About to tint my car - what tint percentage?

[zoiks]

Yeah. I'm interested in getting my G37 tinted for the summer since it's a black car it'll be like an oven inside. I was thinking of the Huper Optik ceramic tint although that will be pricey. Someone said that GPS tend to function better in the ceramic tints whereas the signals can be reduced in the metallic ones.

 

[Imported]

What color is your car and your interior? I had 30% on my previous car and it looked very light since it was white/beige interior.. I have 45% on the front and 35% in the rear now on my current car and it looks a lot darker all around.

The guys I went to did a decent job.. but I wish I spent the extra money now at a better shop just to get the dot matrix right.

 

[scott916]

I've always had 5% in the rear and never had any problems with seeing people at night. Go 5% if you don't want people to see in the back of your car.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've called around a LOT. It seems like my only options are:

1. Cheap priced Suntek / SolarGard / SunGard films. The High Performance ones that offer decent heat resistance are all partially metallic, which would screw with my electronics, right? The non-metallic ones are pretty useless - all I'm paying for is extra privacy. The heat resistance is pretty small and tinting the fronts at 70% would be utterly pointless with such entry level films.

2. High priced ceramic based films like Llumar AIR and Axcess (no CTX around here) that are TWICE the price of the cheap stuff - they're very hard to justify.

Is there nothing in between?

 

[StageLeft]

I always do 100% all windows.

 

[ArizonaSteve]

Is there such a thing as a 100% light transmitting heat-rejecting tint that can be applied to the front windshield?

 

[chin311]

15% all the way around now

5% all the way but my aging eyes cant take the darkness @ night lol

but florida sucks so the darker the tint the better off you are.

 

[zerocool84]

I live in Cali too and have been stopped only once for my tint in the front windows but never gave me a ticket for it. Just remember that they can pull you over for it and you could get ticketed for it and have to get it taken off. During the day I mostly drive with my front windows down so that helps.

I have 30% all around and at night it's pretty dark. Hard to see while driving down any streets that doesn't have any lights. I don't know how people can go darker. My interior is dark so it makes it look darker when people look at it.

 

[Sid59]

5% in the rears and 50% on the fronts. I didn't want to bother, if ever, with the cops. At the time, early morning, the tint guy put up 3 shades of tint and we talked a fair amount of time of what i wanted and other details.

it'll take a few nights to adjust to driving with such dark tint but you'll use your side mirrors alot. If you need a picture, i can dig one up.

What city are you, i went to a guy in Oakland, who does all the tints for Audi and Mazda of Oakland.

 

[thecritic]

Man, what the hell is wrong? If I go for Llumar ceramic - I can't seem to get the tint done for under $300.

One place quoted me $400 for Llumar AIR in the front and Formula One Pinnacle in the rears.

Another quoted me $380 for Llumar Axcess

If I go for a traditional film, like SunGard or SolarGard, I can get the job done for $250 or less.

This is in the Bay Area of California BTW.

I called five shops in the Bay Area and in Orange County, and they all quoted me between $380-$440 for FormulaOne tint. It's expensive, but unfortunately it is also the going rate for this part of the country.

I had my friend's car done today at Rocky Mountain with Llumar AIR 80% in the front and FormulaOne Pinnacle Ceramic 35% in the rear. Cost was $380 cash. It was worth the extra cost as the car feels substantially cooler with the film. Here's a picture:

 

[alfa147x]

I got 80% in the front and 35% in the back: Ceramic based: $200

More Pictures: Link

But it's going to cost you more since you have more glass. The place I got my work done at had done a bunch of my dad's coworkers and he had some nice cars out front. Left the car there at noon I was driving it home at 6 or something. Great work.

Also call dealers (Possibly might be a good idea, idk) because the guy I went to also does all the Ford and Dodge dealer work.

 

[EightySix Four]

I got 80% in the front and 35% in the back: Ceramic based: $200

More Pictures: Link

But it's going to cost you more since you have more glass. The place I got my work done at had done a bunch of my dad's coworkers and he had some nice cars out front. Left the car there at noon I was driving it home at 6 or something. Great work.

Also call dealers (Possibly might be a good idea, idk) because the guy I went to also does all the Ford and Dodge dealer work.

Dealers take a cut off the top when you do it through them.

 

[alfa147x]

Dealers take a cut off the top when you do it through them.

Oh... didnt know they offered tinting

 

[ecom]

How long do you plan to keep the car?

Some films will fade or discolor in a year or two. I had a 4 door car done in Santa Clara for something like $180 and after a year there was very noticeable fade. Many lower end films do not guarantee against fading. Most will cover against delamination only. The film did not become transparent, but the color was noticeably lighter especially compared to the part of the glass that sits inside the window frame.

In San Bruno, I had another 4 door done with 3M Colorstable for $250 and there has not been any fading in 3 years.

3M has several lines of films at different price points and some have warranties that cover fading and delamination and some are warranted against delamination only.

The Solarguard HP Charcoal film you mentioned is only warranted against delamination, bubbling, etc. Discoloration is not covered.

For roll-up windows, some shops will cut the film about 1/4" to 1/2" from the edge of the glass because that part of the glass goes into the window frame. Ensure that you know what you are getting so you don't end up with surprises.

 

[thescreensavers]

wow wth? Down here in Florida, I got 7 windows tinted for 120 bucks, and it comes with lifetime warranty.

 

[boomhower]

Uhh.. A lot of cars come from the factory darker than 70%..

Yes they do, and it's legal if it comes from the factory. At least in NC. If you do it aftermarket its illegal. I never said it makes sense but it's what the law states.

 

[shortylickens]

In all seriousness, do whatever the fuck you want. In my experience cops never, EVER do anything to anyone with fully tinted front windows.
Much like only nailing 10% of all speeders, I guess they figure its just not worth their time to enforce the laws.

 

[boomhower]

In all seriousness, do whatever the fuck you want. In my experience cops never, EVER do anything to anyone with fully tinted front windows.
Much like only nailing 10% of all speeders, I guess they figure its just not worth their time to enforce the laws.

Depends on where you go. I write fix it tickets all the time. Then you have a choice, peel off your $200 tint or pay a $150 ticket. It's an officer safety issue, I will write it all day so I can see in the car at night.

 

[zylander]

Id have to look this up again but Im pretty sure it is legal to tint the front side windows in Ca up to a certain percentage, like 35%, maybe higher. Again Im not 100% sure.

 

[Proprioceptive]

Id have to look this up again but Im pretty sure it is legal to tint the front side windows in Ca up to a certain percentage, like 35%, maybe higher. Again Im not 100% sure.

http://www.tintlaws.com/

70% up front... anything in the rear

 

[zylander]

http://www.tintlaws.com/

70% up front... anything in the rear

Thanks. I knew you could tint the fronts, but I thought it was closer to 35%.

 

[ecom]

Thanks. I knew you could tint the fronts, but I thought it was closer to 35%.

It's 70% visible light transmission. Most vehicles nowadays are already tinted to 70% from the factory.

 

[zerocool84]

Thanks. I knew you could tint the fronts, but I thought it was closer to 35%.

70% is almost nothing so any noticeable tint is not legal but I put 30% all the way around. Not too dark so cops can see in and isn't super dark for driving at night.