Tuning a gazelle with your own hands, remodeling the interior and appearance, photo

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.

Exterior

Owners often start upgrading by installing an alternative body kit. For this purpose, an updated front bumper is used. It is usually made of special plastic. The element is equipped with slots for anti-fog elements. In special retail outlets you can find an analogue adapted for old type fasteners, which makes it easier to install it yourself. The color is selected depending on the overall color scheme of the car. In addition, lovers of innovations install plastic linings on the body, as well as decorative sills.

Eh, roads...

We've studied the theory, looked around the cabin, and it's time to go free. Let me remind you that our test included vans with permanent all-wheel drive “Gazelle” GAZ-27057-288 and “Sobol” GAZ-27527-298. And if upon initial inspection these cars are almost identical, then in motion the “all-wheel drive” vehicles are significantly different, even though both cars have a similar gross weight (the GAZelle Business is only 30 kg lighter) and are equipped with the same UMZ-4216 engines.

The gasoline engine produces 107 hp. For dynamic driving in a rear-wheel drive GAZelle, it is quite enough, but in the 4x4 version, things are different. All-wheel drive simply eats up some of the power, and the GAZelle 4x4 accelerates slowly and laboriously. The engine has to be cranked to the “red zone” and only then switched. The noise of the transmission is constantly annoying, which appears already at a speed of 40–50 km/h. In general, the GAZelle’s permanent all-wheel drive has completely discredited itself on asphalt. I honestly didn't like the car while driving, and the only fault was the old transmission.

In Sobol, the load on the all-wheel drive system is also high, but the car obediently responds to pressing the gas pedal, the hum of the axles and transfer case appears only after 80 km/h - for an untested domestic all-wheel drive, this is a good result. The engine easily spins up to 4000 rpm, and if desired, you can speed up the Sobol. The payload of a van with a single tire tire is only 800 kg, so we can say with confidence that the power of the Euro 3 UMZ-4216 engine is quite enough for the Sobol.

There are other significant differences between the Nizhny Novgorod “brothers”. Despite all-wheel drive, the Sobol retained a large turning angle of the front wheels and was convenient to maneuver, which cannot be said about the GAZelle 4x4, which has a turning circle of 15 m versus 12 m for the Sobol. At the same time, the wheelbase of the latter is shorter by only 14 cm.

Tuning the Gazelle Farmer interior

To make steering easier, many owners replace the standard steering wheel with a sports version, which is more comfortable and smaller. In addition, the appearance of this steering wheel is pleasing. Another addition is the installation of beautiful, practical covers that prevent the skin from deformation and contamination. The seats are not completely changed often. As an option, you can install a driver's seat from a foreign car.

Tuning of the Gazelle Farmer interior (photo below) is also carried out in the rear row of seats. This could be the installation of an additional table. Other innovations in the interior include: installation of a modern music system with high-quality speakers, wood-look panel trim, LED lighting, and variations in replacing the steering wheel braid. To enhance sound insulation, the interior is dismantled and new elements are installed to provide better protection from extraneous noise and vibrations.

“All the best for children”

The interior of the GAZelle has also noticeably changed (it is almost no different from the sable one). The new dashboard, designed by EDAG, looks nice. Plastic of two colors is pleasant to the touch. The quality of finishing materials has been brought up to that of Korea, which is a definite plus in the case of Nizhny Novgorod vans. The instrument cluster with silver “wells” is laconic, but the readings are easy to read both in daylight and at night - the driver has the ability to adjust the intensity of the instrument illumination. The new steering wheel has a comfortable grip and is equipped with radio control keys. Yes, yes, I was not mistaken. As standard, vans are equipped with an MP3 player with a USB input for a flash drive. This is an attraction of unprecedented generosity! Not to mention the electrically heated mirrors.

The seven-seat cargo-passenger Sobol is equipped with an additional heater for second-row passengers. Now the frosts are not scary. In summer, you can create a comfortable microclimate in the rear with the help of sliding windows and an additional sunroof.

Now about the disadvantages. They are not so significant, but the overall positive impression is somewhat blurred. First of all, the flimsiness of some parts is surprising. For example, retractable cup holders are made of small plastic parts that fall apart the first time they are used. In our test, the cup holder couldn't handle a half-liter bottle of water and broke within a few hours. It's a shame? Certainly.

A similar situation with the ashtray. It is made more for show and in the open position is completely non-functional. Cigarette butts will simply fall out as you go. A small thing, but unpleasant.

The passenger sofa also remained unchanged. The back of the sofa is not adjustable and is located almost vertically. On a long journey this creates a lot of inconvenience. And if the driver’s seat can be called comfortable, then you won’t envy your fellow travelers. Moreover, part of the passenger legroom is eaten up by archaic downshift levers and differential locks. Not only are they inconvenient to use, but they also interfere with the second passenger.

Van technical characteristics

Hatch installation

When tuning the Gazelle Farmer, pay attention to equipping the car’s roof with a hatch. It can be of a mechanical type or equipped with an electric drive. This detail will not hurt even if the car has air conditioning. The element is mounted on the roof, as well as in the upper part of the all-metal body. Its main drawback is that the hatch can leak.

However, there are many more advantages, namely:

• Makes the interior brighter.
• In hot weather, the inside of the car is cooled, while the wind does not blow from the road.
• Minimal noise level, unlike lowered side windows.
• Inside, the space visually becomes more spacious.

The basic rule when choosing a hatch is to accurately select its dimensions and compare them with the cutout on the roof. If everything is done carefully and correctly, the element will please the owner and will not leak.

Roof spoiler

There are car enthusiasts who believe that the fairing on the roof of the GAZ 3302 is installed for beauty. The spoiler may be a decoration, but first of all it is intended to improve the technical characteristics of the car. With the fairing, 5-10% of fuel is saved, and the car becomes more stable on the highway. And this is not an advertisement for a product at all - the spoiler is actually a useful improvement for the Gazelle.

It is especially effective on vans or tall Gazelles, where the resistance to oncoming air flow is quite high. It is the fairing that reduces resistance to headwinds.

Powertrain and gearbox

Engine modernization is a particularly important part of tuning the Gazelle Farmer, which makes it possible to obtain a more dynamic and powerful engine. The most basic modification of this unit is the installation of a filter element with zero resistance. This will add about five horsepower to the power of the unit. Other elements of engine modernization include updating the exhaust system (installation of a resonator and a direct-flow muffler), as well as the use of a sports-type exhaust pipe on the engine. The installation of gas equipment can also be considered a vehicle modernization.

Gas consumption does not decrease, but savings are observed due to the difference in prices in favor of gas. The effect of HBO is noted by all owners of the cars in question; its payback is no more than a year, depending on the operating load on the car. Some motorists seek to replace the standard engine with a more modern domestic or foreign analogue. They try to install imported diesel engines in commercial cars, which are characterized by good power and efficiency. The most popular models: TD27 from Nissan, volume 2.7 liters, as well as the Japanese 1KZ (Toyota, volume 3 liters). Among gasoline analogues, the following modifications are most often used: 1KZ (3.4), 1UZ (4.0). When replacing an internal combustion engine, it would not be superfluous to install a new gearbox.

Plastic hood

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 Farmer tuning

All the operations described above to improve the performance of a car can be carried out independently, having the appropriate tools and minimal skills in arranging a vehicle. Among other manipulations to improve the car yourself is the installation of body kits, bumpers, and guardrails. In addition, energy-efficient LED lamps are installed in the lighting elements. The car is also painted in original colors, ranging from standard metallic to airbrushing of any configuration.

Interesting Facts

Tuning "Gazelle Farmer Next" may involve dramatic changes. For example, at one of the exhibitions an original convertible was presented. The vehicle was converted from a Gazelle by cutting off the all-metal body and installing seats for passengers in the body. This modification is quite suitable for resort regions with warm climates.

In addition, hearses, mobile laboratories, cash-in-transit vehicles, and insulated vans were made from domestic cars. Refinement is carried out both by private individuals and specialized workshops.

External tuning

For a commercial vehicle to look stylish, it needs external tuning. Factory bumpers don’t look too good even on the Gazelle Business, so an alternative body kit will perfectly decorate the car’s body.

External tuning of the Gazelle truck
It’s a good idea to install a kangaroo guard on the “front” - it looks good, and in the event of a head-on collision, it will to some extent protect the car and its passengers. By the way, the body kit also includes running boards, which can be mounted both on the thresholds of the cab and in the lower part of the all-metal body of the GAZ 2705 - on the sides and on the side of the rear hinged doors.