Tinting Windows

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Feb 15, 2016
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Location
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I was wondering what's the community's take on tinting windows in cars; How many of you have it and whether you like it or not so much; In a nutshell what are the pros or cons of having it installed to your car please

I thank you
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Here in the Texas sun,I couldn't live without tint!!


+1

Also, it depends on where you live and the laws there.

Personally, I think a medium tinted car looks better than none.
 
I highly recommend a light shade of tint (60-70%) range with a high-quality ceramic film. 3M Crystalline and Spectra Photosync are the two I would consider.
 
I have the Ford F-150 tinted and the truck is Tuxedo White. This is the only vehicle I have with tinted windows. I like it but on some vehicles but I think it looks cheap on a Corvette. Some vehicles look really good tinted but others not so much.
 
Can't wait to get my truck tinted. I'm going to match the factory tint on the rear. Helps keep some of the summer heat out.
 
I've been meaning to get our car tinted. Skippy, do you have a preferred place in the Chicagoland area?

I don't care for a super dark tint, in a perfect world, I'd get tint that rejects all heat, but allows all visible light. I assume that I should be looking at a ceramic or carbon tint? Any suggestions?
 
A good tint job will be almost undetectable. it filters the UV that can cause dash to crack and keeps interior temps down. IN Phoenix it is a must or your interior bakes and disintegrates.
 
Originally Posted by EdwardC
I've been meaning to get our car tinted. Skippy, do you have a preferred place in the Chicagoland area?

I don't care for a super dark tint, in a perfect world, I'd get tint that rejects all heat, but allows all visible light. I assume that I should be looking at a ceramic or carbon tint? Any suggestions?


Sent you a PM.
 
[Linked Image]


This is legal window tint done by the MB dealer in Daytona Beach. I like it and feel it is indispensable here in Florida. It's about a $300.00 aftersale add on.
Whether it keeps the car cooler or not is anybody's guess. It gets STINKIN' hot here. I know that my A/C works terrifically and barely runs more than whisper quiet, so it MIGHT be doing something.

As far as dash cracking and stuff like that...forget it. You don't put tint on the windshield!
 
I don't think I've ever owned a car that I haven't had tinted. Granted, I used to work at a tint shop and am still close friends with them.

If you're in GA, you're looking at no darker than 35% all around on a car. Generally, that means getting a tint with a percentage in the upper 30's to lower 40's (IE 37%-41%) since there is a small amount of tint even in 'untinted' factory glass. Rules are different for trucks/SUV's, but the front two windows are still supposed to be no lower than 35%.

For example, on both of my Honda products I had 21% tint installed. It will read approx 11-13% on a tint meter.

Fun fact about Georgia. A window tint ticket is a finger printable offense. Meaning that if you get pulled over and ticketed for it, you're supposed to go to jail and be printed and bond out. Not sure why they wrote the law that way, but they did, although it is extremely rare to see it done that way. I think I've seen it done in my facility maybe twice, and that was both times on top of bunch of drug charges. Never seen someone come in for just that.
 
I have 3M ceramic tints (one step lighter than limo) with limo tint on the windshield strip.

Definitely keeps the vehicle cooler and worth every penny. Cops down here DO NOT bother you if you have dark tints, they are too busy doing more important things than pestering drivers for their tints.
 
One of the first things I do with a car after I purchase it is have the windows tinted. I think it does help keep the vehicle cooler.
 
I think they look good on the outside, and are well suited for rear windows. I don't like front windows tinted, especially at night when I'm looking for drivers head/eye positions when reading traffic. The comment about motorcyclist's instincts and defensive driving is true to me. Folks that instinctively keep heightened awareness probably won't like it. Our new used car has it, and it's dark. I'm working up the courage and time to pull it off the fronts. Can't reverse it effectively at night.

Does a terrific job of lowering the cabin temps, for sure though!

M
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Here in the Texas sun,I couldn't live without tint!!

Amen to that.
 
That I-10 stretch between El Paso and San Antonio is brutal in summertime without tinting and a pair of good sunglasses.
 
Originally Posted by meep
I think they look good on the outside, and are well suited for rear windows. I don't like front windows tinted, especially at night when I'm looking for drivers head/eye positions when reading traffic. The comment about motorcyclist's instincts and defensive driving is true to me. Folks that instinctively keep heightened awareness probably won't like it. Our new used car has it, and it's dark. I'm working up the courage and time to pull it off the fronts. Can't reverse it effectively at night.

Does a terrific job of lowering the cabin temps, for sure though!

M

You can pull it off yourself if you wish. Simply get an edge and pull. You'll then need to clean off the glue with some good blue ammonia based windex like product and a razor blade.

In a hot climate you can also steam it off pretty effectively, but if there's no defroster lines to worry about like a back window, its quicker and easier to scrape.
 
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