A car of domestic origin called the UAZ Hunter is quite popular in Russia. Its popularity is primarily due to the fact that the car has increased cross-country ability, which will be a match for Russian roads. The first tuning was carried out directly by the automaker itself.
Change history of the vehicle in question
As previously noted, the first tuning was carried out at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. The changes were presented as follows:
- The engine has been upgraded to increase power. A power of 128 horsepower was achieved by replacing the carburetor engine with an injection one. As a result, the installed transmission could not cope with the load.
- After some time, a different gearbox and a more advanced clutch were installed on the car.
- New bridges were installed, which can significantly increase the vehicle's cross-country ability.
- The interior of the new car was changed by installing new seats and a dashboard, as well as a new steering wheel.
- The exterior of the SUV was also changed: a plastic bumper and fog lights appeared. The spare wheel, which is an integral part of the SUV, was hidden in a special casing
- You can make your car more attractive and increase its maneuverability by installing wheels that are 16 inches in size.
In general, we can say that the domestic automaker has resorted to various methods of improving the car. However, a significant drawback of the vehicle is that the comfort in the cabin is low. That is why interior tuning is carried out quite often.
Changing the car dashboard
The dashboard of the SUV in question, despite the introduction of a fairly large number of changes, remained poorly functional and impractical, as in previous versions of the car. An important point is that plastic is used in production. This material is practical and inexpensive, but still has little quality. The meager equipment of the instrument panel means that the information is simply unreadable.
Important! An important point is that the steering wheel significantly reduces visibility: in order to read information you have to turn the steering wheel or tilt your head - very inconvenient.
In general, we can say that the design has not moved far in terms of comfort from the 70s. That is why the dashboard is often tuned in order to significantly increase the readability of information.
Methods for changing the dashboard
You can change the dashboard in various ways, the most suitable method depends specifically on the preferences of each owner of the car in question. Recently, a fairly popular method of tuning is to replace the standard dashboard with ready-made units that can be purchased and installed as a whole structure. However, in this case the costs increase significantly. Therefore, let’s look at the features of tuning the dashboard with your own hands.
- First you need to dismantle the instrument panel. Do not forget that it is connected to power. In order to ensure safe work, you should disconnect the negative voltage from the battery.
- The dashboard itself is secured using three screws. At the same time, they are in the open, dismantling the structure can be carried out quite simply, for which it is enough to unscrew these screws.
- After this, you can remove the structure from its seat.
- Once the faceplate has been removed, the holder with wiring harnesses will be accessible.
- It is necessary to separate the red and black blocks of the wire harnesses to disconnect the device.
- You can dismantle individual devices quite quickly by disconnecting the terminals.
- To change the device, it is enough to remove the lamp sockets.
- The sensors are fastened directly with a nut, which is unscrewed and the washer is removed.
- After this, you can remove the bracket itself and remove the washer.
- Tuning consists of changing the backlight. The process of replacing the light source involves removing the cartridge from the device. The cartridge is twisted clockwise, which means that it is enough to twist it in the opposite direction to remove it. If LEDs are installed, the cartridge will not be installed, since they are not needed for diodes. Diodes are connected directly, for which the diode sits on an adhesive compound, after which a wire is supplied and it is soldered.
- Problems may arise with disassembling the speedometer, for which you will have to use tweezers. To begin with, unscrew 2 nuts and 2 brackets, and after that you can carefully remove the speedometer structure. The harness block is disconnected from the speedometer output, after which the entire structure will be disassembled.
After disassembling the entire structure, it is possible to change the design almost beyond recognition. You can change the instrument panel by gluing a new scale, decorating the arrows, or installing a new backlight. As practice shows, the work does not take more than a few hours.
There are quite a few reasons why diodes are used. The main points include the following:
- Diodes are small in size and yet have a high degree of light emission. These properties are associated with design features.
- Diodes have a long service life. After tuning, you can be sure that the structure will last for many years.
- The design of automotive diodes does not respond to impact environment. Therefore, the device can be installed in cases of high humidity.
- The cost of diodes is not high, which allows them to be used when changing almost all vehicle designs.
At the same time, you can find a variety of diode designs on sale, which differ in price and emitted color. Mounting the diodes is quite simple; all you need to do is solder the wires properly.
Experts' opinion
Grigory. Conducted a large number of various interior tuning works. A lot of attention is always paid to changing the dashboard. This is due to the fact that it is in the driver’s center of attention almost all the time. In order for the information to be clearly readable, the design should be changed: installing a new backlight or decorating the installed arrow.
Alexei. UAZ is superior to many SUVs in terms of driving performance, which is why I chose this car. Despite the fairly affordable price and excellent driving performance, the car has a significant drawback - poor interior comfort and poor readability of information from the dashboard. If some tuning jobs cause difficulties, then the job of changing the dashboard is the simplest.
Tuning the UAZ Hunter interior
Tuning the interior of the UAZ 469, as well as modifying the interior of the UAZ Hunter, is considered a necessary procedure. An important point in this matter is to increase comfort. Some UAZ Patriot car owners carry out tuning to improve the performance of their vehicle.
Popular improvements
Stylish interior of UAZ
Standard tuning of the interior of the UAZ Patriot and UAZ Hunter involves replacing the factory seats with more comfortable ones. With such modifications, the steering wheel is changed and sound insulation is carried out. If necessary, install an additional interior heater, since the standard one is not capable of heating these SUVs well.
More expensive tuning of the interior of the UAZ Patriot and UAZ Hunter includes:
- body lift;
- replacement of the cooling system radiator;
- installing a new battery;
- transmission replacement.
A necessary and important procedure for this car is to carry out insulation work. It should be taken into account that the cabin filter of any UAZ model needs to be replaced, since the standard one is not able to fully perform its functions. The heating unit can only heat the front part of the SUV, so it is being replaced with more modern devices.
You can insulate the UAZ 469 with your own hands. For this, auto mechanics recommend using special materials. Sealing of cracks in the body is carried out using sealants and polyurethane foam.
To insulate the floor, a special insulation made of foil is used. Foam rubber is laid on this material. In this way, you can insulate not only the floor, but also the side parts of the UAZ Hunter.
Dashboard upgrade
The instrument panel of the SUV in question is non-functional. It is made of plastic and needs some work. It should be noted that the information content of each device is at the level of the 1970s. Using the photo, the UAZ car owner will be able to tune the dashboard with his own hands. In some cases, the standard product is replaced with a new panel. In any case, you will need to install brighter light bulbs.
Torpedo design
To dismantle, you will need to remove the terminals and remove 3 fixing screws. After dismantling the torpedo, the wiring harnesses are removed. If necessary, remove the instrument cluster. Installation of the panel is carried out in reverse order.
To replace the instruments, you will need to remove the panel and instrument cluster. The terminals and wires are disconnected from the terminals. The sockets and lamps are removed from the unit being replaced. Replacing a device with a lamp involves disconnecting the terminal with wires from the terminals of the corresponding sockets.
Then the bracket nut is unscrewed and the washer is removed. The bracket is dismantled. The device is removed and replaced or completed. All parts are installed in reverse order.
Replacing the lamp in the device is carried out as follows:
- the socket and lamp are removed from the device;
- the cartridge is pressed and rotated counterclockwise.
Owners of the UAZ Hunter and other models of this SUV often replace the speedometer with their own hands. Auto mechanics advise using tweezers for this. First, remove the instrument cluster, then remove 2 nuts and brackets. The speedometer is removed. The wiring harness block is disconnected from the terminals of this unit. The old speedometer is replaced with a new one. Installation of the part is carried out in the reverse order.
Very often in the description of a car you can find the interesting phrase “skin-interior”. This means that the inside of the car is lined with leather, and not with cheap dermantine, for example. And this immediately increases the prestige of the iron horse. What can be done in this regard on the UAZ Hunter? Honestly, not very much. But it's beautiful. For example, cover the instrument panel with genuine leather. This option looks pretty good.
Important! Instead of expensive, genuine leather, it is quite possible to use a high-quality vinyl substitute!
Dashboard of UAZ Hunter
Anyone who knows the interior of a car from the inside will be pretty surprised. Well, where can you put leather on the dashboard of a UAZ Hunter? After all, everything there is so ascetic. Just bare metal. Everything is correct. First you will have to install an overlay panel, for example, “Victoria-2”, and then decorate it with leather or vinyl. That is, there are two options:
- Buy and install a ready-made panel.
- Make your own dashboard.
Of course, it’s easiest to buy a ready-made instrument panel for the UAZ Hunter. This eliminates a lot of unnecessary steps.
But when making this part with your own hands, you can fully realize all your wildest fantasies. Of course, if you have a designer streak.
"Victoria-2" - dashboard from the store
There will not be a description of the installation process of this part on the UAZ Hunter. This is quite extensive and separate topic. Just a small characteristic and price issue.
So, this product is made of plastic with fiberglass. The color is usually black. The devices are organically placed in the upper part. In general, everything is clearly visible in the photo. According to estimates from experienced UAZ Hunter owners, the average price of such a panel is 3,500 rubles. In principle, not very expensive.
Attention! The material from which this part is made, in principle, looks quite solid. Therefore, you should first decide whether to cover Victoria with leather or not.
Make it yourself
It won't happen here either detailed instructions for the manufacture of the described part. The main thing is the materials used for its manufacture. This is usually:
- tree;
- plywood;
- plastic;
- metal (tin).
Important! The main thing is that wood and plywood are best suited for covering this part with leather.
Select material for work
And now, the panel is installed in its place. Now you need to think about how to cover it. There are two possibilities.
- Genuine Leather.
- Artificial vinyl.
- Alcantara is self-adhesive.
What to choose? Here it is worth thinking about the following things. Leather, of course, looks more respectable, and what can I say more beautiful, but the cost of this material is much higher.
Vinyl is much cheaper and easier to process, although less prestigious. What should I do? One more nuance. UAZ Hunter SUV. A car for going out into the field. After hunting or fishing, when overcoming difficult areas, in any case, dirt and moisture will get on the panel. Frequent treatment with elements of moisture causes both leather and vinyl to become unusable. So You should immediately expect a possible replacement of the entire casing. Based on these data and our own financial opportunities and this issue needs to be resolved.
Well, Alcantara. This is an artificial material, patented in Italy, although invented by the Japanese. This is faux suede. Honestly, it’s the most convenient to use and quite decent-looking option.
What you will need
If vinyl or leather is chosen for the work, then you will have to prepare the following set:
- glue;
- scissors;
- stationery knife;
- brush;
- mounting hair dryer (or at least a simple one).
This is a complete set for working with the mentioned materials.
Attention! Alcantara mainly has a self-adhesive layer, so a sharp knife is enough.
How to cover a panel
And now the moment of truth has come. Beginning of work. The instrument panel has been removed and lies on the desktop. First of all, you need to degrease it well. Just in case. After this, apply a layer of glue to the entire surface to be coated and leave to dry. Apply a thin layer of glue to the back layer of the tight-fitting material and also leave to dry. At this time, apply a second layer to the dried layer on the panel and let it dry quite a bit.
After this, begin to apply the material, smoothing it with your hand.
Attention! It is necessary to apply from the point located above everything, towards the bottom.
After smoothing, dry immediately with a hairdryer. Carefully trim off the excess and cut technological holes along the edge. Press the covering down and dry it thoroughly. Now let it dry thoroughly and you can mount it in place.
Alcantara self-adhesive
Everything is much simpler here. First you need to degrease the instrument panel of the UAZ Hunter. Remove the inner protective paper from the material and stick it on the surface in the same way as skin, smoothing it thoroughly. This material does not need to be dried with a hairdryer. Trim off the excess and that's it.
The video shows the process of fitting a panel of another car model. But the principle is the same:
Body kits for UAZ Hunter: reliability above all
Today, choosing or making a body kit for Hunter will not be difficult. The main thing here is to know what you need from him. If appearance is not important, and you prefer reliability, then it can be made. However, not everyone knows how to do this and the appearance, most likely, will not be entirely presentable. At the same time, if you want your car to look beautiful, and even “durable”, then you need to fork out the cash and purchase, in your own way, a bumper for the UAZ Hunter.
There are a number of requirements for the UAZ Hunter. The main thing is strength. This immediately eliminates plastic and other “soft” materials that are often used for tuning. Therefore, only metal is suitable in this situation. Then, you should not choose body kits that are too large, because the overhangs, in this case, will be large, and this will make it impossible to calmly overcome certain obstacles.
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UAZ Hunter was produced at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant starting in 2003. Tuning may be needed in various cases. In the basic configuration, the machine has good technical performance. By performing tuning, car owners improve their UAZ and improve its performance.
Car modernization
Before carrying out the modernization process, it is necessary to determine for what purposes the car will be used. Motorists perform modernization for the following purposes:
- For off-road driving. The chassis and transmission components are being modernized. Cross-country ability increases;
- For driving in urban conditions. Tuning the interior and exterior of the body. The car is made comfortable and suitable for long trips;
- For hunting and fishing. Car owners are upgrading the body and chassis.
REFERENCE: Do-it-yourself UAZ Hunter tuning allows motorists to create a unique vehicle.
External tuning of UAZ Hunter
External tuning of a UAZ Hunter car allows you not only to change the appearance, but also to equip the car with additional equipment. This allows you to increase the functionality of the machine.
Body painting
Before painting, it is necessary to protect the car body parts from corrosion. To do this, an anti-corrosion layer is applied to the lower part of the body. Some motorists sheathe body parts with thin sheets of metal. This allows you to protect parts from damage when the car drives over rocks or branches.
After applying the protective layer, they begin to paint the car. When using the car for off-road driving, the body is painted in camouflage. Some owners who use Hunter in urban environments decorate the body with airbrushing.
Lighting installation
Additional lighting is necessary for using the car at night. Headlights or LED panels are installed as additional lighting. The products have two main differences:
- Price. Unlike LED panels, headlights have a lower cost;
- Electricity consumption. Installing additional lighting puts additional stress on the car's alternator. LED panels consume a minimal amount of electricity.
Additional lights are installed on the roof rack or roof rack.
Some owners install a finder headlight. The headlight glass does not have a scattering mesh. This allows the beam of light to be directed over long distances.
The finder headlight is installed on an articulated bracket at the point where the windshield pillar is attached to the car body on the driver's or passenger's side. The rear part of the finder headlamp housing is equipped with a handle. This allows you to direct the beam in the desired direction.
Windshield protection
When using a vehicle to drive through forested areas, there is a possibility that the windshield may be damaged by branches. To prevent damage, specialized protection is installed on the UAZ Hunter. It is made in the form of two cables.
One side of the cables is attached to the roof near the windshield pillars. The second part is installed using brackets on the kangaroo or the front part of the wings. The cables are tensioned with special devices. When the car moves, branches hit the protection without damaging the windshield.
Trunk
A roof rack is installed on the roof of the UAZ Hunter. It is necessary for transporting luggage and protecting the roof from damage. Some drivers use the trunk to transport a spare tire. The trunk is made of profiles or pipes. During manufacture, the trunk is equipped with mounts for headlights.
IMPORTANT: Light mounts must be located inside the trunk. This will protect the products from impacts from branches.
Kengurin
A kangurin is installed in front of the hunter. It is necessary to protect the headlights and radiator grille from damage. Kengurin can be purchased in specialized stores or made independently. The advantage of homemade kangurin is its uniqueness and functionality. You can also read about.
Luke
To improve ventilation in the cabin, the roof of the car is equipped with a hatch. Products of various designs are used. For hunting, a large hatch with a hinged design is installed. The dimensions of the product must be such that it can accommodate an adult in winter clothes. A hatch from a passenger bus works well. 
Ladder
For easy access to the roof rack, a ladder is installed in the rear of the car. It is attached using brackets to the rear door of the car next to the spare wheel.
UAZ Hunter tuning for Gelendvagen
The body of the UAZ Hunter is similar to the Gelendvagen car. External tuning allows you to create a copy of Gelendvagen. For this:
- The car is repainted in the appropriate color;
- Kangurin is made from tubes and rods;
- Install alloy wheels;
- Mount plastic bumpers;
- Install chrome steps;
- LED lights are mounted in the rear.
INTERESTING: To achieve maximum similarity, some owners replace the front fenders of the UAZ Hunter with straighter products.
Internal car tuning
To increase the level of comfort, motorists perform tuning of the UAZ Hunter interior. Modernization allows you to use the car for driving over long distances. Depending on the purpose of use, the cabin will be equipped with a place for receiving or sleeping.
Processing of body parts
To process body parts, the seats and upholstery are removed from the hunter's interior. The inner surface of the body is treated with waterproofing mastic. After this, sound insulation is installed. It makes using the car comfortable, reducing the noise level in the cabin.
IMPORTANT: If there is a metal hatch, it is necessary to treat its inner surface with waterproofing. This will prevent condensation from appearing on the hatch cover during the cold season.
Seats
The manufacturer installs seats with a low level of comfort in the UAZ Hunter. When upgrading, standard seats are dismantled. In their place, seats from other cars are installed.
The interior dimensions allow the installation of wide, comfortable seats with adjustment in different planes. If the car is used for long-term trips into nature (hunting, fishing, etc.), the seats are installed at such a distance that when unfolded, a sleeping place is formed.
Steering wheel
The steering column of the car is equipped with a more comfortable steering wheel. The steering wheel can be purchased in specialized stores. When choosing a steering wheel, you need to pay attention to the size of the spline connection.
Sheathing
The standard door and floor coverings are dismantled. In its place, sheets of easily washable materials are installed. Thin sheets of stainless steel or aluminum are used. They protect body parts from damage and are easy to clean when dirty. The surface of the sheets installed on the floor of the car must be corrugated. This will prevent your feet from slipping when moisture gets on the surface.
Some owners install door trim from cars of other brands. This method not only improves the appearance of the interior, but also reduces the noise level.
Torpedo
The standard front panel of the car is modernized by covering it with various materials. A console is installed at the bottom. It covers the heater air ducts. The console is equipped with switches, indicator lamps, additional devices and an audio recorder.
REFERENCE: It is possible to install front panels from cars of other brands into the UAZ Hunter interior. Models from foreign-made SUVs are well suited.
Acoustic shelf and lighting lamps
An acoustic shelf is installed above the windshield of a UAZ Hunter. It holds the speakers of the audio system and the radio. You can purchase a finished product or make it yourself. If you make it yourself, you will need particle boards or plywood and sheathing material.
When manufacturing independently, each person determines the design of the product at his own discretion. The shelf can be equipped with interior lighting lamps. They are necessary for using the UAZ Hunter car at night.
Tuning UAZ Hunter for off-road
When using the car regularly in difficult areas of rough terrain, owners perform off-road tuning on the UAZ Hunter. This increases the vehicle's cross-country ability. During the modernization process, a number of actions are performed.
Replacing wheels
Standard wheels installed by the manufacturer cannot provide high cross-country ability. The UAZ is equipped with larger wheels. This increases the vehicle's ground clearance.
Alloy wheels are suitable for replacement. They are durable and have good attachment to wheel mechanisms. UAZ Hunter. In combination with alloy wheels, tires with an all-terrain pattern are used. This makes it possible to use the car in extreme road conditions.
Suspension lift
Installation of large wheels requires increasing the distance between the axles of the UAZ Hunter vehicle and the wheel arches. The lift is necessary for normal operation of the suspension and rotation of the front wheels. Modernization is carried out in several ways:
- Cushions are installed between the frame and the car body. It is necessary to install elastic cushions. This will reduce the level of vibration transmitted from the chassis when driving on uneven surfaces;
- Wheel arches are trimmed. After cutting off part of the metal, it is necessary to form new arches;
- Additional sheets are mounted in semi-elliptical springs. The front axle of the UAZ Hunter is equipped with larger springs.
ATTENTION: Increasing the distance between the axles and the frame requires replacing the shock absorbers. You should choose products with a large stroke of the working rod and the required length.
Transmission
When performing tuning, the UAZ Hunter is replaced with reinforced axles. To improve cross-country ability, gearboxes are replaced with products with cross-axle differential locking. Enabling the blocking can be either automatic or forced. The forced locking is controlled from inside the car.
Suspension protection
When driving a UAZ Hunter on deep ruts, mud or rocks, you should install protection for the suspension elements. It protects steering rods, engine crankcase, etc. from damage. The protection is made of high-strength steel. You can make protection yourself. To do this you will need:
- Material. Sheets and pipes made of high-strength metal are used;
- Welding machine. Any type of welding will do;
- Additional tools;
- Metal welding skills.
HELP: You can order the production of protection from professional welders. Workers will manufacture the part strictly according to the provided drawings.
Fording may result in water entering the transmission mechanisms. Water displaces lubricant and leads to increased friction of rotating parts, which can lead to wear of components or jamming of the mechanism.
Water enters the gearbox, transfer case and axles of the UAZ Hunter through breathing valves (breathers). To prevent water from getting into the mechanisms, the breathers are led into the engine compartment.
To do this, the breathing valve is dismantled and a flexible hose of the appropriate diameter is attached in its place. The second end of the hose is attached to the engine compartment.
Tuning the UAZ Hunter engine
Some car owners replace the UAZ Hunter engine with foreign analogues. This requires large financial investments. If a foreign-made power unit breaks down, you will need to purchase original spare parts, which are expensive.
It is possible to modernize the power unit installed by the manufacturer. To do this, you will need to flash the electronic control unit. The ECU controls the power unit. Using the firmware, you can adjust the power and dynamic performance of the engine.
ATTENTION: The firmware of the electronic control unit should be entrusted to a qualified specialist. Incorrect use of the program can lead to failure of the electronic control unit
In order to overcome the ford, it is necessary to install high-quality high-voltage wires. Moisture ingress can lead to breakdown of the wire and disruption of the power plant. To prevent water from entering the intake tract of the power unit, a snorkel is mounted on the car. In this case, the air intake is located in a place inaccessible to water.
From the above it follows that tuning a UAZ Hunter car can be performed for various purposes. Self-tuning allows you to create a unique car. After modernization, the tuned UAZ Hunter is used for driving both in urban conditions and off-road.