Armored cars are very good as they can help save lives, give peace of mind and disarm kidnappers. Majority of armored cars you see do not come as armored cars from the factory, for example Toyota doesn’t build bullet proof cars anyhow. In fact it’s very rare, neither do Range Rover or other companies build bullet proof vehicles yet we see bullet proof cars on the streets all the time. Politicians, pastors, businessmen, diplomats, etc use these bullet proof vehicles and most time you won’t know it’s bullet proof by mere looking at them. Anyway, I have a secret I use to know a bullet proof car just by taking a single glance but let’s leave that for another day, lol.

Armoring cars is now a big business especially in place like the BIG BAD U.S.A or Brazil where murder rates are so high. The fact is that there are third party companies who specializes in equipping cars with armor so they become bullet proof cars. I’m not talking about military spec armored vehicles that can withstand bomb blasts, I’m talking about a civilian armored car that can withstand a direct hit and whisk you away from immediate danger to safety. These third party companies can buy a car of your choice (Land Cruiser, Range Rover, BMW ,etc), tear it down and reinforce it with armored plates to give you the needed protection. They can even upgrade your old car to a bullet proof car if you want.

This is how it is done.

1. Measurement: The car is measured from floor to ceiling.

2. Tear down: Then taken apart piece by piece including the doors, seats, wiring carpets etc. .

3. Body: Military armor such as Kevlar and ballistic nylon is fitted to the frames of the doors, floors, roof top etc. Everywhere is covered with steel plates.

4. Glass: This is referred to as “Transparent armor” is used to replace the windows and windscreen. It could be lightweight (0.8 inch thick) or heavy weight (2.0 inches thick)

5. Tyres: Run-flat tires are installed and can withstand gunfire and also run even if it losses pressure.

6. Engine and suspension: Armoring a car can add up to 1500 pounds to the weight of a car. Although most car engines are built to carry more weight. If the armor is too heavy and seems to slow down a car, engine tuning can be done.

The pictures above show the CEO of Texas armoring company sitting inside a bullet proof car built by his company while an employee fires 12 rounds of an AK-47 to proof how strong the car is.

Price and specifications

The minimum amount that can be paid for a bullet proof job is around $53, 000 (N19M Approx.), this should get you the basic protection that could withstand a handgun, pistol or small ammunition. However, for $100,000 (N36M Approx.) you will get a real custom job including thick armored glasses, smokescreens and electric shocking. Yes let me explain briefly, smokescreen can be released by pushing a button, this will help cover everywhere with thick smoke in case you are being pursued and they wont get clear vision. Electric shocking is the most valuable, if the kidnappers try to open the door, as soon as they grab the door handle, they’ll receive powerful electric shock.

Companies that do armoring jobs:

There are many reliable companies out there but the most popular ones are, Texas Armoring companies, Stoof International, Inkas armored, armormax etc.