A typical armored vehicle is constructed to make sure that the entire passenger compartment is well protected. In order to make the car secure while not overloading the chassis with excess weight, lightweight composite armor that can withstand fire from both hand guns and submachine guns is used. Essentially there are two types of armor available to the conversion teams that will work on armoring your car, these are opaque and transparent.
Each of these armors has a distinct role. The transparent armor is made up of densely layered ballistic glass; this is laminated to a resilient polycarbonate inner spall shell. Opaque armor is made a lightweight Spectra Shield composite armor, to this is added other specialized ballistic materials including extra-hardened ballistic steel.
The interesting point is that once all of the armor plating work has been completed and the car is returned to its owner its resemblance is practically identical to its original look. The conversion process is described in the following steps that most of the leading conversion companies carry out.
Step 1
The client, having agreed the price for the conversion and arranged the payment of the deposit, agrees when the vehicle can be dropped off ready for work to start. The works manager then carefully checks over the work order documents with the client. Particularly important is the final agreement with the client of the materials to be used, the level of protection that the owner has asked for and any other special requirements that the owner may require. Once all the details are agreed the owner can leave ad the process of armoring the vehicle can begin.
The conversion company will then take the first step in armoring the vehicle by making sure that the complete surface of the car is covered with a specialist 3M® protective tape.
Step 2
Now it is the moment to prepare for the armoring of the car. The works team needs to prepare carefully for the complete dismantling of the car’s interior until only the frame remains exposed. A careful inventory will be taken as each internal part is removed, each part receives a unique tag number, this, of course is very important as no risks can be taken for a part or different parts going missing.
The dismantling procedures continue by the taking of careful measurements of the ceiling, doors, flooring and firewall. The reason that this is important is that the ballistic material that will need to be cut needs to fit perfectly into place. Well fitted panels are vitally important as they are able to stop any metal fragments of any kind from entering the passenger compartment.
Step 3
Not only is it important for the passenger compartment to be armored, but great attention needs to go to protecting the fuel tank, pumps and piping. Once the fuel tank is removed it is given protection by using ballistic nylon that is then covered with a coating that is water-resistant. Next the mechanics need to do a full assessment of the breaking and suspension systems of the car. Once complete these systems will be modified to comfortably handle the extra weight that the armor causes.
Step 4
The interior protection continues with the shielding being installed in each door and also the pillars and posts. This protection is also placed behind the rear seats to ensure that the passengers of the vehicle all have the maximum complete protection.
Step 5
The armor protection needs to apply to other important parts of the car, should they be damaged the car could be damaged and stopped, with all the risks that this entails. The battery, ECM and fuse box are all treated in turn and protected using protective ballistic steel coverings.
Step 6
It is now time to deal with the armored windows. Most commonly the installers fit 2 inch bullet-proof glass windows. These are constructed to make sure that they fit perfectly into the OEM window channels, well carried out, this gives them a practically factory perfect finish.
Step 7
As a final step the vehicle needs to be fitted with the right tires, these are high performance run flat tire inserts that allow the car to keep moving fast, even at higher speeds to get out of difficult situations when under attack. As this is nearly the completion of the armoring process, it is the time to install additional defensive options and capabilities to complete the entire process.
Step 8
Now the armor protection has been completely fitted it is time to get the car back ready to be returned to its owner. The job of the technicians will need to pay extra attention to ensure that the beauty and luxury of the vehicle is retained without compromise. The vehicle is now completely armored, but it still looks surprising like its original factory appearance. The final bill is paid and the owner can receive his or her armored car back at the chosen destination.