attractive. Let's look at all the features of improving this model in more detail.

The theme with “white carbon” and its continuation

If pasting decorative elements does not seem enough, you can remove the plastic door trim and modify it later. For example, additional linings are made from wood, which are subsequently covered with vinyl film and attached to the standard part from the inside. Note that the pad can be the body of the speaker system. The result is shown in the photo:

Additional upholstery trims Front sports seats Rear seat upholstery

As you can see, the final stage of tuning was reupholstery of the rear seats. The front seats were replaced with branded ones, equipped with serious lateral support. And we can say that the result was worth all the money spent.

The solutions considered so far would be suitable for tuning the “second Lada Kalina” in any body, both station wagon and hatchback. The differences will manifest themselves when it comes to installing a subwoofer, that is, a subwoofer.

Transformation of the body of a dull budget car

Almost all budget cars have inexpressive body features. This is because creating sharp lines significantly increases the cost of production. You can solve the problem with a dull appearance by installing a body kit. A high-quality, correctly selected body kit allows you to:

• Visually make the body larger.
• Increase the prestige of the model.

Today there are quite a large number of different body kits on sale that can make a car almost unrecognizable. At the same time, we note the features of purchasing ready-made sets:

• Their cost is relatively low. Due to the use of cheap plastic, manufacturers significantly reduce the cost of the body kit. In addition, in many cases you will have to carry out the paintwork yourself, choosing the paint to match the body color. Therefore, many people decide to purchase ready-made kits rather than create them themselves.
• Correct geometry, precise dimensions, reliable fastenings are signs of a high-quality body kit. It is quite difficult to independently produce a high-quality body kit, since even the smallest mistakes cause defects.
• Design development is carried out by professionals - another reason why ready-made sets are popular. A properly designed body kit will make the car truly attractive.
• Installation is simplified due to the correct placement of fasteners. As practice shows, installing a purchased set of body kits takes a relatively small amount of time. Of course, in some cases it is necessary to make improvements, but they are not significant.

You can make the exterior more attractive by installing various little things, for example, chrome handles. You can protect the body by installing plastic covers on the wheel arches.

Sidebar: Important: For many years, tuning has been very popular, which involves installing stylish large-diameter rims. There are a variety of options available for sale: painted, chrome-plated or simply steel.

Head optics: how to improve them?

In many ways, the exterior style is determined by the installed head optics and rear lights. The design options available at the factory cannot be called attractive, since they are still manufactured using old technologies and are of low quality.

The features of such tuning include the following points:

1. You can upgrade the existing structure or purchase a new one. Some tuning salons provide the opportunity to buy new optics and lights that are ideal for the car.
2. There are quite a large number of ways to modernize an already installed structure. An example is recommendations related to replacing a standard light source with a diode one.

Why are diode light sources so popular today? There are quite a few reasons:

• Low cost. Diode light sources are among the cheapest, which allows you to save on tuning and further maintenance.
• Attractive view. Diode strips have long been used in tuning many cars.
• Low power consumption. Due to this, the load on the installed generator is reduced and the amount of fuel consumed is reduced, and when the engine is off, the battery is less discharged.
• High reliability. The service life of high-quality diodes is quite long, since they are not negatively affected by high humidity and other influences.
• Compact sizes. Due to this, a larger number of light sources are placed in a small area.
• Long service life.

If you pay attention to new cars from almost all manufacturers, head optics and rear lights are made using diode technology. In addition, the following types of tuning of optics and flashlights are carried out:

1. Protective glass is tinted.
2. The surface of the protective glass is polished.
3. Install various eyelashes and extensions.

Installation of roof rails or special boxing

Despite the fairly large interior space of the car in question, tuning quite often involves the installation of roof rails or a special box. The features of such minor tuning include the following points:

• Rails are installed for transporting skis or other large cargo. Examples include bicycles, surfboards and much more. The cost of such an element is relatively low, but it significantly increases the attractiveness of the car and its practicality in use. When installing roof rails, it is worth remembering that they will be subject to quite a large load during operation. Therefore, you should ensure the reliability of the fastening.
• Luggage boxes today are often found on cars of foreign origin. This accessory is suitable for long trips, as it allows you to place a fairly large number of different things. It is worth considering that the luggage box is only an accessory that is used as needed. With its everyday use, fuel consumption increases significantly, as the resistance during movement increases. In addition, the luggage box makes the car look more massive.

The cost of roof rails and luggage box is relatively low, which allows you to expand the capabilities of the car at the lowest cost.

Paintwork – finishing line

Why cars of domestic origin do not look as attractive as their foreign counterparts. In part, it all lies in the low-quality paintwork and the choice of dull colors. You can make your station wagon more attractive by performing paintwork. Of course, this stage is the final one.

The features of painting and varnish work include the following points:

1. All remnants of the old coating should be removed.
2. To carry out high-quality work, special equipment is required, as well as a clean box that does not contain dust and debris. It is worth remembering that if debris gets on the surface during the painting process, then such a paint coating will not last long.
3. It is also important to properly prepare the surface for the work in question.

It is quite difficult to carry out high-quality paintwork yourself, but it is possible if you have the required equipment. As practice shows, after such an improvement the car looks much more attractive.

The use of carpet and leatherette

Need a simple tuning option - please. Try fixing the fabric, called “carpet”, to the inner surface of the glove compartment:

The glove box of Kalina-2 is covered with carpet

If everything works out, the same material will be used to cover the door pockets and individual trim elements:

Refinement of door trim

The carpet sheet is held on the plastic with glue. The necessary materials are available at parts stores. By the way, instead of carpet you can use leatherette. We will leave the choice to the owner.

Experts' opinion

Vitaly. I bought this car to drive to the country. Even such a short trip turned out to be a real test. The whole point is the almost complete absence of insulation. Friends advised me to isolate myself if I have time. It was summer, I decided to spend a couple of days at the dacha in the garage. I was pleased with the result. Of course, not ideal, but better than it was.

Dmitriy. I bought a Lada Kalina, a friend was selling it, or rather, he gave it away almost for nothing. After several months of use, he said that he definitely wanted a foreign car. I decided to invest a little and make a car suitable for use out of Kalina. As a result, a few thousand costs, a couple of months, and I have a comfortable, spacious station wagon.

Alexei. The first car I bought for myself. Money is tight, but I've been involved in cars since childhood with my father. What I want to say is that you can’t do everything at once, but you need to plan the sequence. For example, if the interior is being modified, then the interior is insulated first, and only then other aspects.

Glory. I don’t know how we feel about tuning, but we received Kalina in a deplorable state. I had to almost completely rebuild it, replace everything, install some that weren’t original, and only then did I start driving. There is no talk about comfort, but for my work, the main thing is reliability and maintainability.

conclusions

Despite the fact that VAZ has recently invested quite a large amount of money in the development of new technologies and the creation of new models that are competitive with foreign analogues, today cars produced under the Lada brand are often subject to tuning. This is due to a lot of factory defects and many other problems that arise directly during the operation of the car. If desired, the Lada Kalina can be changed almost beyond recognition, but this may require quite a lot of time and effort. Does it make sense to invest a large amount of money in such a station wagon? A very difficult question. In some cases, investments and the cost of the car itself would make it possible to purchase a foreign car.

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.

External modifications of the car

External tuning of this model includes:

• Installation of neon lighting under the car. This procedure will allow you to radically highlight the car and give it a spectacular appearance. However, we should not forget that if such equipment is installed, problems may arise with the traffic police; But the information from this article will help you understand how to replace the Kalina license plate lamp.

• Air suspension installation. A fairly expensive procedure, as a result of which the driver can independently change the ride height while driving. Air suspension kits are quite expensive at their price; the most budget ones start at 25,000 rubles. Air suspension combines several positive effects: when driving on the highway, the driver can reduce the ground clearance, thereby improving the downforce of the body and thereby slightly increasing the dynamics, and when driving on rough terrain, the driver can again increase the ground clearance to the standard factory setting; But how the air suspension is installed, and whether it can be done with your own hands, is described in great detail in this article.

• Installation of doors with guillotine operating principle. Such doors are also called “lambo doors”. The peculiarity of their work is that they open upwards rather than to the side. After their installation, the car takes on a completely different look. The cost of the installation kit excluding work is about 60,000 rubles. But you can see what universal car door moldings look like and how they are used in this article.

Which seats are suitable for Kalina without modifications?

Tuning, improving comfort and modifying the viburnum with your own hands is what all viburnum growers do throughout the entire process of operation. Lada Kalina is a very good car for the money, but, like other VAZs, it has many shortcomings and very poor comfort.

Modifying a viburnum with your own hands involves improving its level of comfort, handling, reducing fuel consumption and improving dynamic characteristics in your garage.

As you know, people who own this car don’t have a lot of money, so here we describe budget modifications that everyone can afford. After all, there are situations when a large amount of money is invested in Kalina, and it becomes much more comfortable and better overall, but this does not cease to be an AvtoVAZ product. Investing a lot of money in Kalina is not at all profitable, because it is better to switch to a car of a higher class.

The most important drawback in the Viburnum's interior is known to all VAZ owners - the noise and rattling of the plastic interior parts. If the car is new, then the interior does not rattle much, but in a 2-3 year old car this becomes a significant problem.

To improve comfort in the cabin, noise and vibration insulation (SHVI) is used. This is a fairly easy job that only requires time. To produce the ShVI yourself, you need to buy the necessary materials in special auto stores; such materials are always available in car audio stores. You can also buy a special roller there to lay the shvi well. It is better to “make noise” all possible elements, such as:

• Doors;
• Roof;
• Front Panel;
• Floor;
• Arches;
• Trunk;
• Ceiling.

• The necessary elements of the interior (seats, door cards, ceiling lining, floor carpet, etc.) are removed to get to the “bare” iron;
• Vibration insulation sheets are laid on the iron and rolled with a roller. Sheets of noise insulation are laid on top of the vibration insulation and also rolled out. During the process, it is necessary to ensure that the done shvi does not interfere with the reassembly of the interior. To do this, openings are cut out at the fastening points in the ShVI;
• The interior parts are being reassembled. All interior parts should not sit tightly in place. If the shvi interferes with the correct fit, then a part of the shvi is cut out at the junction with a stationery knife.

After assembly, the work done can be considered complete. Now the ride will become much more comfortable and enjoyable. And in winter it will be even warmer.

For comfortable driving, you need to install an armrest. A very simple thing, but extremely noticeable on the road and complements the interior well. Another modification related to comfort in the cabin is the replacement of original seats with foreign ones. Everyone knows that the original Kalinov seats cannot be called comfortable, this is especially noticeable during a long trip, when the back begins to hurt, because there is no lumbar support at all. It is also uncomfortable for tall and short people to sit, because there is no height adjustment for the seats. There is only one way out of this situation - installing seats from a foreign car.

In almost every city, especially in large cities, there are showdowns for foreign cars. At such disassemblies, you can easily find seats suitable for the viburnum. The price depends on the model and condition, but, as a rule, it is in the region of 4-7 thousand rubles.

If the seats are selected correctly (it is better to find out which models the seats are suitable for from the owners of disassemblies or on a thematic forum), then installing them will not be difficult and will take several hours. The phrase “fitted correctly” means installation with minimal interference with the factory design and without the use of welding.

To install suitable seats, you need to have an angle grinder, a drill and a set of tools; everyone has this in their garage. You only need to purchase a rectangular metal profile, which will act as an adapter between the new seats and the factory mounts in the body of the viburnum.

Stability on the road and overcoming bumps on the viburnum are also far from ideal. Of course, you can replace standard shock absorbers and other chassis elements, but this is quite expensive.

We will talk about installing additional elements that give the body rigidity and parts that increase driving comfort. To increase the stability and comfort of controlling the viburnum, there are the following options:

• Installing the front and rear strut braces. Spacers are very inexpensive, and the effect they have is noticeable. As a result, the car drives more “composed”, there is less roll in turns, better stability when driving in a straight line;
• Installing the steering rack damper. After installing this part, all road surface irregularities are not transmitted to the steering wheel. There is no constant shaking of the steering wheel and hands when driving on a bad road, the steering wheel cannot “knock out” when suddenly falling into a hole, the driving sensation is reminiscent of foreign cars;
• Installing the rear stabilizer. The car begins to hold the road better, this is especially noticeable when taking long turns; After installing these elements, the behavior of viburnum changes greatly for the better. Can't compare to standard.

The advantage of owning a domestic car is the large number of possible modifications. The most popular modifications are those that do not require large financial or time expenditures.

Interior improvements

In order to radically transform the interior of the Lada Kalina 2 car - to set it apart from the crowd and make it unique, you can resort to the following tuning methods:

• Replace the factory door cards with non-standard ones – made according to an individual project. Typically, door cards are subject to change when installing non-standard acoustics, but you can also order modified parts covered with some material. The most expensive material is genuine leather. The cost of making an unusual card and covering it with genuine leather will cost approximately 8000 rubles, but this procedure is worth it, because everyone will appreciate the effect of installing other parts using noble material; It will also be interesting to learn about what vibration and noise insulating materials for cars should be used.

• Along with installing modified cards, you can install a new front panel. In this case, there are two options: installing a panel from a foreign car with minor modifications, the second is modifying the standard panel and reupholstering it with leather or leatherette. As a result, the dashboard will take on a unique look and not everyone will be able to recognize it as a standard factory panel (if you resort to the second option). When purchasing and installing a front panel from a foreign car, the cost may be approximately 25,000 rubles, in case of modification and upholstery, the factory cost will be about 15,000 rubles;

• Installation of seats upholstered with expensive material (Alcantara or genuine leather). Using genuine leather as seat covers will especially emphasize the changes and add comfort to the interior, so using covers made from this material is, although the most expensive, but the appearance of the interior will change dramatically. After all the modifications, to give unity to the new interior, the factory seats should be reupholstered with expensive fabric or leather. But the information from this article will help you understand how to use rubber material to reupholster a car interior.
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This procedure will cost the owner approximately 15,000 rubles, but in addition to increased comfort, the interior will be transformed beyond recognition. The owner can carry out this procedure independently with his own hands if he has some experience;

Video tuning of the Lada Kalina interior:

• Also, as an addition to all of the above procedures to complete the interior transformation picture, you can provide additional lighting around the entire perimeter of the cabin. To do this, you will need to lay a diode strip of a certain color (or different colors) around the cabin and power it from a standard battery (on-board network). Additional lighting will give the interior a finished look and highlight the changes made. But how you can use a 12 volt LED strip for a car is described in great detail in this article.

The total cost of deep interior tuning can be up to 60,000 rubles. If the owner carries out all the procedures independently, this amount can be reduced to 35,000 -40,000 rubles.

Pasting with vinyl based film

The outer surface of the vinyl film can imitate carbon. This material is also offered in different colors. Each element subject to modification is first dismantled. In Kalina-2, this action is simple to perform: the linings snap off, and the door handles are attached with self-tapping screws. Each step of the work performed is shown in the photo:

Refinement of air duct covers

Every detail needs to be covered.

Installation of decorative elements completed

Result of revision

By the way, no one says that you need to limit yourself in choosing colors. White carbon fiber in Kalina-2 also looks good, even if vinyl is actually used again:

This is how it all started

We paste over each element

Door armrest trim, pasting

The most suitable tone, its choice

The owners have already tried all the options shown above on their cars. But no one forbids trying to invent something new.

When working with vinyl, the workpiece is cut along the contour, leaving an allowance of up to 10-15 mm. After gluing, the surface sometimes has to be leveled, for which hot air is used. Use a regular household hair dryer.