Window Tinting

[RoGuE]

I can't stand this heat anymore, especially having a black car. I am looking into getting some window tint. My biggest factor is price right now. I obviously don't want cheap stuff that will fade after a year, but I don't know anything more about that about tint. Does anyone know about how much it would cost?

[eurohazard]

Llumar tint is best I have seen/used personally. You pay a little more, but it doesn't turn purple like the cheap stuff.

You could probably trying tinting the side windows yourself. but the back glass is a rear pain in the glass. I'd leave that to a pro. I am just throwing this option out there...... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy...Q5fAccessories

[RoGuE]

Interesting option...Have you ever applied your own? I know it wouldn't be simple, but it is hard to do?

Also, does anyone know what % tint is on a 2002 Suburban? Just to kind of have an idea of how much light tint will filter out. It seems my states limit is 35% so I was just curious what the % is on the Suburban.

[eurohazard]

I bought the cheap ebay tint for my front windows on the Armada. It wasn't hard, because I always thought the hardest part was cutting it to size. But it takes persistence and patience (and some heat) to get the flat tint to lay smooth against a concave window. There is some fade after 2 years, but at least it's not purple. I went with their lightest tint, and it is noticeably lighter than the factory tint on the rear most windows. And that's a good thing....I'll never get harassed by the PoPo. People make it easy for the cops when they match the front tint with the rear tint. Sadly, I do have friends who have pulled over for nothing more than "tint".

[drew630]

I don't know what brand mine is. I just simply took it to the guy who does everyone's for the county (even the police). It's going on 4 years I think, no fading, no bubbling, it still looks brand new. It cost me $100, but that was my second truck he had done and truck windows aren't really that much glass.

My point is, take it to someone who knows what they are doing. You want it to look as good as day one a long time from now. Surely there is someone who knows what they are doing in "Hot-lanta".

Stock tent is usually around 20% (at least that's what I have been told). And judging from the looks of my front windows (20%) I would say that's pretty close.

[darndot]

My caprice wagon was about $350 for all the windows. Well worth having them put it on.

[Eric Stratton]

dyed tint film=cheap(price and quality)
metallic=middle quality but radio/xm will suffer
ceramic=highest quality and price but no fading or reception issues.
factory tint on SUVs is approx 20%. make sure you ck with state laws. Typical around here(Texas) is 20% on back and 35% on sides. lower % = darker tint.
within the quality grades listed above, you can shop for more or less UV or heat transfer depending on what you want. Essentially, you can get a film that blocks a lot of heat without sacrificing light transmission but it'll cost ya. Cheapest way to block heat and UV is to do darker tint.
Llumar, 3M, UberOptic, all good stuff.

[cdp326]

RoGuE, if you're planning to keep the Malibu for a while I'd tend to say get it professionally done, and many places have warranties/coverage on the tints they apply. Check your area, I know we have a new auto accessories-and-installation place that opened up/relocated recently and they're advertising tinting specials for ~$149, IIRC.

The windows in our Rondo were professionally tinted at 35%. It's not as dark as trucks/SUVs/etc., and we likely would have gotten it darker if we could have but it's EPA classified as a car and I'm not sure how well that would fly with the state inspection.

I'm interested in this as well, as the A/C has weakened in my Nissan with time and I don't think the windows have much of a factory UV tint. Even at 5 PM, if the car has been sitting for hours it's no fun. I can only imagine how much fun rear seat passengers are having....

I'd like to tint my Nissan windows, but it's an old car, and I don't necessarily want to spend the money to get them professionally done. I'm also thinking about doing them myself, my only concern is the back window, but at least doing the sides would make a difference.
Wal-Mart has inexpensive tint films, including one that's applied like other tints (the whole squeeze-water-out from between the window and film) but is supposed to be easily removable static cling. It's appealing to me, because if it turns to crap I can take it off. I'd likely take off the rubber seals around the trim so rolling down the windows wouldn't make the bottom of the tint deteriorate or encourage it to peel. (Is that what you did, eurohazard?)

[RoGuE]

Interesting options here. I am planning to keep this car as long as possible. We have no safety inspections here, only emissions, so except for cops I could go darker than the states law of 32% all around. But I have a little bit of trouble seeing at night as it is so I don't know if I would want to.

I was also wondering what happens to tint when you roll down the windows. Does it show scratches after a while?

[Canyonaro]

My wife had her Mali done about 3 years ago, and it looks and is great! Had 5% on the back window, 15% or 20% (can't remember for sure) on the 2 rear, and 32% on the two front (state law). Looks great and cost about $120 after taxes. I had it done professionally since it has a lifetime no fade/no bubble warranty and they do an excellent job. I don't have any scratches on mine.

EDIT:
Here is a picture of it (sorry it is from my Blackberry and the car was horribly dirty). Oddly enough the front windows look darker then they are to look out. The back are nice to see out as well even at night.

[RoGuE]

Originally Posted by Canyonaro

My wife had her Mali done about 3 years ago, and it looks and is great! Had 5% on the back window, 15% or 20% (can't remember for sure) on the 2 rear, and 32% on the two front (state law). Looks great and cost about $120 after taxes. I had it done professionally since it has a lifetime no fade/no bubble warranty and they do an excellent job. I don't have any scratches on mine.

EDIT:
Here is a picture of it (sorry it is from my Blackberry and the car was horribly dirty). Oddly enough the front windows look darker then they are to look out. The back are nice to see out as well even at night.

Thanks.
Oh wow, that 32% is even darker than I thought. Any other other pictures?

[Ming]

Bubbles -- purple bubble tint jobs are the worst, especially when they've been cut incorrectly.

That said, I've had a cheap place install the tint a couple of times on different cars and it was fine, I just make sure to pay an extra $40 or whatever to choose a better grade of tint from their selection, and never use the lowest grade. That way I start with a low base cost and can get away with $150 for the whole car from the place that offers it for $99.

[Canyonaro]

Originally Posted by RoGuE

Thanks.
Oh wow, that 32% is even darker than I thought. Any other other pictures?

Not on me, but I can take a few tonight when I get home. The 32% in the picture looks pretty dark, but you will be surprised how clear it really is, night or day.

[RoGuE]

Does this look like a good place? They're really close by so I thought of them. I was going to call them on Monday and ask them for an estimate. I don't really know where to start looking.

http://www.gwinnettshops.com/solareclipse/

[vsd]

Is metallic the kind of tint that messes with polarized sunglasses? The people who had my Lexus before me had the tint done, 17 years later it's completely faded, so it does nothing but cause rainbow reflections when I wear my polarized sunglasses. It also has wrinkles all over the place which is annoying, and the back window is so wrinkled that nothing can be seen through it clearly. I would take it off, but it seems like too much effort for a car that's driven about 3k a year. Plus I'm afraid of destroying the rear defroster.

Moral of the story, if you wear polarized glasses, make sure it doesn't mess with them.