Watch full episodes of the Science Channel Series "How It's Made."
Limoland builds various limousines. Watch as they cut in half a Chrysler 300 and stretch it into a luxurious ride. It's complete with a bar, disco lights, and leather bench seating. The following is a transcript of the video.
This is how limos are made.
Narrator: Workers cut an ordinary-sized car in half using cutting wheels. Before cutting begins, the inside of the car is stripped away, along with other components such as the gas tank and driveshaft. Workers cut away the inner support structure and cut across the floor of the car with a reciprocating saw. The car is now completely cut in half. Workers wheel the back half of the car away from the front half. They place the back half on the exact spot where the limousine will gradually be assembled.
The construction department employees insert steel frame rails into the front half of the car. They insert the rails on both sides of the front half before inserting the rails into the back half of the car. They measure the length of the frame rails to make sure that the frame is square and that the two halves are the correct distance apart to build the limousine. A worker welds the rails to the frames of the front and back halves of the original car. They position the driveshaft tunnel which houses the steel driveshaft and exhaust pipes and welds it to the original vehicle tunnel. They position the floor, which is made of galvanized steel, and weld it to the frame rails and tunnel. They weld the steel roof rails into place. They connect the new rails to the roof rails in the original vehicle.
A worker welds a vertical side post into place. With a level, he checks that the post of hardened steel is perfectly vertical before welding the base of the post to the floor frame. A roof panel made of galvanized steel is put in place. Workers install the limousine's bar. They've already installed the steel seat frames. Next, they install an outer body panel complete with hardened steel crash bar. They screw the panel into place. The screws will be removed once the panel has bonded solidly to the limousine frame. A worker sprays on three coats of paint then applies two coats of protective clear coating. Once the painting process is complete workers install the laminated safety side glass.
Another worker sprays contact cement on the roof of the limousine, in preparation for the vinyl top. He stretches the vinyl across the roof and with his hand, presses the fabric down into the crevices. Then, he carefully trims off the excess. He presses a strip of chrome molding into place on top of the vinyl. Workers in the interior department install the back of a leather seat and the leather bench seat. After reupholstering the original rear seat to match, they return it to its original spot in the back of the limousine. A systems installer connects the electrical systems for the control center located behind the driver's seat. A panel lists relays and fuses. The original center console is then reinstalled. A worker installs a video monitor in the limousine. Next, he rolls out the floor mats. The acrylic disco-bar lighting system is tested. In just 21 days, the original car is transformed into a luxurious limousine. With test drives and quality-control checks complete, enjoy a ride in the lap of luxury.