What is involved in building a stretch limo?
Have you ever wondered how your limousine becomes just that – a limousine? Most of Perth’s limos started as normal cars. They go through a construction process to stretch the original vehicle by 1-3 metres to become what you will know as your limo.
Traditionally the defining element of a limousine was the dividing panel between the chauffeur and the passengers. In many instances, luxury cars were only stretched by 300mm to accommodate the partition and a little extra leg room for the rear seat passengers. Our Rolls Royce Silver Wraith is a beautiful example of a luxury limousine built for 2-3 rear passengers. Another original limousine in our fleet is the REO Speedwagon limousine, coach-built in Australia in 1934 onto an original long-wheel-base BN series REO chassis to accommodate three rows of forward-facing seats. To our knowledge, it is the only BN series long-wheel-base Speedwagon still in existence.
The tradesmen and businesses who modify cars to make limousines are called coach builders. The name comes from the era in the 1800’s when the craftsmen made horse drawn carriages and rail coaches by hand. There are still companies within Australia that build limousines, however most of the modern limos in Perth are sourced from the USA.
Perth has one small company stretching limousines, mainly for the funeral industry. Sydney and Melbourne both have limo coach building businesses but they are very small when compared to the American industry which manufactures 1000’s of limousines each year. The USA sourced limos usually have a much more elaborate interior fit out and lighting display than Australian made limousines. In short small and unique limousines like executive chauffeur cars or our custom Jaguar Mk5 limousine tend to be made locally and 10-16 passenger limousines tend to be built in America usually on a Chrysler of Hummer donor car.
The limousine manufacturers take care of the process from start to finish and incorporate the Australian vehicle safety standards and regulations necessary to make sure the limos are able to be licensed in Australia. We do know of limousines that have been shipped back to the USA for failing to meet Australian standards.
The construction process generally follows this sequence
- Find a suitable base car. Modern stretch limousines are usually from an Australia compliance car – a car that has been sold in Australia, meeting all the vehicle safety standards for the age of the vehicle. Oddly it is easier to start with a new Chrysler just arrived in to Australia, buy it and then ship it back to the USA for conversion into a limousine. Exotic cars not normally sold in Australia are more rarely seen here because they need to be converted to right-hand drive, upgraded to and proven to meet the Australian standards which is a lengthy and expensive process after the limousine is made and imported. Our Rolls Royce Silver Spirit limousines were based on a donor car valued at over $200,000 when they were converted into limos.
- Engineering. An engineer determines the limits of the original suspension and structural components to assess that the car’s components are suitable for the extra load of the additional limo body and passengers. For structural rigidity, modern stretch limos like Chrysler limousines are reinforced with additional sub-chassis. Full chassis limos like our vintage Jaguar limo and Hummer limos have their chassis extended and reinforced. Most modern limousines stay within the structural limits of the original donor car. If the limo exceeds the original engineering of the vehicle then major and expensive upgrades to the limousine are required.
- Safety first. The brakes and other safety features are modified if necessary to accommodate the increased weight of the limo and passengers. Our Jaguar Mk5 limousine has been retrofitted with Jaguar XJ6 front and rear brakes that were engineered for V12 Jaguar race cars – well above the requirements for the limo. The REO SpeedWagon limousine has been has been upgraded to heavy duty Ford Transit disc brakes suitable for superior stopping required in today’s traffic conditions.
- The big cut. The donor vehicle is stripped. All of the interior is taken out, including the seats in preparation for the car to be cut in half to commence the conversion process. The inside of the doors, glass, anything that doesn’t need conversion or cutting will be covered and protected. In most cases the finished colour of the limo will differ from the donor car so a complete re-paint is necessary.
- Body alignment. The halves of the vehicle are placed on the stretched chassis or a special mount with two rails to support the front and rear of the body while the infill panels are manufactured or fitted. Stretched limos in the USA are built from pre-made limo-kit components (such is the size of the businesses). Our Jaguar limo had all the panels custom made and the rear doors stretched for easier passenger access.
- Passenger safety. New supporting frames are welded into place in the vehicle, in particular within the new flooring to stabilise the structure. Intrusion bars are welded into the side panels to protect the occupants in case of a crash. The Jaguar limousine also has roof reinforcement in the unlikely occurrence of a roll-over. The original timber frame of the 1934 REO limo has been rebuilt in steel for greater strength and passenger safety.
- Build 1. Welding of the stretched limousine is completed, including the sides of the vehicle, the roof and the new floor work. Any new doors and customised features such as scissor doors, jet doors, sun roofs or partitions are installed and tested until fully operational.
- Build 2? The limo is then fully stripped to component parts for panel preparation and painting. The painted panels are then refitted to the newly painted limo shell. The windows and internal seat frames are then fitted to the limousine along with the anchor points for seat belts and other internal fittings.
- Electrical fit-out. The new or adjusted wiring loom is fitted to the limousine having incorporated the wiring for the additional air-conditioning, lighting effects, music system and sub-woofers.
- Upholstery. New interior seating, bars, side panels, headlining and lighting effects are fitted with customised configurations variations to the new owners specifications. At this stage highly customised interiors may include unique lights, bars, different seating arrangements, various stereo systems including video, LCD screens, karaoke and smoke machines. Mirrored roofs, sunroofs, fridges, and other entertainment facilities inside may also be optional accessories.
- Testing and compliance. New limousines have many systems to be tested and corrected to bring the limousine into service. The stretch limousine needs to be re-certified as a ‘new’ vehicle, and regardless of its history, it enters the vehicle register as a new car.
- Added features. Most vehicles get tinted glass windows, however, some also get special armoured steel reinforcement and bulletproof glass. This is rare in the domestic market as it adds a huge weight premium to the limousine.
There is a lot of effort that goes behind creating the perfect limo for your Perth hire. If you have any questions regarding limo hire in Perth or want to book a top-quality limo, call Belle Limousines today on (08) 9279 9922, and we will be more than happy to help you.
