When tuning a car, many car owners do not stop at installing alloy wheels, various body kits and adding spoilers. To add individuality to the vehicle, some car owners decide to equip the car with doors that open vertically instead of conventional doors. Such cars, whose doors open upward, always evoke admiring glances.
To install the lambo structure, it is necessary to alter the door mounting points. You can solve this problem on your own.
What types of lambo doors are there?
For the first time, the vertical principle of opening car doors was presented by Italian automakers more than half a century ago in one of the concept cars. The Lambo design was named after the Lamborghini company, whose engineers first developed a special door hinge. One part of the hinge is fixed in the corresponding part of the body with the help of fastening bolts, and the other holds the raised doors open.
Cars with doors that open upward have gained popularity among fans of “cool” tuning who want to make their car look like a sports car. Automatic Lambo doors are mounted on special hinges that secure the doors in the open state, regardless of their angular position.
Cars with doors that open upwards have gained popularity.
This design has several names - guillotine doors, scissor doors or lambo doors, and includes the following components:
- door panels. You can use standard doors or buy factory ones complete with hinges. It is easy to strengthen the corresponding part of the door, screw a purchased or homemade hinge to it and, as a result of using “original” doors, save money;
- hinges with attached gas-filled shock absorbers. Thanks to the action of shock absorbers, the operation of the hinge mechanism is softened, the amount of force applied to the door handle is reduced, and the door opens smoothly.
Existing lambo devices are divided into the following types:
- mechanisms in standard design. They provide a door leaf rotation angle of up to 130 degrees. The main advantage of the design is the possibility of comfortable entry into the car. The main disadvantage is the problematic use in domestic cars;
- VLS type doors. This is a classic solution for tuning cars. The opening process is carried out in two stages. Initially, the canvas opens as in conventional machines, and then rotates in a vertical plane. This design frees up the car frame and door pillar;
- hybrid design. A distinctive feature is the ability to rotate in a horizontal plane, as well as rotate the sashes vertically. The advantage of the design is versatility and ease of opening, the disadvantage is increased cost.
Fastening of special hinges is carried out both using electric welding and by bolting. The design of the hinges allows you to install Lambo doors on almost any car model.
Existing Lambo devices are divided into several varieties
What are car bodies made of?
Steel
The main body parts are made of steel, aluminum alloys, plastics and glass. Moreover, preference is given to low-carbon sheet steel with a thickness of 0.65. 2 mm. Thanks to the use of the latter, it was possible to reduce the total weight of the vehicle and increase body rigidity. This is due to its high mechanical strength, non-scarcity, ability for deep drawing (parts of complex shapes can be obtained), and manufacturability of joining parts by welding.
The disadvantages of auto steel are its high density and low corrosion resistance, which requires complex measures to protect against corrosion.
Advantages
Flaws
What's in the future
Aluminum
Aluminum alloys began to be used for the manufacture of automobile bodies relatively recently. Aluminum is used in the manufacture of the entire body or its individual parts - hood, doors, trunk lid.
Aluminum alloys are used in limited quantities. Since the strength and rigidity of these alloys is lower than that of steel, the thickness of the parts has to be increased and a significant reduction in body weight cannot be achieved. In addition, the sound insulation capacity of aluminum parts is lower than that of steel, and more complex measures are required to achieve the acoustic performance of the body.
The initial stage of manufacturing an aluminum body is similar to that of a steel body. The parts are first stamped from a sheet of aluminum, then assembled into a whole structure. Welding is used in an argon environment, connections with rivets and/or using special glue, laser welding. Also, body panels are attached to the steel frame, which is made of pipes of different sections.
pros
Minuses
Fiberglass and plastics
The name fiberglass refers to any fibrous filler that is impregnated with polymer resins. The most well-known fillers are carbon, fiberglass and Kevlar.
External body panels are made from fiberglass, which ensures a significant reduction in vehicle weight. Seat cushions, backrests, and shockproof pads are made from polyurethane. A relatively new direction is the use of this material for the manufacture of wings, hoods, and trunk lids.
Polyvinyl chlorides are used for the manufacture of many shaped parts (instrument panels, handles) and upholstery materials (fabrics, mats). Headlight housings, steering wheels, partitions and much more are made from polypropylene. ABS plastics are used for various facing parts.
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The principle of operation of Lambo doors
Doors that open upwards function quite simply:
- first, a horizontally directed force is applied to the door handle;
- then the leaf rotates 25-30 degrees, as in ordinary doors;
- after this, the canvas begins to rotate upward by 90 degrees or more;
- at the final stage of the opening cycle, the door takes a vertical position.
The secret to how a swing door works lies in the well-designed hinge design.
Results
Reupholstering a door card is a difficult but real task that requires minimal skills and expense. If desired, you can optimize the process and make the cladding in the form of relief diamonds. In this case, foam rubber with a thickness of about 5 mm is glued under the skin.
The diamond shape is formed by creating a seam on a sewing machine. In a similar way, you can make another shape and even a simple drawing. But in most cases, a simple reupholstery is enough without additional frills.
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Pros and cons of an opening door
When planning to install Lambo doors on a VAZ 2114 or another car model, you need to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of such doors.
Main advantages:
- ensuring the original appearance of the car;
- the ability to drive with the door open;
- Convenience of parking when there is not enough space;
- possibility of self-installation.
Along with the advantages, there are disadvantages:
- the need to increase the height of the garage to open the doors;
- additional costs for re-equipping the machine.
It is also important to be careful when operating the swing door and open it carefully so as not to deform the hinges.
Lambo devices have many advantages
Selecting a skin
The next step in reupholstering a car door panel is choosing the appropriate trim. The car owner or mechanic has the following options:
An additional option is to use a special fabric used to reupholster the ceiling of the car. When choosing, special attention should be paid to density and appearance. The cost of such products is affordable for everyone.
Purchased and self-made hinges
In order to tune a car, you will need to make Lambo hinges yourself or buy ready-made ones. It is advisable to first find out how much Lambo hinges cost in order to estimate the possible cost.
Making Lambo hinges for fastening doors
If you have the skills to perform plumbing work, you can try to make Lambo hinges with your own hands. To do this, you will need to find a drawing of a hinge suitable for a specific car model and purchase the necessary materials. You will need sheet metal and a gas shock absorber with the required rod length and load capacity.
Sheet steel
Most bodies are made from sheet steel for a variety of reasons. The most important of these reasons are:
In general, the following
sheet steels :
The design and manufacturing technology of parts should be based on the maximum width of the supplied sheet steel (currently 2000 mm). For parts operating in a corrosively aggressive environment, galvanized sheet steel should be used, taking into account that during the manufacture of parts such steel does not allow large deformations (bending, slight stretching). In special cases, aluminized sheet steel can be used. Both surfaces of steel sheets can be subjected to special treatment.
How to make car doors open upwards - do-it-yourself installation
It is important to understand in detail how to make a Lambo door so that the hinge mechanism works smoothly and the doors fit snugly into the opening.
In order to install Lambo doors with your own hands, you will need to perform the following work:
You can install Lambo doors yourself
- draw up an action plan;
- make a swivel joint;
- dismantle the car fender;
- disconnect the wiring going to the door;
- remove the door leaves;
- try on the rotary joint at the installation location;
- strengthen the door pillar and the opening in the hinge fastening area;
- weld or bolt the hinges;
- attach the left and right doors to the hinges.
Let us dwell on the features of the main stages.
Drawing for universal Lambo hinges and other preparatory work
On specialized websites it is easy to find a ready-made sketch or diagram of a loop. You need to familiarize yourself with the drawing, transfer it to the metal, cut out the blank and fit it to the shape of the opening.
The material for assembling the mechanism is easy to purchase, and the tools for performing the work are always available in the arsenal of home craftsmen.
Installing and adjusting hinges on cars with doors that open upwards
Self-made or purchased hinges should be applied to the place of fixation and make sure that their size and shape match. If necessary, the mechanism should be adjusted. The loop can be secured using electric welding or ordinary bolts. It is worth giving preference to the second option, as it makes the adjustment easier.
Installation of car doors and door openers
Installing Lambo doors to a pre-attached hinge requires care. After screwing the door leaf, it is necessary to check how the hinge mechanism works, check the connection of the door to the seal and make sure that it can be opened easily. With an increased weight of the structure, additional reinforcement of the body will be required.
By performing work according to the specified algorithm, you can convert any car. For example, if you want to give a new image to an old V8, you can install Lambo doors on a VAZ 2108 with your own hands or turn to professionals for help. Experts will always help with practical advice and tell you how to avoid mistakes. You'll always be the center of attention as you step out of your car with the lift-up doors!
Car body manufacturing technology
It is interesting that the power plant of the car, if we take mass-produced models, has undergone more radical changes than the car body. I mean that various hybrids and fully electric cars have been mass-produced for a long time, while the technology of manufacturing the body, since they stopped using wood in the manufacture of body elements, remains practically unchanged, and is based on the use of metal, even aluminum.
At the same time, it naturally suggests itself that in the manufacture of the body, various composite materials are used using 3D printing, vacuum molding, and other modern technologies used in mass production, and not by artisanal enthusiasts or manufacturers of supercars such as Bugatti. For example, you can consider the option of printing the frame on a 3D printer (Fig. 1), and stamping the front panels (Fig. 2). With high-quality manufacturing of the front parts, it is possible to refuse to paint the body; I, of course, am not an expert in this field, but every day I see the absolutely glossy plastic surfaces of the Sven speaker system. At the same time, a variety of composite materials would make it possible to achieve unimaginable effects on the exterior of a car in relation to surface texture. Carbon fiber plastic, carbon fiber, carbon fiber seem to have come into use long ago, but the widespread use of these materials in automobile production has not yet been noticed.
Separately, you can consider the option of strengthening the body with polyurethane foam, which is already available in a heat-resistant version. If all parts of the car’s exterior, such as fenders, hood, roof and partly doors, are produced in a hollow version and the voids are filled with polyurethane foam, it is possible to obtain increased sound and thermal insulation of the interior and increase the structural strength of the car body, and, consequently, its safety.
It is clear that with well-established production, sales and servicing of cars, it is very difficult to change anything radically in this industry, and not everyone can dare to do this, Elon Musk can’t get enough of everything, but also progress, thrifty attitude towards resources and energy and competition should not be ignored.
Perhaps part of this is the fault of car buyers, who might not be so willing to part with money when choosing a car, and want something fundamentally new.
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Eighth tip
Plan your work steps in advance
Plan your work steps in advance
This will help you optimize the time you spend on construction a little by understanding in advance what you will do and in what order.
Find some free time and plan the stages of creating your motorhome, try drawing a design or choose a ready-made one on the Internet. This will help you understand what you want and how to do it.
Think about what you will need in the process of building a motorhome, what components, parts, fittings and spare parts you need. Because there is nothing worse when, during the construction process, you discover that some elements and parts are not in the required quantity.
It's good if you can break out and go to the store right now and buy the missing parts. But this will still take up time that you could spend on work. What if parts for a motorhome need to be ordered from Europe or China? Your work will be paralyzed for two or three weeks, your project will become covered in dust, you will scold yourself for not thinking everything through in advance. As a result, your excitement and enthusiasm fade away and the chances increase that your motorhome will never be completed.
Third tip
Understand your travel style in advance
Understand your travel style in advance
A lot depends on this. There is no way to make your motorhome ideal for all types of travel. We all travel differently: some travel more around cities and perhaps even stay overnight in the city, while others, on the contrary, prefer to spend time in the wilderness and not see people.
The sooner you understand which style of travel is most attractive to you, the better you can make your motorhome special. This primarily concerns people who have previously traveled by motorhome and imagine this type of vacation.
When you don't clearly understand the future use of your motorhome, you may face unexpected consequences. It may turn out that you are not at all interested in standing in one place for several days, so your expensive and huge system responsible for the autonomy of your mobile home is simply not useful to you.
If you are a supporter of traveling around cities and do not plan to stay without civilization for a long time, you may not need solar panels or any powerful batteries for the camper at all. Install an electrical outlet and that will be enough.
Or vice versa - you collect a small house, thinking that it will be enough for your trips, but you go with it to the seashore for a week. And then the understanding comes that you don’t have enough water or space for food in your house, and a few solar panels could do with it
It is very important to share your travel style and understand what exactly you are interested in getting from this project. Whatever type of recreation you are interested in, this is the kind of motorhome you need to build.
Ninth tip
Decide on the design of your motorhome
Decide on the design of your motorhome
For many people, building a motorhome themselves becomes a favorite hobby. Besides this, they take care of their work, family, meet friends and travel. In this case, creating a mobile home can take a long time.
It's completely normal to slowly build a camper over the course of a year or two. But don’t forget that your tastes and preferences change as you work. You may like something new, you may be inspired by an idea you picked up from other DIYers. You may implement all the ideas that come up perfectly, but will they look good together? Will you turn your motorhome into a circus trailer, into a clown's house, with its varied style solutions? Using such a motorhome, like the rings of a tree, it will be possible to track the time and state you were in when you made this part of the motorhome.
Here is wood and metal, here is PVC and tile panels, here are just white panels, here is painted plywood, here is oiled plywood, here is a dark color, and here are pastel shades. Don’t turn your camper into something like this, stick to the same style in choosing materials and fittings and the result will please you.
What is it for?
With the help of such tuning, different goals are achieved. This means getting rid of noise, drafts, improving acoustics, etc. The metal thickness of the doors is the smallest in the entire body. The material resonates with sounds, vibrates, and does not interfere with extraneous noise. At the same time, the total area is significant, so their lining is the first place to start insulating the interior.
Elimination of external noise
This is one of the main reasons why doors “make noise” - this is what common people call sound insulation. If the car does not receive sounds from the street while driving, such as people, other equipment, animals, industrial enterprises, or other sources, then the driver feels more comfortable. His attention is focused on the road and driving, he is not distracted and at the same time feels comfortable.
Getting rid of extraneous squeaks and rattles
The creaks and rattles that your own car makes can also irritate and distract the driver. Soundproofing in this case does not solve the problem, but it will help not to be distracted by noise until it is completely eliminated.
Eliminating excessive drafts in cars
There are technological holes in the door. They are usually covered with sheathing and do not create drafts. But if cracks appear somewhere, or the sheathing no longer fits tightly, then an additional layer of insulation is installed.
Improved door closing
When closing car doors, they begin to vibrate, and sometimes it is not possible to close them the first time. The introduction of additional layers of insulation makes the structure heavier. As a result, it snaps into place on the first try, without rattling or vibration.
Improving the sound of music in cars
When soundproofing doors to improve the sound quality of music in a car, many try to turn the structure into a completely closed “box”. But this is impossible. There are drain holes, a gap for the side glass, and the walls themselves are not rigid enough. If you want to improve acoustics, the main thing is to get rid of resonances. They are the ones who form extraneous sounds and distort the signal reproduced by the speaker.
Fifth tip
Get some decent tools
Get some decent tools
A decent tool improves the quality of work, speeds it up and makes building a motorhome easier, especially for those who are doing it for the first time.
You most likely have a poor understanding of what and how to do it if this is your first homemade mobile home. You constantly have to redo something, come up with new solutions, and here it would be completely inappropriate to struggle with the tool.
A bad tool will take the fun out of building your RV. And this is a very important factor because if you don’t get a result that pleases you, you risk abandoning the project without finishing it.
Yes, a tool will cost money and will increase your camper budget, but a good tool is an investment in your life and in your future projects. Having finished your mobile home, you will definitely decide to remodel something in it after some time. For example, cutting down a shelf that doesn’t fit or installing a new system. You will be much freer in such small modifications if you have a good tool.
Fourth tip
When planning your project budget, multiply it by two. Or better yet, three
When planning your project budget, multiply it by two. Or better yet, three
Very few of us can correctly calculate the cost estimate for such a complex project as building a mobile home ourselves. It is especially difficult for those who have never been involved in the construction of furniture or construction work.
It seems very easy to count expensive components: a battery for 20,000 rubles, a refrigerator for a motorhome for 50,000 rubles, a dry closet for 7,000, a window for your motorhome for 30,000, a sunroof for a camper for 10,000, plus plywood for 10 000 and another 5,000 for small expenses. Here is the estimate - 132,000 rubles, we can start.
But believe me, it won't happen like that. In practice, it turns out that all sorts of little things eat up more money than you can even imagine. For example, let’s take ordinary hinges for all kinds of wall cabinets. They cost only 150-200 rubles, but the thing is that you need several of them for each door, and you have 10 cabinets. It turns out that these are already 20 hinges and 2,000 rubles have flown out of your pocket. Also, these cabinets need handles, that will cost you another 1,000.
This also applies to the electrical system in your camper. You can't just take a battery and connect two wires to it. There will be a lot of little things, for example, USB sockets for 300 rubles, good wires for 200 rubles per meter, all sorts of safety blocks, circuit breakers. And then you don’t notice how you enter the store and leave it, having lost another 50,000 rubles.
The same thing happens in a plumbing store when you buy all sorts of fittings, taps, faucets, pipes and tools to cut and crimp it all. Whoosh! At least 10,000 rubles have flown out of your wallet. And then you will want camping chairs and a table, a hammock, a flashlight. The money just goes somewhere, expenses grow, and the realization comes that the budget you were counting on has already been exhausted, and your motorhome is not even half ready yet. So make sure you have a double budget.
Seventh tip
Don't think that everything will be done quickly
Don't think that everything will be done quickly
People are usually quite optimistic when it comes to building a motorhome with their own hands. But if you have not dealt with furniture production, construction, electrical work, etc., then most likely you greatly overestimate your capabilities and speed of work.
Get ready for the fact that building a house on wheels will not be quick. And if you have a month left before your trip, you most likely won't have enough time to build a motorhome. Believe me, it’s like that for everyone!
Sixth tip
Consider storage spaces in your motorhome
Consider storage spaces in your motorhome
A common mistake of all travelers is to pack three pairs of trousers, several pairs of shoes, eight shirts, caps and stuff like that on a trip. But spend the whole week wearing the same shorts and T-shirt.
This problem triples when you have room for that extra luggage. Do you really need to carry that much stuff with you? Take a sober look at things and evaluate amount of storage space and luggage required
Don’t try to make large luggage compartments on the principle of “what if it comes in handy”, you will make a very serious mistake: you will take away useful space, and space is the most important thing in your motorhome.
When you start traveling, you realize that you don’t use half the things you took with you. Watch video reviews of people who travel in large motorhomes. They often don’t open their drawers and say that we don’t fit in here, but we don’t use this.
Basically, you don't need too many things to travel. Go on a trip and see what you use and what you find less important.
Second tip
Keep your project simple
Keep your project simple
In principle, the second advice follows from the first. Believe me, you don’t need all the best and most ideal. Besides, there is no ideal.
When you start traveling, you will understand that many systems could be made much simpler and you do not need the functionality that is offered by all sorts of special monitors with a bunch of parameters (such as Truma iNet or Dometic Connect), settings and other things.
You will understand that you do not want to waste time on complex systems with a bunch of locks for opening drawers and doors. You will want everything to be simple and work properly. Believe me, you most likely will not need eight types of sofa transformations and super-swivel chairs for passengers and the driver. Don’t waste time on nonsense, decide what the goal is - the process of building a house or traveling with it, when operating your motorhome is just a means to an end.
First tip
Don't try to make your project perfect right from the start.
Don't try to make your project perfect right from the start.
The fact is that most of us are fairly inexperienced builders, especially on such rare projects. People try to think through all the possible scenarios for using their home in their head and find the ideal options for everything that needs to be placed inside the motorhome.
We advise you to start using your motorhome right during construction, that is, make some necessary minimum set of comfortable conditions for travel and use it in real life. This will not only immediately show all the shortcomings of the layout you have chosen, but will also set a more accurate direction for your entire future construction.
Of course, there is a certain basic set of functionality that you want to have in any mobile home. This is, first of all, a good sleeping place, some kind of kitchen for preparing food (outside or inside the motorhome), some kind of sitting place where you can relax and eat, perhaps work, do something or read.
You can make this set in a fairly short period of time. Depending on your abilities, this will take from a week to a month, but this step-by-step approach to creating a mobile home will definitely be faster.
Such a half-finished design will not only help you have a good time on a short trip, but will also be a good test for your ideas, which you are gradually implementing. Based on the results of such testing, you can understand what changes need to be made to the design, layout, what equipment should be, and you will save a lot of time and money. By using your motorhome in real life, you will come to the right decisions faster.
This approach will also allow you to travel, and having a pleasant time adds motivation and a desire to improve and complete your project as quickly as possible.
Classification
Depending on the type of installation, the following model drawings are distinguished:
The variety of mechanisms and possibilities of how many degrees the doors open has led to the existence of the following mechanisms:
Owners of domestically produced cars can install a similar mechanism. Many people are interested in how much effort it takes and how much it costs. If you have the skills of a turner-milling machine, have a friend with experience in this field, and also purchased the necessary materials yourself, then production will cost you several thousand rubles (purchased Lambo doors cost several tens of thousands, which is an exorbitant amount for a domestic car). Plus, due to the location of the hinges on domestic cars, you won't need to make a lot of adjustments to get the doors to open upwards.
Soundproofing methods
All options have different implementation technology. Which method to choose is a personal matter for everyone.
Minimum
Its purpose is to reduce the level of noise coming from outside. Not suitable for using serious acoustics in a car. Advantages: ease of installation, low price. All that is required is to glue the door with a continuous layer of material. Thickness – minimum 2 mm. The surface of the door card is covered. The isolate layer also acts as protection against dust and water. This method is often chosen for soundproofing front doors.
Average
Used to reduce the level of noise coming from outside, as well as to improve the sound of the speaker system. Advantages – optimal price-quality ratio. Installation is more labor-intensive than in the first case. A vibration isolation layer is applied. The second layer is noise insulation. Additionally, it is recommended to install an acoustic lens.
An acoustic lens is a special device that resembles an optical lens in appearance, but is made of different materials. It focuses the sound wave and prevents it from dissipating. As a result, the sound is clearer and louder.
Maximum
Used to improve the sound of a powerful sound system with speakers in the doors. Eliminating sounds from outside does not play a fundamental role, but this problem is solved automatically. The procedure involves more steps than the minimum and average. Let's list all the layers of such sound insulation:
To soundproof the door panels, a layer of vibration-proofing material is laid. Speakers are also installed.
Extreme
It is installed for powerful acoustics. Advantages - complete isolation from all extraneous sounds, the purest sound possible. This makes the door much heavier. Stages of gluing car doors:
Vibration- and noise-absorbing thick materials are also used to process door cards.
