The good old “seven” - well, who is not familiar with this car? It is brutal, angular and easy to tune. In this article we look at the materials and procedure for tuning a VAZ with your own hands naturally.
One of the most popular cars produced during the USSR and modern times is the VAZ 2107 or simply “seven”. The start of production of these cars dates back to 1982, and the end of production in 2012. Although in many countries the production of this car continued until 2013-24. The slightly archaic design, which was typical of those times, does not make this car popular now. However, we offer an article in which you will learn new approaches to tuning the interior of a VAZ 2107 with your own hands, which will allow you to breathe fresh life into the car and please your friends with an unusual design. This will make your “seven” stand out from many others.
Soundproofing of the VAZ 2107 interior
One of the first things that tuning specialists undertake is soundproofing the car. Indeed, the ergonomics and exterior of the seven leaves much to be desired. While driving on our roads, there is noise from the wheels and suspension, as well as noticeable rattling of trim elements and much more. At the moment, there are many approaches to sound insulation, which we will talk about right now.
Materials and procedure
As a rule, the order of work begins with door structures
. You need to remove their casing using a regular screwdriver and a selection of spanners. By the way, if you seriously decide to start tuning the VAZ 2107 with your own hands, we recommend that you acquire several sets of tools. This will reduce your time and nerves while performing various tasks. Fortunately, there are many kits on the market now that will be useful in your garage.
When removing old siding, you should be extremely careful. The fact is that the surface of the plastic and some of its elements are very susceptible to fractures and damage. When you remove the trim, be sure to insulate the screwdriver or knife with electrical tape. This lifehack will help maintain the integrity of the door's paintwork. When the “door card” is removed, do not rush, because there is wiring inside and it can be damaged. Be careful and remove it carefully.
This is the first step in soundproofing the cabin. When the doors are processed and the special material is installed, you can begin deeper tuning. The dashboard and car seats should be removed. From the factory, the floor of the seven is treated with a special material, which you need to completely remove using a sanding machine or regular sandpaper. After this, the floor is treated with insulating mastic. The first layer of polyethylene foam is laid on top of it - a special material that has a noise-absorbing effect. Choose the number of layers and thickness of this material yourself. For a seven, experts recommend about ten millimeters. This will be enough for normal sound insulation. The process of fastening polyethylene foam is carried out with a special construction adhesive
, which can be purchased at any automotive store.
Sound insulation of the hood. Procedure
Let's briefly consider the nuances of soundproofing the engine compartment. Any network of automotive stores provides the opportunity to buy ready-made kits. Each element is the correct size and shape for your car's hood. Before gluing, you need to thoroughly degrease the surface using any solvent. The fact is that the engine compartment is a place where a high concentration of oil and dust
, so you need to get rid of it efficiently.
When the inner surface of the VAZ 2107 hood is clean, proceed with the installation of the soundproof film
. This is done with a special hairdryer. There is glue on the Shumka elements, so you can easily install it. All you have to do is smooth it out and that’s it. This will not only keep the heat under the hood, but will also create additional comfort inside the car. After all, sometimes the roar of the engine causes some discomfort to the driver and passengers.
Features of improving domestic cars
There are a large number of reasons why tuning car enthusiasts prefer VAZ family cars:
- These machines are considered the most accessible and cheapest.
- Simple car design. In fact, it is difficult to worsen anything here; as a result of incorrect actions, they can be quickly eliminated.
- Availability of all accessories and parts of main components. The modern automobile market offers many elements that are needed for tuning the VAZ-2105. In addition, their cost is low.
Foreign cars do not have such positive improvement factors as VAZ. Their structure is complex, and they require a qualified approach in the field of modernization. Tuning the VAZ-2105 is especially relevant today, because this model in its standard configuration looks very boring and even dull. As for the technical parameters, they also leave much to be desired.
Seats from a foreign car on a VAZ 2107
One of the significant points to improve the interior space of a car and its comfort is upgrading the seats. The “Seven” has original factory ones, which, to put it mildly, are inconvenient, especially if you need to travel frequently. Fortunately, there are a lot of options and one of them is seats from a Ford Scorpio car. They fit perfectly, are cheap and do not require specific actions.
Advantages and disadvantages
Updated seats will make life easier for the driver and passenger, because they have electric drives and excellent mechanisms. If compared with standard seats, then this is heaven and earth. However, the main drawback is that you need to work hard to find an old Ford with normal seats.
Procedure
To install the new seats you will need a regular drill. It is also necessary to make 4 brackets from steel with a thickness of three to five millimeters. When the old seats are removed, you should attach the manufactured brackets to the “legs” of the new ones. You will need bolts size M8x25. Each seat will require two fastenings. Next you need to make holes in the floor. We start work from the driver's seat, and then symmetrically drill for the passenger. We take M10x40 bolts and fasten the brackets. Don't forget to use washers on both sides of the bolts
. This will help strengthen the structure and the reliability of its fixation. After installation, we coat the connections with a special mastic that has anti-corrosion properties.
In principle, the work is completed and now your VAZ 2107 has become even better and more modern, and most importantly, it has given you convenience and comfort while driving.
Headlight modification
The most popular way to tune a VAZ-2105 at home is to install LED lamps. As experts say, using LEDs instead of halogens is much more economical, and they provide better quality light. The main advantages of installing LEDs in VAZ headlights:
- The cost-effectiveness of such lighting allows you to significantly relieve the on-board network of the machine.
- Such lamps provide an even and diffused light, which will provide excellent visibility and will not dazzle drivers driving in the oncoming lane.
- LED lights are considered reliable and have a long service life.
- Tuning of this type looks really attractive in appearance.
Instead of LED lighting, it is quite possible to install xenon lamps, because they will shine many times brighter. But xenon can blind oncoming drivers, which is a big drawback.
Installation of silent locks VAZ 2107
Probably every owner of a VAZ 2107 noticed how poorly the standard door locks work. Sometimes they close poorly or make characteristic sounds. In general, you want the doors to work perfectly and with the least noise. There is a way out of this situation and let's look at it. Below is a brief instruction on how to replace standard locks with modern ones, similar to those of a foreign car, using the rear doors as an example. Similar operations are performed for the front doors.
Procedure. Materials
You should prepare in advance:
– Locks from figure eight (they are cheaper and of higher quality) – A set of silent locks, which are popularly called chocolates. – There are four bolts. – A drill and a set of drills for it. – A hacksaw for metal – A set of files – A couple of meters of cable – Rods from the “Constructor” set – Plates made of aluminum or plastic 10 x 6 cm. Thickness two millimeters. – Tools for cutting threads in metal.
Sticker of special film on headlights
It’s easy to do this VAZ-2105 tuning yourself. It is believed that tinting with a special film is a fresher look at improving the optics of a car. The higher quality the material, the better. You can usually buy good quality tint film from auto parts stores and advertising agencies. Its cost directly depends not only on the quality, but also on the manufacturing company. When selecting a material for tinting headlights, it is important to pay attention to its light transmittance. The lower the percentage of light transmittance, the worse the lantern will shine. You can apply the film yourself:
- Wash and dry the surface of the headlights thoroughly.
- Degrease the structure.
- Cut the film to the size of the lights.
- Wipe the headlights with soapy water.
- Remove the protective backing from the film and apply the base material to the headlight.
- Using a rubber spatula, smooth out the film, removing excess air and water.
Additional lighting for the VAZ 2107 interior
Changes to standard lighting
– this is an opportunity to embellish the interior and make it unique. We took the lampshade from the new Priora. It looks good and has the necessary characteristics, both in size and in lighting effect. You will need regular masking tape, a knife with a sharp blade, a marker or pencil, and screwdrivers with a 12mm wrench.
First, remove the front roof visor. Be careful, because it has a decent weight and may simply fall, damaging other elements of the interior. Use a pencil to outline where the new shade will go. You will cut the visor along this outline. Once this is done, attach the shade and seal the seams with caulk. After this, you can begin connecting the power.
We recommend running new wiring along the right pillar. Make the wire exits in the glove compartment area. We connect the minus to the body, and the plus, respectively, to the contact of the lamp. If you want the light to come on when the doors are opened, then you just need to throw an additional wire to the limit switch in the door and that’s all.
Windshield tinting
A darkened windshield looks really stylish and impressive, but such VAZ tuning is rare. According to GOST, the tinting of the front glass should be no more than 25%. Also, to improve visibility on the windshield, experts advise attaching a reflective film, the width of which should be no more than 14 cm.
To do your own tuning of the VAZ-2105 (you can see photos of the results in our article), you will need the following tools and materials:
- Tinting film.
- Rubber eraser.
- Dry soft cloth.
- Industrial dryer.
- Putty knife.
- Cutter or knife.
- Glass cleaner (soap solution).
Work order:
- Initially, wash and dry the windshield thoroughly. To stick a special film, you do not need to dismantle it, just remove the sealing rubber.
- Measure the surface of the glass with a tape measure and cut the film according to these measurements with a margin.
- Spray the soap solution over the surface and over the film, freeing it from the protective layer in advance.
- Stick it on the windshield. Using a rubber eraser, remove any excess moisture that remains inside.
- It is best to smooth the film from the center to the sides. To make the tint take the shape of glass, heat it with a hair dryer.
- If you didn’t succeed in gluing the film beautifully the first time, you can remove it and re-glue it. While the film is wet, it will peel off quickly and without defects. However, when it becomes dry, it will not be possible to remove it without damaging it.
- After a certain time after sticking, trim off the excess material around the edges.
Foot lighting for driver and passenger
It looks very cool when tuning masters install additional lighting for the driver’s and passenger’s feet on the VAZ 2107. To do this, you need to buy a diode strip designed for a voltage of 12V. The only thing you need is to choose the color of the diodes. Here, choose for yourself and see according to your tastes. Under the steering column you need to place a tape and some wires for connection. A place under the shelf is selected for the passenger's feet.
You can also backlight it, but this requires additional mounting. When laying wires, be sure to insulate them. This will help avoid short circuits and burning of wiring.
This tuning gives a special charm to your car and gives passengers an extraordinary effect. Agree, your seven has never looked like this before.
Tinting headlights with varnish
Let's take a closer look at the currently popular tinting of headlights using aerosol paint. This is not quite a simple varnish that we are used to using for car repairs. It is also sold in a can, but has completely different characteristics. You should remember that inside the headlight structure, while driving, a high temperature regime is noticed. Therefore, not every type of mixture is able to withstand such operating conditions. Therefore, you need to buy a special varnish. Sequence of work that you can do yourself:
- Wash and dry the headlights well. It is not necessary to remove them.
- Cover the area around the headlights with masking tape.
- Treat the headlights with a special degreasing solution.
- Apply the tinting varnish from a distance of 30 cm, so it will apply evenly.
- Remember to take a break between applying the first and second coat of varnish to allow it to dry thoroughly.
- When the last layer has dried well, polish the surface of the headlights. This will allow you to achieve the matte effect that is so popular today.
- This coating can be removed using acetone.
Photo of the VAZ 2107 interior after tuning
Below we offer you to look at the options for do-it-yourself modifications, which were made by the best tuning masters.
Improved body characteristics
Many car enthusiasts start tuning the VAZ-2105 from the body, but make a lot of mistakes during this work. So, what is better not to do:
- Don't rush to install side skirts, bulky spoilers and air intakes. These improvements are absolutely unnecessary, but provided that no powerful parts of the power unit were attached before.
- Lowering the body is considered a fashionable trend today, which is often used when tuning a car. Cars with low ground clearance have better handling, but at the same time speed parameters are reduced. Also, the lower elements of the body are at great risk, especially if we take into account the condition of our roads.
What to do?
- Attach additional body parts. Bumpers and other body kit options will allow you to change its shape.
- Tint the windows and repaint the body. This DIY tuning of the VAZ-2105 makes it possible to significantly change the appearance of the car.
