How to tune a Gazelle with your own hands. What exactly can be changed in this car without resorting to the expensive services of specialists. Options for interior lighting, changing the hood, headlights, engine chip tuning, etc.
Gazelle is a real miracle of the Russian automobile industry. And this is without exaggeration, because with the advent of this low-maintenance commercial vehicle, the passenger and cargo transportation market stirred up a real commercial boom. Many drivers spend more time in the cab of their gazelle than at home, so each of them tries to make their place of work as cozy and comfortable as possible. Every driver strives to at least somehow uniqueize the Gazelle itself, which, of course, does not differ in external aesthetic merits with the help of tuning. And despite its utilitarianism and clearly “Soviet” appearance, the Gazelle can be tuned quite easily.
The interior and cabin of a car is probably one of the greatest spaces for the flight of creative imagination. When tuning the interior and cabin, the following upgrades are usually carried out:
- Replacement of internal panels made of low-quality plastic with more comfortable materials;
- Replacing seats with more comfortable ones when transporting passengers over long distances;
- Replacement of steering wheel, instrument panel, driver's seats.
In the passenger version of the gazelle, you can also tune the passenger compartment using LED strips. Their installation is very simple, and they are powered by a 12-volt battery. In this case, you can choose absolutely any range of backlight colors.
LED strips can be used to illuminate not only the interior itself, but also the passage between the seats.
They have a long service life and consume very little electricity.
Most often, the exit steps, passenger seats and the passage itself are equipped with lighting. The backlight control system can be displayed on the dashboard or, which is cheaper, connected directly to the car's ignition system. All these operations can be easily done without resorting to the services of specialists. Do-it-yourself Gazelle tuning videos can be found on the Internet quite easily.
Replacing a standard gazelle hood is not just a design whim. The stamped metal hood, which is inclined to the ground at an angle of almost 45 degrees, is often subject to various mechanical stress. Insects, crushed stone, etc. - all this can damage the coating, or even deform the hood itself. In this regard, plastic is a more elastic and durable material.
Gazelle tuning photo hood can be found in several versions:
- With a more muscular midsection, the so-called restyled version. These hoods are more suitable for external tuning and are produced in various colors at the plant in Nizhny Novgorod;
- The hood is equipped with an air intake and additional slots on the sides. The slots and air intake will help cool the internal combustion engine and increase their service life. True, foreign debris and dirt can get clogged into these slots;
- In principle, the hood is installed in its original color and covered with a protective film on top. In this form, it can serve the owner for more than one year. Among the disadvantages of such tuning, we can note possible gaps between the side parts of the body and the hood, but a good fit will allow you to avoid this.
Do-it-yourself Gazelle chip tuning is the first thing you need to do when upgrading your car. After all, the factory engine may be imperfect, have increased fuel consumption or reduced power. The main problems of the Gazelle gasoline engine are:
- Floating speed;
- Low traction at medium and low speeds;
- Failures in operation during gas transfer;
Engine tuning is simply necessary when using the Gazelle in heavy city traffic. And on the highway when overtaking there will be no excess engine power at all.
The main thing to remember is that chip tuning should only be carried out in trusted workshops with good specialists. Trying to save money here can lead to very sad consequences.
Tuning the M-402 engine
The basic engine of the Gazelle M-402 has a number of design flaws, which, however, craftsmen have learned to correct:
- Engine torque can be significantly increased by installing a weighted flywheel. At the same time, however, fuel consumption and wear of the internal combustion engine will slightly increase;
- An increase in power of up to 10 percent can be obtained by abandoning the standard air filter and replacing it with a filter with zero resistance;
- Additional sealing of the motor - M-402, like any other domestic engine, does not differ in build quality and constant oil leaks are not uncommon here. Especially when it comes to an old car. Therefore, coating the gaskets with a layer of sealant will not be a superfluous procedure. Also, the gaskets can be cut from cork yourself, which will be much more reliable and durable.
The car's engine cooling system can also be modified. To do this, it is necessary to replace the standard fan from the motor with its electrical modification. The electric fan does a good job of cooling the internal combustion engine when driving in urban areas and is an excellent addition to the standard water cooling system.
The hydraulic vacuum clutch assist system will also be a good assistant for drivers.
Many drivers, when working on passenger routes, often complain about a tight clutch and pain in the leg from frequent pressing of the pedal. To modify this unit, many use amplifiers from the VAZ “classics”, which fit ideally into the Gazelle’s engine compartment. True, the cooling tank will also need to be replaced. Instead, you can install a similar part from Priora.
The light of your car's headlights can also be improved. At the same time, the safety of driving on night roads and in fog improves. There are a great many options for replacing headlights for a Gazelle. But almost all options are already offered for new models, but for cars that are 15 years old, there is practically no choice. Also, you should know that installing new running lights requires partial changes to the body, so sometimes drivers are limited to restoring the luminosity of the old headlight.
Tuning the bumper is the simplest option for modifying the Gazelle. At the same time, bumper tuning provides the following additional benefits: Reduced aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.
- Possibility of “beautiful” installation of fog lights;
- Improved airflow of the water cooling radiator;
- Changing the car's exterior design.
A new bumper costs very little – about 3 thousand rubles. For this money you can get a model made of high-quality plastic, painted to suit every taste. Tuning the Gazelle Next can also be done with an unpainted original bumper, which already has places for mounting fog lights.
As we can see, tuning the Gazelle is more of a necessity than a simple whim of its owner. Properly carried out modernization can not only increase comfort for passengers and the driver, raise the aesthetics of appearance to a new level, but also significantly improve the driving characteristics of the car. Gazelle is the brainchild of the domestic automobile industry, but with properly selected operating conditions and skillful tuning, this car will be able to “compete” with its more famous foreign competitors. Despite the fact that the operation of the Gazelle is several times cheaper.
Gazelle commercial vehicles are more than just a work machine for their owners, as some spend a significant part of their time behind the wheel. Therefore, tuning Gazelle cars for their drivers is like repairing an apartment for other people. Even if sometimes it is long and expensive, it must be done, because few people like to spend time in discomfort. Your Gazelle should be beautiful on the outside and cozy on the inside. How to do this?
External accessories
The outside of the Gazelle is tuned not only for beauty, but also in order to adapt it to certain conditions of use, as well as to make it more comfortable. For example, with the help of the running boards from Valdai, which are located slightly lower than usual, it is easier to get into the cabin, and they look more interesting than the Gazelle ones. Also in specialized stores there are non-standard front bumpers for the Gazelle and headlights with a tinted reflector.
To improve aerodynamics, you can install a fairing on the roof of the car, which will significantly reduce the drag created by the booth. A sun visor is installed in front of the fairing (at the junction of the roof and glass), which gives much more effect than a strip of tint film.
Useful modifications include the installation of a rear bumper. For loading, flatbed Gazelles often have to stand close to the ramp, and there is a risk of denting the body or breaking the taillights. A powerful bumper attached to the frame will solve these problems even when parking “to the point of a characteristic rumble.”
Motor tuning of Gazelle cars
According to Gazelle owners, the best engine for this car is the ZMZ-406. It is more technologically advanced than the old 402, it is fuel-injected (more powerful and economical) and has a longer service life. But the 406 also has its drawbacks. As a rule, their reason is the human factor: the build quality is very poor.
Motor Gazelle begins with the elimination of factory “jambs”. Porting the cylinder head and installing stiffer valve springs from the VAZ 2108 is the first thing to do. The cylinder head can also be slightly ground to increase the compression ratio.
On a note
A 3.8-liter PASSIK receiver mounted on a polished stock manifold will help smooth out intake pulsation. With all these modifications, it is necessary to adjust the ECU settings so that the “brains” do not regard the new mixture as incorrect and begin to fight the tuning effect.
Salon
The Gazelle's interior is, to put it mildly, archaic. Only the most undemanding drivers are satisfied with it in its original form. Hard plastic, uncomfortable seats, dull gray color - all this urgently needs to be replaced with more modern and aesthetic analogues.
If you are afraid of the cost of completely replacing the interior, you can purchase individual elements gradually, perhaps combining colors and materials. Start with the main things - the steering wheel, seats, power windows, because these are the ones you have to come into contact with every day. Next, you can install a central console from Gazelle-Business and an armrest with various useful drawers, which will turn it into a mini-office. Music lovers will be able to choose door cards with additional podiums for speakers.
There is a wide selection of accessories available for sale for Gazelle salon decor:
- door card inserts;
- air duct covers;
- glove compartment and dashboard, made in wood or chrome, or painted in body color.
For better information content of devices in the dark, you can illuminate them with diodes, and you can also make the interior lighting lamp LED. The installation of alloy wheels, a hood with air intakes in the STI style (Gazelle has the bad property of boiling even in cold weather) and other pleasant little things that create a unique style will help to complement the image of a non-standard car.
House on wheels
Factory-built motorhomes are very expensive, so lovers of nomadic life with little financial resources are forced to look for an alternative. The first thing that comes to mind is to convert a minibus into a motorhome. As a base, domestic Gazelles are the cheapest.
Of course, you can’t make a full-fledged motorhome from a small minibus - there’s too little space. But if you take a truck and place a living container in its back, you will get a very original vehicle that combines sufficient “living space” and a low price. And this is not the limit of modernization.
You can install an imported, economical engine on the Gazelle and increase its cross-country ability by using large-diameter wheels. Transforming the Gazelle into an all-wheel drive version will require serious modifications, but there are enthusiasts ready for this. The result is an all-terrain motorhome on which you can travel to the most remote corners of the country.
When creating a mobile home, you need to pay enough attention to the living unit. It can be made stationary or removable. The onboard Gazelle is perfect for installing a removable living unit. This block looks like a container, only with windows. It can be installed on a platform or removed when not needed, turning the car into a regular truck.
On a note
A house based on an onboard Gazelle allows you to live in it, but when traveling, being in a residential unit is not allowed by the rules. The cabin seats only three people (driver and two passengers). Accordingly, it makes no sense to count on a residential block for more than three.
It is advisable to make the residential block on a metal frame. It can be an aluminum or steel structure. Most often, preference is given to steel profiles, which are connected by welding. From the outside, the frame is sheathed with corrugated sheeting or other suitable material, for example, plastic. The interior lining is made of plywood or OSB (oriented strand board).
Insulation must be placed between the skins. It is better to use mineral wool slabs, as they not only retain heat well, but are also an excellent sound insulator, and in addition, they do not burn. Polystyrene foam is inferior in all respects to mineral wool, and therefore in this case cannot be considered the best solution.
Using mineral wool as insulation, it is necessary to install a vapor barrier from the inside. Without it, the cotton wool will begin to absorb water vapor, which is present in abundance in the residential unit. Wet cotton wool ceases to retain heat and becomes very heavy. This may cause mold to appear indoors.
The version of the motorhome based on the onboard Gazelle must be equipped with minimal amenities. First of all, these are water, heating, electricity and a bathroom. A dry toilet and a compact shower stall will not take up much space (you can invest in 1.5 m²), but they will eliminate the need to build outdoor amenities at each parking lot.
The residential unit in the back can replace a hotel room. Traveling from city to city in such a car, you can stop in the most interesting places and pay absolutely nothing (maximum for parking). The problem of cooking is solved by installing a household gas cylinder, and water is stored in a plastic container, the neck of which is taken outside to easily replenish supplies.
Tuning is a global term. It includes everything from global elements to microscopic details.
This law works even if we are talking about such a narrow area as tuning the interior of a gazelle, which usually includes the following work items: replacing rugs and seat covers, altering the control panel, replacing the interior trim, but this is not the end of everything. possibilities and options.
The advantage of such modifications is that they can be done independently with your own hands without the involvement of specialized specialists and the use of expensive and complex equipment.
But, if you are thinking about large-scale, high-quality, fundamental tuning for a gazelle, then you should be prepared for serious financial expenses and a large expenditure of time resources.
It should be noted that in any case, upgrading a Gazelle is always entertaining, and if you are able to harmoniously combine experiments with external design and interior tuning, then, as they say, there will be no price for you and satisfaction from your own work will not keep you waiting long. The results can be simply stunning. Your car can turn into a “pearl of city roads and country roads”
Do-it-yourself gazelle tuning contains a huge number of all kinds of modifications and additions, but we’ll focus on the most popular and interesting ones!
Do-it-yourself tuning gazelle. Creating comfort.
The most well-known forms of Gazelle upgrades among car enthusiasts and car professionals are those modifications that include an increase in the comfort zone. These can confidently include: reupholstering various parts in the cabin, transforming the instrument panel, replacing seats, reupholstering the ceiling and side door trim with leather, suede or other cloth.
In most cases, it is very difficult to do a good reupholstery yourself; of course, it’s easier to ask for help from specialists from special tuning stations and companies, but if you really want to do this difficult work yourself, then it’s worth it.
In second place in terms of popularity for Gazelle styling is the complete or partial replacement of factory elements; in most cases, this means installing a sportier and more comfortable steering wheel and installing sports seats.
There are those who like to arrange their comfort in the salon at the same level as at home. To achieve this goal, they connect additional functions such as heated steering wheel or connection of seat ventilation. In addition, special lighting equipment is installed in the cabin, a new acoustic system is installed, and new video monitors are installed, which in the compartment make the inside of the car look more modern, stylish and fashionable.
Let us remind you that the Gazelle belongs to a class of vehicles called commercial small-sized trucks. What does this mean? This means that this is a workhorse that is used every day in any weather, in any climate and in the most extreme circumstances.
For this reason, one of the most important tuning modifications is the installation of an additional heater. Due to many shortcomings in the original heater, an additional heating element with an electric pump is installed in the “stove”, which makes it possible to feel in a state of complete comfort in the winter.
Tuning the interior of a gazelle. How to improve sound insulation?
The downside to the design of all Gazelles is disgusting sound insulation. Any driver who has ever sat behind the steering wheel of this car will complain to you about this fact. Poor sound insulation is on the list of problems that need to be solved first. So, we install additional sound absorbers.
Experienced craftsmen use materials such as vibroplast or modelin. They solve the problem and thus increase the level of comfort.
Of course, if we are talking about old modifications of trucks, it is imperative to install an on-board computer, which was not provided for in the original design.
It would also be appropriate to change the lighting inside the cabin
Traditionally, additional lights are installed in the doors, in the glove compartment and on the instrument panel. Lighting devices can be multi-colored and different sizes. In combination with various small accessories, such as pedal pads, an armrest, new floor mats and a gear shift knob, they will form a new image of your car.
As already mentioned above, the Gazelle is not a recreational vehicle, but a hard worker who works hard from morning until late at night. Therefore, an upgrade to this car is needed exclusively for practical purposes, making life easier for the driver and adding reliability to the car itself. Therefore, the owners of these wonderful cars are trying to remake the cars with maximum benefit both for themselves and for those around them. An important innovative modification for the Gazelle is the installation of an alarm system. Even for such a seemingly non-elite model, anti-theft will not be at all superfluous. For drivers of commercial public transport, it is extremely important that the minibus starts the first time in the morning and does not stall either in the heat or in the cold. In this case, installing autostart is extremely important.
At one time, the appearance of the Gazelle on the commercial vehicle market was a real gift for small businesses. And for many, the car has simply become a second home. We had to spend the night and eat food in Gazelle. Therefore, each driver sought to turn his companion into the most comfortable form of transport for a person, as well as to obtain acceptable technical reliability and a decent appearance.
Despite its utilitarian nature, Gazelle accepts improvement with pleasure. Unexpectedly, you can find many options for modifying the machine, as well as a wide variety of materials and tools for performing the work.
Plastic hood for Gazelle
The need to replace the Gazelle hood can be explained by several reasons:
- Constructive. A tilted hood is exposed to frequent external influences - impacts from stones, insects, which leads to frequent damage to the paintwork.
- Technical. Installing a plastic hood with an air intake will help provide more intensive engine cooling, which is important for the hot seasons of the year.
- Aesthetic. Installing a plastic hood will help change the appearance of the Gazelle without serious costs.
The hood for the Gazelle is produced by several manufacturers. There are several main directions that modify the appearance of the element:
- Restyled version. Suggests a more muscular midsection. This option is produced at the plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
- The hood has an air intake and side “predatory” slits, simulating additional slots for air passage.
The direction considered relevant is when the hood is installed unpainted, or a plastic surface. Among the disadvantages of a plastic hood is the unevenness of the resulting gaps in the body. It should be noted that there are no fundamental differences in installing a plastic hood on a Gazelle.
Tuning the Gazelle interior or cabin
There is probably no greater scope for possible work than modernizing the interior of a Gazelle.
- Replacing hard, uncomfortable seats.
- Installation of softer, possibly in a new color, upholstery of the instrument panel. Changing the appearance of the central tunnel.
- Replacement of interior body panels.
Carrying out tuning of the interior should begin with determining the budget. If finances are limited, then first of all it is worth replacing the steering wheel with a steering wheel with a plumper rim. In practice, a two-tone steering wheel is often used, with the center pad being brighter.
A current option for improvement would be to cover the gray plastic parts of the center console with a more practical leatherette, Alcantara.
With greater financial resources, the central panel is modified by installing drawers and decorating the air duct openings.
For a passenger car, it is worth changing the interior lighting by equipping the passage with LED lamps. Installing LED strips has a number of undeniable advantages:
- Easy to install.
- Low power consumption.
- Long service life.
- Soft light of any color.
In practice, they most often provide lighting for the passage of the passenger compartment of the Sobol model or minibuses, the exit step, the driver’s workplace and the passenger’s glove box.
When installing LEDs, it is necessary to provide the ability to control the LEDs separately, or to link their operation to the vehicle’s ignition system.
Chip tuning Gazelle
We can highlight the following problematic issues in the operation of the Gazelle engine:
- Difficulties in operation when the engine spins up quickly.
- Floating speed of the power unit.
- Lack of traction at low and medium speeds.
It is advisable to carry out engine tuning when the car is constantly used in city traffic, when the car is operating under load. As practice shows, Gazelka behaves more confidently after boosting in this way when overtaking on the highway.
It is advisable to carry out chip tuning at a service station. Moreover, the cost of such work will not exceed several thousand rubles.
Gazelle engine tuning
The imperfect design of the base M-402 engine requires a number of measures to improve it technically:
- Installing a weighted flywheel. Allows you to slightly increase engine torque.
- Replacing the air filter with a zero-resistance design. This allows you to increase motor power by up to 10%.
- Carrying out additional “sealing” of the motor. The M-402 engine is characterized by the frequent occurrence of oil leaks, so additional lubrication of the gaskets with sealant, as well as replacing the gaskets with similar parts made from cork, will be relevant for the old Gazelle.
- Finalization.
The last operation involves removing the standard fan from the motor and simultaneously replacing it with an electrical modification. Usually, to move the car, the cooling system effectively copes with cooling by pumping antifreeze in a large circle. In high load mode, the electric fan will turn on.
For this purpose, equipment is installed on the engine according to the following diagram, the electrical connector of which is intended for connection to the points:
- Pin 85 – to the “plus” of the ignition switch.
- We connect wire 30 through a fuse to the “plus” of the battery.
- Pin 86 – to the temperature sensor.
- We connect wire 87 to ground.
After finishing work, you need to check the correct direction of the air flow that should go to the engine. Otherwise, the positive wire and ground are swapped.
A current type of modification to the power unit on the Gazelle is the installation of a hydraulic vacuum clutch booster. When working on delivery modifications such as “Farmer” or as urban transport, drivers often complained of pain in the knee joints from frequent pressing of the pedal.
To modernize the unit, you can use an amplifier from classic VAZ models, which are more suitable in size for the GAZelle engine compartment. It is necessary to take into account that at the same time you will have to change the expansion tank of the cooling system. In this case, a good replacement would be the same part from.
Tuning headlights for Gazelle
The efficiency of the headlight can also be increased. At the same time, vehicle safety is also improved by installing LED running lights.
Replacing standard headlights with larger ones offers the largest number of different tuning options. However, if a large number of different options are offered for new headlights, they prefer not to modernize headlights that were 15 years old. But installing new headlights will require significant modifications to the front end, which is not always justified. Therefore, sometimes restoring the luminosity of the headlight may be sufficient.
A possible simple tuning option would be the following Gazelle update:
- We replace glass diffusers. At the same time, you can use LED strips, which are secured with conventional gluing. Instead of installing LEDs, you can embed running lights into the bumper as a separate element.
- We line the headlight reflectors with suitable sheet metal or special foil.
- We replace the standard orange direction indicators with similar devices with white optics.
- We carefully seal the headlight.
- We install the headlights in place, connect the LEDs, and adjust the headlights.
Bumper tuning
A simple option for tuning an old-style Gazelle can be a more modern model. Possible values for such a replacement could include:
- Improved airflow to the cooling radiator.
- Possibility of harmoniously incorporating fog lights into the front end architecture.
- Changing the aerodynamic resistance of the car as a whole.
- Change in appearance.
As a rule, the cost of even models made of high-quality plastic does not exceed several thousand rubles. The bumper can be chosen to match the body color or unpainted.
Carrying out tuning of an old-style Gazelle is not only an opportunity to improve the comfort indicators and technical capabilities of the car, but also a necessity caused by the length of use of the car.
Upgrading a car's interior is intended primarily to improve functionality, create a unique style and increase comfort. The Gazelle is the most popular commercial vehicle in Russia, and each owner tries to decorate or improve the interior of their car in their own way.
1 When is interior tuning necessary?
Tuning is a rather broad concept, since even small changes, such as new floor mats or seat covers, can change the interior decoration and are considered elements of interior tuning. The convenience of such changes is that they can be easily carried out with your own hands, without the help of specialists or any equipment. But if we are talking about a complete and serious tuning of the Gazelle’s interior, it will require investments of certain financial resources and time.
In any case, tuning is always interesting and exciting, and if you combine it with competent changes in the “appearance” of this truck, you can achieve excellent results and significantly distinguish your vehicle from other road users. DIY, includes many changes, but it’s worth talking about the most popular and useful!
2 Popular directions for tuning Gazelle
The most popular changes among owners are such changes as reupholstering various elements in the car interior. This means changing the instrument panel, seats, reupholstering the headliner and side door trim with leather, suede or other fabric. As a rule, it is quite difficult to reupholster the interior yourself; to do this, it is better to contact special tuning centers, where all the necessary changes will be made efficiently and correctly.
No less popular in the process of modernizing the interior of a Gazelle is the complete replacement of standard elements, most often this means installing a sportier and more comfortable steering wheel and sports seats.
Some owners prefer to install additional functions in the cabin, such as a heated steering wheel or connecting seat ventilation, which is not included even in the most expensive equipment of the Gazelle model. Installing special lighting equipment, as well as improved acoustics and additional video monitors, can give the interior of this car a truly stylish, attractive and modern look.
3 Additional changes – additional comfort
This vehicle is classified as commercial, which means that it is used every day in various weather and climatic conditions. An important detail in modernizing and tuning the interior in this case is the additional interior heater. Due to the design flaws of the standard heater, an additional heater with an electric pump is installed in the “stove”, which allows you to feel completely comfortable in the cold season.
A huge drawback in the Gazelle is its rather poor sound insulation, which is often noticed by many drivers. To change this, we begin high-quality interior tuning by installing additional sound insulation. Experts use materials such as vibroplast or modelin; with their help, they can significantly improve the sound insulation of the Gazelle’s interior and thereby increase overall comfort. If we are talking about older truck models, then it would not be a bad idea to replace the standard multimedia system with a modern on-board computer, which is also an important element of internal tuning.
It is worth saying a few words about installing additional lighting in the interior. Most often, additional lighting is installed in the car doors, in the glove box or directly on the instrument panel, and you can install lights of various colors, which, along with various small accessories, such as pedal pads, an armrest, an updated gear shift knob or new rugs will allow you to create your own style and unique design.