How to make a dream car: tuning Chevy Niva

Niva Chevrolet is a new modification of the VAZ 2121 all-terrain vehicle, which was produced in Soviet times. The new model received a streamlined body, modern technical options, such as power steering, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, headlight range control and air conditioning. Despite this, the car remained Spartan in terms of configuration. This preservation of the concept laid down in the first modifications of the VAZ 2121 made it possible to attract the attention of consumers due to ease of maintenance and a relatively high degree of cross-country ability. In other words, Niva Chevrolet is perfectly adapted for domestic light off-road conditions, which prevail in most areas.

Do-it-yourself Chevrolet Niva tuning

The new design and some technical options of the Niva Chevrolet did not make the car the pinnacle of technological thought, but at the same time it left enormous opportunities for external tuning of the Chevrolet Niva, as well as improving its practical characteristics.

Most often, tuning fields are carried out for off-road use. This is not a complex technological process; it is enough to install the following elements on the car:

• Power kit. Includes a heavy-duty front bumper made from bent steel tubing with a platform for a winch. Making this product is not difficult, you only need to have tools and equipment for working with metal: a pipe bender, a grinder, a welding machine
• Off-road tuning of a Chevrolet Niva necessarily involves replacing standard wheels and tires. The following sizes are perfect here: 1. 215/75/ R15. 2. 205/70/ R16. 3. 205/80/ R16. The first numbers are the tire size, its height and width, the designation after the letter R is the rim diameter. For the last two values, modifications to the front wheel arches may be necessary. Everything here will depend on the width of the tire.
• Installation of a snorkel - an exhaust pipe that goes to the roof. This is necessary if the Niva Chevrolet will be used in extreme off-road conditions.
• A separate item is the installation of a winch on a Chevrolet Niva. Do not assume that this equipment is only necessary for those who participate in competitions. This practical equipment will be an excellent helper during outdoor recreation, as well as in the country and fishing. It is enough to install an electric winch and the car will not care; it will be able to pull itself out of a hole or ditch, and will also help others. The equipment body can be hidden under a homemade metal casing.

Tuning a Chevrolet Niva for off-road use can be complemented with protective, military paint, matte or glossy. This requires certain knowledge. The repainting process is quite labor-intensive and requires an appropriate mark in the technical documentation, so painting is not a mandatory element of tuning 2123 Chevrolet Niva.

General recommendations for upholstery when using a sewing machine

General recommendations for carrying out the work under consideration include the following points:

1. The surface and elements for the pattern are prepared.
2. The resulting elements are transferred to paper, which will be used as a blank.
3. Using the created template, lines are marked on the material used when upholstering the interior.
4. The material is sewn along the marked lines, after which it should be stitched.
5. Next, the excess is carefully trimmed.
6. The adhesive is applied to the reverse side and applied to the product. At this stage, you should avoid getting glue on the front of the material.

In general, we can say that the process of upholstery is relatively simple to perform, but requires compliance with some recommendations and accuracy. Mistakes made may cause damage to the material used. Therefore, it is recommended to take it with a sufficiently large reserve.

Chevrolet Niva engine tuning

There are a huge number of options for modifying the Niva Chevrolet engine, which will significantly increase its technical characteristics:

• Replacing the crankshaft and piston rings gives an increase in volume of 0.1 liters
• Replacing injectors
• Replacing the control unit
• Correction of engine geometry by increasing the diameter of the valves and the pushrod well for the intake and exhaust ports. New pushers with a diameter of at least 1 mm are required
• Sealing valves increases power by 10%
• Replacing the catalyst with a flame arrester. This is a tuning of the Chevrolet Niva exhaust system, but it helps improve the technical performance of the engine

All these operations require direct intervention in the technical device of the car. The optimal way to chip tune a Chevrolet Niva engine is to work with the brains of the engine – the injector. Software knowledge is required here. With its help, the technical parameters of the machine are changed. This method is the least expensive.

Video of chip tuning of a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands.

Chip tuning of a Chevrolet Niva involves the use of a special connector for connecting to a car and a laptop. Software is very important here. It is desirable that it be licensed. But this option is quite expensive. You can download good builds on the Internet, but you should first read reviews about them. Reflashing and chipping an engine takes up to 1 hour on average. At the same time, torque and power increase by an average of 10%, the ride becomes smoother, and the engine runs quietly and smoothly. At the same time, fuel consumption remains at the same level or decreases to an average of 1 liter per 100 km.

Helpful advice Chip tuning is carried out only when the car is in full working order. Otherwise, serious technical problems may occur. For example, fuel consumption will become uncontrollable.

Instructions for reupholstery

It is important not only to choose high-quality material and decide on the most harmonious color scheme, but also to choose the appropriate threads for stitching. Ordinary ones will not work; you need special ones - strong and elastic. If seat covers are sewn by hand, it will be practically impossible to get an even stitch. This should be taken into account, because threads contrasting with the material will stand out too much, which will not have the best effect on aesthetics. It will be much better if the color of the threads matches the color of velor or corduroy.

To complete this task, you should be armed with the following:

1. Glue.
2. Threads for stitching.
3. A set of keys.
4. Degreaser.
5. Sandpaper.
6. Hair dryer.

Preparatory work involves dismantling the seats and dashboard. As such, there is no single sequence of work. Experienced drivers recommend starting reupholstery with complex elements. But, if there is no such work experience, it is best to do differently - start with simple elements.

It is advisable to start covering with the door card. It is washed and cleaned of dust and dirt, after which it is cleaned and degreased. Glue is applied to the surface of the card using a spatula, hard-to-reach places are coated with a brush. After which the material is glued, heated and smoothed with a hairdryer.

A torpedo is tightened using the same principle, however, there will be more difficult areas, and therefore folds will appear. But they can always be brought to invisible areas. Working with the ceiling is less difficult. It is enough to dismantle the factory coating and clean it. After that, glue is applied in strips of 20-25 cm and the material is glued, simultaneously with heating and smoothing.

Half the work is already done, all that remains is to give the seats a new look. New covers are sewn for them. The procedure may seem complicated at first glance, but in reality it won’t be difficult to do it yourself. The old covers need to be removed, ripped apart at the seams and used as a template for cutting out pieces from the new material. After which these pieces are sewn together, and the new covers are tried on the seats.

Chevrolet Niva suspension tuning

Niva Chevrolet was created for driving on rough terrain, so the car’s suspension is able to withstand serious loads, but not all and not always. Therefore, to improve cross-country ability, it is necessary to strengthen the suspension.

The most popular and relatively simple is lifting a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands, that is, increasing the ground clearance. For this purpose, special kits are sold, the installation of which will require the use of plumbing and pneumatic tools, as well as the presence of a lift. Suspension tuning itself consists of the following stages:

• Reinforcement of the suspension with shock absorbers, they are installed in parallel with the standard ones. You must first prepare fastenings for them
• Improvement in terms of reliability of standard fastenings of support units
• Installation of shock absorbers or gas-oil shock absorbers
• Replacing standard springs with reinforced modifications
• Installation of non-adjustable steering knuckles
• Replacing standard hubs with rotary ones
• Particular attention must be paid to the jet thrusts; they must be strengthened.

Tuning the Chevrolet Niva transfer case is an important stage in suspension modernization. But in the case of Niva Chevrolet, this is more likely to eliminate childhood diseases, which increases the level of reliability of the technological unit. To do this you need:

• Replace standard bearings with double row ones
• Replacing bearings will require replacing caps
• Be sure to change the seals
• Equip the transfer case with additional shaft support

Helpful advice It is imperative that the transfer case be properly centered. This reduces the vibration level and increases the technical life of the unit.

Main stages of interior insulation

All work carried out on insulating the interior can be divided into several main stages:

1. The entire interior is being dismantled. Insulating materials should be laid exclusively on bare metal, which is still carefully prepared, rust is removed, and painting is carried out. Dismantling the interior space can take quite a long time, as care must be taken.

2. Once the interior space has been cleared, the selected insulating materials can be installed. An important point is that all air ducts should be left open, as they do not allow moisture to form.

3. Fastening materials can be done in different ways. Some have their own adhesive layer, others require the use of special glue.
4. After laying the insulating material, the interior is reassembled and all equipment is installed.

   
   

Sidebar: Important: Particular attention is paid to insulating the door structure. This is due to the fact that in most cases they become the source of noise in the car interior.

Chevrolet Niva interior tuning

Tuning the interior of a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands is traditionally reupholstering it. Genuine leather on the seats or a high-quality substitute will be especially chic. Chrome or imitation mahogany inserts may appear on the doors.

A good, relatively simple, but expensive option would be to replace the seats with sports ones. An integral attribute is a new steering wheel. If you need to save money, it is best to use a technique called flocking - applying cotton dust to the sheathing, which creates a fleecy effect. The new interior can be given any color.

You can also replace the standard seat belts, install xenon or bi-xenon interior and underbody lighting. Additional sound insulation will not hurt. Instead of a standard stereo system, a bot computer would look great - it’s also a functional solution.

Materials used for interior insulation

Today, manufacturers of insulating materials produce a fairly large number of products that have their own specific performance qualities. Common insulating materials include:

• Visomat is a self-adhesive substance that is designed to absorb the resulting vibration. Note that it is produced on the basis of bitumen impregnation. Recently it has been used quite often.
• Vibroplast is one of the most common insulating materials today, which has increased elasticity. Like the previous one, this one is designed to absorb the resulting vibration.
• Isotone is a material designed to absorb sound waves.
• Stizol is a design option used as a sealant. Also suitable as sound insulation and for keeping heat in the car.
• Bitoplast is a sealing material whose purpose is to prevent the formation of various skips. An important point is that it has a sticky layer, which ensures quick fixation.
• Madeline is another sealant that is made on a fabric basis.

To perform high-quality insulation of the interior, it is not necessary to use all the materials under consideration; only a few are selected. Today, glass wool is used less and less, as it has one significant drawback - when moisture accumulates, its performance characteristics are significantly reduced.

Tuning Chevrolet Niva panels

Here the expression will be relevant: the need for invention is cunning. Tuning a Chevrolet Niva torpedo will help you realize your imagination and available materials with your own hands:

• Construction foam
• Various homemade items
• Epoxy – epoxy resin
• Grinding tool

All of the above will give the standard torpedo a new stylish appearance.

The second improvement option is to fit the torpedo from other car models. This may require modification of the standard fasteners. But the same can be done on a new torpedo, which will be a rational solution. A good option would be to upholster the dashboard with some expensive material, such as leather.

Tuning the Chevrolet Niva instrument panel is done using specialized overlays or elements from other cars. Here everything is limited only by the owner’s imagination.

The process of reupholstering doors and panels using glue

The most problems arise with reupholstering complex surfaces, for example, doors or panels. The features of such work are the following:

1. First, high-quality surface preparation is performed. To do this, it is washed, sanded and degreased. Due to this, surface adhesion significantly increases, which will ensure reliable fastening of the material. Degreasing is carried out using special substances.
2. The next step is to apply glue to the surface and the material itself. If the surface has a large number of uneven areas, then they should be treated with a brush.
3. In order for the material to adhere better to the surface, it is heated with a hairdryer. Due to this, the material used becomes more elastic.

In general, we can say that, as a rule, there are no problems with fitting the sheathing material to the glue.

Tuning the Chevrolet Niva radiator grille

Tuning the Chevrolet Niva radiator grill with your own hands is a procedure that, in principle, is not particularly necessary, but will be a good addition to the modernization of optical instruments. You can tune the radiator grille by making your own sample or by installing components from another car brand. In the second case, you will have to redo the grille seat.

A simple and cheap option would be specialized overlays that will give a stylish look to the standard model and will not require additional technological alterations.

Upgrading the suspension to match the new transmission

After tuning the transmission due to inertia, it is necessary to modify the suspension. Experienced Niva owners, even without changing the basic characteristics of the car, often replace standard suspension parts with more reliable ones that are resistant to operational loads. The practice of replacing rubber bushings with polyurethane ones is quite common and should be taken into account by each Chevy Niva owner.

Polyurethane silent blocks, couplings, seals, limiters and similar suspension elements last several times longer than conventional rubber ones. They are also not sensitive to temperatures and petroleum products, and work well in rupture and compression.

Installing double shock absorbers, contrary to the assurances of skeptics, will not make the suspension inert. Double shock absorbers will increase the car’s ability to withstand dynamic vehicle loads and make it possible to drive the car off-road at high speed.

On numerous forums that are dedicated to tuning the Chevy Niva, the issue of choosing the type of shock absorbers that is optimal for installation on an SUV with a short wheelbase is very often discussed. Fans of radical changes stick to gas-filled shock absorbers.

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Niva operating experience shows that shock absorbers pay off only if they participate in cross-country racing. During normal operation, high-quality oil shock absorbers or conventional gas-oil shock absorbers from reputable manufacturers have proven themselves to be the best.

Tuning headlights on a Chevrolet Niva

Tuning Chevrolet Niva optics is aimed not only at creating a non-standard appearance, but also at improving their light, as well as visibility at a distance. You can buy and install advanced headlight modifications or work with standard options:

• Installation of additional LED lenses on dimensions
• Installation of rotary modules and additional LEDs
• Change in color, tone, texture, headlight substrate
• Chip installation
• Installation of reflectors
• Replacing standard lamps with high-performance LED lamps

Tuning the rear lights of a Chevrolet Niva is done according to the same principle, plus you can use specialized overlays.

Below you can watch a video on how to install fog lights on a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands.

Replacing the driveshaft

The modernized driveshaft was developed directly at the Kardan plant, where cardan shafts for VAZ cars are developed and manufactured. The new shaft can be much quieter and less susceptible to vibration. The new part not only improves performance, but is also more reliable and durable. The main distinguishing feature of this design is the movable hinge. It is to this that all vibration is transmitted. There are other modifications to the Niva Chevrolet that can reduce vibrations and extraneous noise; it is best to use them together.

Tuning the trunk of a Chevrolet Niva

The easiest way to do tuning of a Chevrolet Niva trunk with your own hands is to install LED elements on the lid. They can also be attached around the perimeter of the rear door arch.

For those who love music, the trunk of the Niva Chevrolet opens up enormous opportunities for experimentation. You can install powerful speaker systems with a subwoofer there, although you will have to sacrifice capacity.

A completely exotic solution would be to install a small billiard table that will extend and unfold automatically. The Niva Chevrolet trunk volume of 320 liters opens up wide opportunities for modernization.

Below you can watch a video on how to make an organizer for the trunk of a Chevrolet Niva with your own hands.

External tuning – functionality and aesthetics

Any vehicle that is used in or near off-road conditions requires the installation of several functional elements and external accessories. Perhaps the most important thing is to install a bumper with a winch - if you get stuck, the winch will be very useful. The functionality of this element is undeniable.

Durable steel, three millimeters thick, which is integral with the engine protection, will ensure the safety of the body in extreme road conditions. Additional headlights recessed into the bumper are usually equipped with fog filters. Inside such a bumper, there will also be a perfect place for a winch and towing loops.

When choosing a winch model, you should prefer devices with polymer ropes. Steel cables are extremely inconvenient - they get pinched among the turns, although they are stronger.

Some Chevy Niva owners strive to give the car an aggressive look by decorating it with metal arches. But it is worth remembering that such arches, attached to the front, back or side, always do more harm than good. As a result, clearance is significantly reduced. But nevertheless, many car enthusiasts sacrifice functionality for the sake of aesthetics.

But one cannot fail to recognize a roof rack mounted on the roof as a very useful acquisition. Its carrying capacity is quite small, but if necessary, it can easily accommodate several cans of fuel.

Tuning the interior of the Chevy Niva does not have priority, because... For a domestically produced SUV, the interior is quite decent and even respectable. The only thing that can be done is to replace the standard seats with more comfortable and safe ones. But again, you shouldn’t experiment with installing exotic seats if the main focus of tuning is on subsequent off-road driving.

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If the goal is to create a respectable car that can perform well in off-road conditions, then the interior can be completely redone and reupholstered, as well as tuning the Chevy Niva dashboard. But there is unlikely to be a desire to modify the external data of this car in the released restyled version.

We touched upon only a few individual aspects of tuning a Chevy Niva. The widest opportunities for independent tuning will be given to you by the availability of parts, the availability of design projects and, of course, the willingness to spend more than one day in the garage.