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.
review with photos and videos
Every car owner, no matter how much he loves his iron horse, periodically thinks about what modifications could improve it. A smoother and more confident ride, external gloss, excellent visibility, a powerful engine and reliable brakes, excellent acoustics - every motorist dreams of all this. And if all this can be done with your own hands, then such an “update” has no price at all. In this article we will try to touch on all the subtleties of what tuning is most often performed by owners of the Lada Kalina 2 station wagon.
What types of tuning are most common for the Lada Kalina 2 station wagon?
When deciding to do tuning with your own hands, a rare driver relies solely on the desire to create something with his own hands; most often he expects to save time and money in this way, which means that we are not talking about complete tuning, but only about partial improvement of the car.
At the moment, it is believed that the Lada Kalina 2 station wagon is the most popular passenger car in the Russian Federation. Before you start upgrading this car, we recommend that you look at the photos and video reviews that are available in large quantities on thematic websites. But first, decide on the part of the car that needs to be updated.
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.
Protecting the body from dirt
We have already discussed the method of installing plastic lockers. Actually, by protecting the rear arches from dirt, the tuning can be completed. But some owners don’t stop there, continuing to improve the standard design by replacing mudguards. We are, of course, talking about front mudguards, which should stop dirt flying out from under the drive wheels. The standard rubber “barriers” mounted on the body of the “second Kalina” have a smaller area than was typical for cars of the first family. However, using mudguards of a larger area than those provided by the factory is not a solution to all problems. If you do this, dirt will begin to accumulate on the rubber surface, which will need to be cleaned very often.
Mudguards Kalina-1 and Kalina-2, comparison
If these arguments do not frighten you, read on. We look at how the “second Kalina” is being finalized today:
- It will be easy to install front mudguards from Lada Grants, produced by Petroplast. They are attached with 4 self-tapping screws. In theory, you can agree with the dealer to have the specified part installed immediately (upon purchase). And retail prices for Petroplast mudguards are the highest;
- The mount on the universal Elegant mudguards coincides with the VAZ mount at three points. The fourth screw will have to be screwed in by drilling a new hole, or try to hook onto the front locker. Here we were talking about the Elegant N1 model, available from spare parts sellers;
- On the universal mudguard “SRTC” the mount fits perfectly, but with the design everything is a little worse... However, the tuning option in question has already been implemented by many;
- Ultimately, you can use larger mudguards inherited from the “first Kalina”, but here you will have to work with a cutter (see photo above).
Conclusion: now you can buy either something universal, or, but at an inflated price (if not through a car dealer). Decide for yourself which is better. In addition to the four listed, there are probably other suitable options. We are waiting for your feedback about them in the comments to the review.
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.
Tuning the mechanics of the Lada Kalina
Owners pay significant attention to Kalina's universal suspension, which is caused by the desire to achieve a higher degree of comfort while driving. As a rule, transformations involve replacing the following chassis elements:
- shock absorbers along with support bearings and springs;
- levers for more reinforced analogues;
- installation of additional braces between body cups;
- installation of rear transverse stabilizer, etc.
In order to achieve savings in fuel consumption, you can install LPG. Such a do-it-yourself modification will allow you to ensure a minimum consumption of 5-6 liters on the highway for every 100 km of distance traveled. The complex of modern gas equipment has the ability to regulate the functioning of the motor using an on-board computer.
Owners of LADA Kalina station wagon achieve significant results by using chip tuning of the power plant (on gasoline). This involves replacing the standard version of the ECU firmware with software with different characteristics. Carrying out such a conversion does not imply mechanical intervention in the design of the electronic module, but is implemented only through software tools. The firmware involves providing different motor settings depending on the wishes of the owner. Some software products can increase the power of the power plant, and, accordingly, fuel consumption, while others, on the contrary, lead to fuel savings.
Important! Chip tuning should only be performed on a known good engine.
Today, such a do-it-yourself modification as the procedure for installing a supercharger is gaining popularity, which leads to a significant increase in the efficiency of the power unit, can be seen in the photo. Here you should choose the right balance between the expected increase in power and the safety margin of the motor components, which will greatly affect the life of the unit.
Sometimes owners of LADA Kalina station wagon resort to replacing the generator with a more efficient device. It is rational to lean towards such a measure if the further action is the installation of additional electrical components. The standard generator set is designed for a maximum power of 175 watts. When the owner pursues the previously stated goals, he will need to install a more productive unit, having, for example, an output power of 300 W. Here we should not forget about the risk of an increase in fuel consumption, by approximately 20% (on average).
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.
