Tuning Moskvich 2140: what can be done to modernize the car

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Moskvich 2140 is not just a legend, but a super-legend. An example, a standard of automobile construction in Soviet times. The machine is simply a long-lived conveyor. I didn’t leave the production stage for a very long time. It was in great demand and popularity. Nowadays, of course, Moskvich 2140 has confidently moved into the category of respected and revered rarities. But good advice, if you come across a used Muscovite in good condition, don’t hesitate, buy it, you won’t regret it! The machine is of very high quality, made of real metal, not plastic as is customary now, and the price is low.

Despite the light weight, the grandfather of Sovavtoprom had a very powerful engine. It is worth paying special attention to its chassis. On Moskvich2, for the first time for that time, new types of parts were tested, due to which the car had a lower landing compared to its fellow tribesmen, and the center of gravity was concentrated as much as possible on the front axle. As a consequence of this, on sharp turns the car leaned to one side, and after passing the turn it automatically returned to the position it was in before. This know-how brought enormous popularity among the youth of that time, especially the so-called “golden youth”, children of partocrats and officials. Moskvich 2140 Lux was the favorite car of presidents and party leaders, and pop stars.

External tuning

Do-it-yourself tuning of the Moskvich 2140 begins with improving the body characteristics. The car body undergoes a major overhaul and only after that it will be improved. An air intake scoop is installed on the hood, which will further cool the engine.

External body kit and plastic thresholds can be purchased at the store or made yourself from fiberglass. Installation of the front and rear bumpers is carried out on the standard mounts of the Moskvich 2140 car. Tuning (photos presented in the article) made of fiberglass is considered optimal, since the cost of the material is low, and it is easy to work with it, even if the parts are made by hand.

Exterior modernization: features of the work being carried out

In order to make a car truly unique, its body must be modified. There is simply a huge amount of work that can be done to make the body more attractive. Most often, ready-made kits are purchased, which are produced by tuning companies. These kits include:

• Body kit.
• Front or rear bumper. In many ways, the style of the car depends on the design features of the installed bumpers. In this case, the front one may have built-in fog lights, which increase the degree of illumination of the road when driving at night.
• The skirt is installed in order to make the car appear to have a lowered suspension. At the same time, it is made from a more plastic material than a bumper.
• Various types of overlays. In order to make the body more complex in appearance, various types of linings are installed, which can also be painted in the color of the car.
• Head optics and rear lights.

The advantages of a ready-made set include the following points:

1. Real designers are involved in the production of the set, who make the car more attractive.
2. The finished sets are of high quality, as they are manufactured using modern technologies.
3. Making a body kit yourself is quite difficult. We are talking about both the development of a unique design and the actual execution of the work.
4. Elements from a ready-made kit are easier to install.

Changing the body of the Moskvich involves more serious intervention, for example, welding on the wings or lengthening the rear to increase the luggage compartment. In addition, do not forget that the car has not been produced for quite a long period, the body is often in poor technical condition. Therefore, it is necessary to clean and repair corrosion. It is possible to receive bonuses without investment, and if there is one at the casino, it is a profitable, customer-oriented company. Thus, the Super Slots no deposit bonus for registration provides maximum benefit, and the result of its use is real money. You just need to familiarize yourself with the wagering conditions, this is the only way to achieve good profits.

Salon

If you decide to change the interior, then tuning the Moskvich 2140 begins with the car’s interior being completely disassembled. The instrument panel can be covered with a special colored film or replaced with an alternative one from Oper Vectra B.

When tuning 2140, the seats are covered with Alcantara fabric. The color range of this material allows you to choose the desired color to match the interior and exterior. Next comes the reupholstery of the ceiling and side pillars. The rear shelf where the speakers are mounted is being redone. The seats can be replaced with the same ones, but from another car.

The latest modification is the installation of a multimedia center and subwoofer in the luggage compartment.

Concept

Having finally made my way to the team, I managed to find out that the owner of this “Cosmic” (after all, it can rightfully be considered a cosmic one) is an Estonian racer, and part-time owner of the SILDREM Auto company, Alari Sillaste. He participates in the Estonian rally championship in the E9 class (cars with engines up to 1.6 liters and single-axle drive), and happily attended the Moscow rally show, demonstrating his project to the delight of Russian spectators.

Why did Alari choose Moskvich? The E9 class is considered “national” and traditionally includes such “folk” and affordable cars as Zhiguli, Honda Civic, Toyota Starlet, etc. But Alari’s car, they say, is the only rally Moskvich in the entire Baltics. To build a podium-capable 2140, the team had to work hard.

Engine

On a Moskvich 2140 car, engine tuning should be done completely, since the car is devoid of electronics, there are two modification options: the first is tuning the mechanical part, the second is a complete replacement of the power unit along with the gearbox.

In the first option, lightweight pistons, a camshaft, repair liners, valves with a thin chamfer, and enlarged seats are installed. All these modifications can be done with your own hands, with the exception of boring and honing the block. By installing a turbocharger, you can increase power by 10%, and if you add a water injection system through the carburetor, you can achieve 25% with fuel savings of 15%.

In the second option, an Opel 2-liter engine is installed in place of the old engine. This modification requires some modifications to the power, cooling and exhaust systems.

"Moskvich-2140 Lux" has the same technological procedure for tuning the engine, except that valves and seats cannot be replaced, since they are not commercially available. A way out of the situation may be to independently manufacture these parts on a lathe.

History of creation

By the mid-seventies, AZLK found itself in a difficult situation.

The basic model - Moskvich-412 - quickly became outdated. Attempts to develop a fundamentally new car, intermediate in class between the Moskvich and the Volga, were not successful due to lack of funding and a number of organizational problems (see articles Moskvich series 3-5 and Moskvich series C). Exports of "Muscovites" were rapidly declining. “Muscovites” were distinguished by a completely modern engine and, partly, chassis, but had an outdated body and archaic interior equipment.

The planned large-scale modernization of the base model was supposed to at least partially correct these shortcomings and “bring up” AZLK products to the level of VAZs, as well as somewhat revive exports.

Work began in 1975. From the very beginning, the body was modernized for both families - Moskvich-1500 and Moskvich-1360, which were a logical continuation of the well-known and long-produced models M−412 and M−408. The units and components of the base machines, with the exception of the engine and clutch, were identical.

The first production M-2140s began rolling off the assembly line in 1976. It is noteworthy that the transition from the Moskvich-412 model to the Moskvich-2140 was gradual - some cars of the earliest production retained some of the body panels and interior parts from the old model.

Later, after the start of production, the development of the “Lux” (SL) modification began, primarily aimed at export markets.

The designer Igor Zaitsev, who participated in its development, recalls in an interview with AutoReview magazine:

The original version of the 2140SL interior, designed by American specialists. At AZLK it was considered full of elementary ergonomic miscalculations[1] and was put into production only after extensive revision.

— Perhaps, it was on Lux that almost everything that could have been done was achieved. This project was first ordered in America. The Americans made a demonstration model of the interior, they brought gorgeous albums... True, it would not have been possible to reproduce such an interior in the series - there were many elementary ergonomic miscalculations. They paid 80 thousand dollars for this work. When our men found out, they were shocked: “If they had paid us at least 80 thousand rubles, we would have done this to them!” And then they did it. Only the door trims were left “American” - and those with modifications. Lux was made in cooperation with the Yugoslavs: they supplied us with components, and we paid with cars. The interior turned out nice to look at. It’s just a pity that few people are able to appreciate how much effort, knowledge, experience has been invested in it...[1]

Suspension

To improve the suspension, longitudinal thrust stabilizers are installed, which are made with your own hands on the Moskvich 2140. Tuning (photos of converted cars are presented below) is that it is necessary to replace all the shock absorbers with Zhiguli ones, and also install forged low springs to reduce the ground clearance.

In this case, wheels and tires are selected according to the bolt pattern. They can either increase or decrease ground clearance. The tuning version of the tires has a size of 185/60R15. Also, by replacing the hubs and installing a 5x100 bolt pattern, you can install chrome wheels, which will allow the car to always be stylish and recognizable.

What can be changed in the cabin: installing a heated seat system and a new dashboard

When considering what can be changed when tuning a car, we will pay attention to upgrading the interior. Interior tuning involves a relatively small investment. Very often, heated seats are installed, as well as the dashboard is replaced.

Heated seats can be organized using several methods:

• In the store you can find various pads that are placed on seats. Devices of this type can be powered from the on-board network or cigarette lighter. It is worth considering that a device powered by a cigarette lighter is less popular today, as it creates a significant load. As a rule, preference is given to systems that operate from the on-board network.
• Most often, the heating system is connected through an additional fuse to the ignition switch drive. An additional button is installed to control this function.

The dashboard can also be upgraded if necessary. The features of such work include the following points:

• The standard backlight is relatively low in efficiency. It is gloomy, poor quality, and in the dark it is impossible to read all the information.
• To change the design, you need a set of LEDs, which are the light source, double-sided tape for attaching it, glue and a set of screwdrivers for mounting the dashboard.

The work is carried out as follows:

1. Using screwdrivers, the structure is disassembled. In order to modernize the structure, it must first be removed.
2. The next step is to carefully remove the scale. At this stage, you should try to do everything so as not to move the arrows.
3. Next, double-sided tape is applied and the diode strip is attached. The diode light source has a relatively low power consumption, as well as a fairly high light output.
4. It is recommended to connect the light source through an additional block consisting of 40 condensates.
5. The scale is attached using glue. Make sure that all elements are securely fastened.

After completing the work in question, the structure is assembled and installed in its place. This type of modification takes a relatively small amount of time, and the costs are also minimal.

Brake system

Tuning "Moskvich" 2140 in the brake system is more than justified. As you know, all cars of this brand had a bad braking system. Replacing brake discs and pads will improve the quality of the brakes. Along the way, you will also have to replace the cylinders to make sure the brake part is perfect.

The parking brake is suitable from the manufacturer ATI, which has proven itself well in the domestic spare parts market. When installing the handbrake and cables, you won’t have to redo anything; you just need to install them instead of the standard parts.

Technique

“What’s unusual about the filling?” – you ask impatiently. Alari Sillaste says that almost everything has been improved in his 2140! Perhaps, only the body remains from the original Moskvich, and even that, as you have already noticed, has been changed.

Let's take a look under the hood of this miracle. Oddly enough, the engine here is not native Ufa, and not from some foreign car, but from the classic Zhiguli VAZ-2106! The owner explained this choice simply. Firstly, initially the Moskvich, which was being prepared to participate in the rally, was purchased without an engine, and a native version could not be found in Estonia. Secondly, the employees of the Alari car service center have a fairly good understanding of VAZ engines from the time of the VFTS, and they have a large number of spare parts in stock. Naturally, the unit from the “six” did not remain standard. It was modified, but within the framework of the competition regulations. The pistons and connecting rods are forged and made to order - only these will withstand high speed operation in harsh racing conditions.

Cylinder head - with larger valves (to pass more air-fuel mixture into the cylinders) and a custom camshaft with a wider operating phase aimed at higher speeds. And for better mixing of fuel and air, twin horizontal Weber DCOE 45 carburetors are installed here, the intake manifold for which naturally had to be designed independently. The cooling system includes an enlarged double-row radiator and an electric fan. Thus, all the weak components of the VAZ engine are strengthened or replaced with more durable tuning parts. To quickly reach the engine's maximum speed, a lightweight flywheel is used, the torque from which is transmitted to the cam gearbox by a clutch disc with organic linings of a larger area. In this configuration, the engine produces about 150 horsepower (instead of almost 80 from the factory), which in turn allows it to compete worthy with other representatives of the class with engines up to 1.6 liters.

The suspension together with the gearbox in this Moskvich is installed from a BMW car in the 30th body. This choice is due to the fact that the standard gearbox cannot withstand increased loads during a rally and turns into a consumable. Reiger rally shock absorbers with remote reservoirs (both front and rear) have proven themselves on the race track. After each race, defect detection and control of all units are carried out.

Improved steering mechanism

The Moskvich 2140 was supplied from the factory with an insufficiently reliable steering mechanism. So, after driving 5-7 thousand km, the driver noticed that play appeared on the steering wheel, which was associated with the poor quality of the tips. Tuning masters usually installed a Zhiguli steering mechanism from a VAZ 2107 instead of a standard steering mechanism. This required making some design changes.

At the beginning of the 21st century, with the entry into the domestic market of a large number of parts from different countries, motorists began to install a steering mechanism from Chery Amulet on the Moskvich 2140 as an upgrade. This made it possible to improve control stability and purchase power steering for the old car.

Outside

Bright orange, on 15-diameter light-alloy wheels, with a body extension, visually it is fundamentally different from the standard AZLK model. At first glance, the wide body of the Moskvich and the spoiler on the trunk lid catch your eye. The fact is that to improve handling, the car's track has been increased, and in connection with this, special linings have been made on the body to expand it. The factory bumpers were removed to make them lighter, and a plastic one was installed in front. All glass, except the windshield, was replaced with polycarbonate - the goal is to reduce the weight of the car as much as possible. The standard heavy hood has also been replaced with a plastic one with a special hole for removing hot air from the radiator. The rear of the car is crowned with a spoiler to improve downforce on the rear axle. There is a lot of debate about the effectiveness of this element, but the rally driver himself assures that the handling of this Moskvich has definitely not become worse due to the use of the spoiler, and at high speeds it shows itself exclusively at its best.

The second life of the Moskvich combat vehicle

The construction of a combat vehicle from a Muscovite’s “iron” is completely unjustified. Crazy tuning with an incredible size of chrome wheels, somehow placed in the wheel wells, with a body kit in the style of “curl your necks as your eyes follow me” and numerous fake air intakes throughout the body suits, perhaps, only the “heel”: to surprise is to surprise. "Moskvich-412" in this guise can only disappoint. This car is part of a bygone era, and a glorious part of it that is also disappearing. And therefore the attitude towards such cars should be appropriate.

Much more appropriate than wild fantasies is painstaking restoration, which, by the way, does not exclude tuning. Sports examples of the 412s are an example for the ultimate goal of restoration work. Moreover, there are places where you can get real drive from the result.

In many countries of the former socialist camp and in the former republics of the former USSR, there are clubs for Muscovites fans. They hold competitions, the idea of ​​which is expressed in a simple phrase - retro rally. It is under this name that similar events are held in our country. In addition, many enthusiasts are now adopting the experience of Czech friends in organizing races called “Veterans Rally”.

Cars from the 60s and 70s, which once shone on the world's highways, take part in them. You can often see the racers themselves driving cars at these competitions, who more than a quarter of a century ago successfully competed in similar vehicles. The adrenaline rush of racing in old cars is no less than in a quarter or trial, because when driving a car that does not have electronic systems to help the driver cope with the track, the true level of driving skill is revealed. And this is worth a lot.

List of improvements:

Engine:

Engine from VAZ-2106, volume 1579 cc

Forged pistons and connecting rods, made to special order Cylinder head with enlarged intake and exhaust ports Custom camshaft (11.2 mm lift, 290 degree phase) Enlarged valves Stiff Schrick valve springs Twin Weber DCOE 45 carburetors Homemade intake manifold for carburetors Homemade protective thermal shield between the manifolds Contactless ignition system with distributor Sports homologated gas tank Two Facet fuel pumps Anti-drain tank for custom gasoline Enlarged double-row radiator Electric fan Custom protective heat shield Exhaust: equal-length spider, direct-flow system 51 mm, homemade end bank

Transmission

Cam gearbox VAZ Rear gearbox BMW

Suspension

Rear independent suspension on Wisefab slanting arms from BMW E30 Custom front strut brace Shock absorbers with external reservoirs Reiger

Brakes

Front: 290mm brake discs with brake calipers, Ferodo pads Rear: 280mm brake discs, hydraulic brake calipers, Ferodo pads. Hydraulic handbrake.

Interior

Sabelt and Sparco buckets OMP steering wheel OBP floor pedal assembly Additional gauges and tachometer Auto Gauge Custom instrument panel and additional panel with toggle switches Roll cage

Exterior

Homemade aerodynamic body kit with extension Hood - plastic with air vent Glass, except the windshield, replaced with polycarbonate Spoiler

Tires and wheels

15" alloy wheels

Kumho tires