window tint question...

[ryoken]

ok, I finally pulled the last of the ancient AZ purple tint out of Mutt.. the back slider window...

I'm not one for tint really.. I like clear glass... even on the back, I like the visibility.. but I don't like how my zombie squad sticker is now kinda "muddled" and not overly visable cuz it lacks that even "purple" background..

and eventually when I have the pooch in back, I want those back door windows tinted too to help keep him cool and private...

but for now, I kinda wanna just redo the back... was thinking of running over to pep boys in the morn for a roll of the black magic stuff...

I take it the lower the % #, the darker it is.... I want it light enough to actually be able to see thru it in my rearview mirror, but dark enough that from the outside, it makes a good background for my stickers...

I'm thinking the 20% ? or is that real dark, and 35% would be enough? I'd kinda like to go as dark as I can and still see reasonable...


http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9375464/00050/accessories/sun_control/window_tint

 

[ryoken]

according to this, the 20% doesn't look too crazy I guess..

 

[coloradoblazers]

20-30% should be what you are looking for. Based on your builds/posts, I would recommend getting some quality tint. It makes a world of difference (think zinc primer vs cheap primer). Search some tint forums for the best vendors/prices.

 

[ryoken]

ok cool, thanks....

 

[brans87]

yes quality tint is a must to last along with not using glass cleaner with ammonia in it cause it to go purple over time. Know some think it is crazy and dumb but should ride in a car with front windshield tint like 50 % it is really easy on the eyes but alot of people won't do it for you. How your vision?, 20% is dark to some at night time when backing up.

 

[max 02]

I think I got 20% in my Duramax crew cab...and I like it!

No problem seeing and it is way cooler in the cab, plus you cant see who or what is in the back seat!

My front windows are clear.

Our kids and the pooch are very hidden!

 

[Chief Brody]

I got a local pro shop to do the tint on my ranger...they did a great job, no bubbles, no purple...and it was still black 8 years later when I sold it.
I think it was 25%
Looked black from the outside but like you were wearing sunglasses on the inside.
as long as you have multiple mirrors to view the dark tint isn't that much of a factor...

 

[4xcrazy]

Been tinting windows for the past 10 years now.

20% is what the normal tint shade was I would put on front doors, although Illegal in Arizona, it was still light enough that normally, police wouldn't bother you with it because it was still light enough to see in the vehicle.

20% is s good shade for visibility and also dark enough to do the job wanted.

The more windows you tint, the darker it will look, obviously, less light coming through other windows, makes the rest of them look darker.

Also depending on the interior color as well, I have tinted some cars with dark colored interiors with nothing but 20% and from a small distance you'd swear it was limo tint.

The one I personally like is the 15%, which is about 1 step lighter than limo, decently dark, close to limo but not overly difficult to see out of at night and performs better than 20, obviously.

Buying auto parts store films will get you maybe a year or two of good service, some people have had it on longer than that, but it's a very cheaply made material an usually peels, bubbles, fades unevenly (all tint fades a touch over time).

Cleanliness is key, scrape with blades, spray, squeegee out several times, dig in the edges with paper towels and something thin to get the dirt out of the edges, it will seep back in under the tint once water hits it.

Those older back windows are a real pain to install film to cleanly due to the lack of the newer black surround area on windows now days. I would always trim the rubber so you can basically tuck the tint down in a bit to prevent light leaks, but again, get the dirt out.

20% on the front doors, factory tint on the back.


20% on the front doors, limo on the back, this car was a bitch


20% on the fronts, 15% on the backs.



I know it's a bit difficult to see the shade in pictures though.

 

[63chevyll]

Id say any good tint has a metal look to. not that chrome crap, but the metal assisnt with uv protection.

 

[4xcrazy]

There is a metallized film available, I used it a lot. Not so much of a mirrored look type of film, although those work best for heat rejection, but it's a microscopic material material they blend in with the film and tint dyes. It helps with better heat rejection.

Now there is a carbon material instead of metal, because people were complaining about the metallized films interfering with radar detectors and cell phone reception. Out came carbon, works great too, easy to work with.

If you don't like really dark tint, I would just go with the 20% all the way around, all 4 doors and the back, it'll give it a nice classy tint look without being over dark.

I personally would use a SolarGard or Sunguard film, it's what I use a lot of, also used a bunch of Suntek films, but have seen a few things I wasn't too impressed with after being applied for a few years. Suntek has a really aggressive adhesive, easy to work with, Sunguard has a nice smoke/black look to it. There are also other makers out there, I realize, I just used these as they were all local to me in Phoenix. Llumar and 3m are supposed to be good too, but can be picky during installation I have heard.

 

[blazinzuk]

I was gonna suggest solar guard. Good stuff. Not sure if you can buy small quantity of it though.