Tint - Questions/Comments/Concerns
10-04-19, 01:19 PM
#91
I didn't care to match the back windows. It's not legal to tint front windows in CA. I really wanted to tint the front windows to tone down the brightness during the day - it's sunny in CA most of the time and this helped cut it down a lot to where the cabin is much more comfortable to me. The tint is light enough where I can still see easily and others can see me. It is not ceramic tint. This is the lower end tint but i'm super happy how it came out. I believe 55 is the level of tint darkness (I could be wrong, not a tint expert). The higher the number the lighter the shade.
Here, the 55 means that it allows 55% of the light to pass.
"Clear" automotive glass (windshield and front side glass) is actually about 85-88% depending on the manufacturer. If you add 50% tint, then your effective tint is between 40 and 43/44% since there is an additional slight loss just because you're adding an additional layer.
My recommendation is to get a pair of sunglasses (RayBans are about 60%, so 40% in auto terms). Wear them whenever you get in the car for about a week - at night, in the rain, in the parking garage, at night in the rain etc.
That'll give you an idea of how life will look with tint -except that you can't remove the tint while driving through a dark parking garage.
10-04-19, 02:03 PM
#92
Hey there,
The information regarding it being only darker and not tinted with heat rejecting ability was told to me by multiple window tinters. As @cb1111 pointed out, this information could have been incorrectly conveyed to me by the tinting companies. I was searching "privacy glass" on google to get some more information, and for what it's worth a wiki page popped up... I didn't write the wiki page, I promise... but some of the snippets of info on there match up to what the tinters told me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_tint Again, as cb1111 pointed out, this could be the marketing work of their industry.
15-18% will get you closest to matching the rear windows (at least it was for both of my SUVs). I highly recommend ceramic.I can feel the difference when the sun is out. I have Llumar ceramic all around on the GX and got the basic Suntek film for my beater car. They always say to find a great installer first and then choose the tint brand and levels.
As for the "Tint Police" I just wanted people to be aware that some departments or states have less tolerance for tints. Some people reading this thread might not be aware of the various laws each state has. If the comment could help someone else, that's great, and if it didn't it's okay too, since it only took a few seconds out of my day to write it up.
The information regarding it being only darker and not tinted with heat rejecting ability was told to me by multiple window tinters. As @cb1111 pointed out, this information could have been incorrectly conveyed to me by the tinting companies. I was searching "privacy glass" on google to get some more information, and for what it's worth a wiki page popped up... I didn't write the wiki page, I promise... but some of the snippets of info on there match up to what the tinters told me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_tint Again, as cb1111 pointed out, this could be the marketing work of their industry.
15-18% will get you closest to matching the rear windows (at least it was for both of my SUVs). I highly recommend ceramic.I can feel the difference when the sun is out. I have Llumar ceramic all around on the GX and got the basic Suntek film for my beater car. They always say to find a great installer first and then choose the tint brand and levels.
As for the "Tint Police" I just wanted people to be aware that some departments or states have less tolerance for tints. Some people reading this thread might not be aware of the various laws each state has. If the comment could help someone else, that's great, and if it didn't it's okay too, since it only took a few seconds out of my day to write it up.
It is simple for someone to say "I've never had an issue with limo tint" and they may be telling the truth as far as the cops are concerned, but they don't drive the same roads and meet the same cops. Further, if the cops in your neighborhood are fine with tint, that doesn't mean that the cops in the next town over are OK with it.
There is this age old discussion about profiling and it clearly exists - but perhaps not in the way you may think.
A cop driving through a residential neighborhood will make a determination if a car belongs. A beat up old van with dark tinted windows driving at a slow speed through an expensive neighborhood is either up to no good or lost and looking for an address. Hey, maybe we should stop this guy and ask if he needs help. The same applies to a snazzy car driving through a depressed area.
When I first moved back to the states in the early 90's, I had a white GMC Typhoon. That car had a huge slab of very dark tinted glass on the side. While looking for a house, I was living in a rented apartment in a row house just off Central Square in Cambridge - not the best part of town and going out after dark wasn't a really good idea.
A few blocks down was a MicroCenter and I needed some sort of cable. This was long before nav units so I pointed the car in the direction I thought I should go in. Of course I was wrong and ended up in a cul-de-sac. I got pulled over by three cop cars that thought I was up to no good. Turns out that was a crack area, but I guess the combination of a white guy in a suit, with GI plates from Germany on his car, Federal investigator credentials and a reasonable explanation of why I was there "How do I get to the MicroCenter, I can see it from here?" let me off with directions in a few minutes, but a "yeah, uhhh, I was picking a friend up. Don't know the address and not sure of his name" would have gotten me a night in the local lockup.
Where they correct in stopping me? Sure. Why did they stop me? The car didn't belong. How do I know? They told me after I asked right before I left.
BTW, never ask "why did you stop me?" That doesn't go over well because you know damn well why you got stopped - but - once you got it sorted, there is nothing wrong with asking "out of curiosity, why did you pick my car to stop?'" and you may find out that it was tint, plates (no front plate in a state that requires plates) or something similar
The following users liked this post:
ObsidianBl (10-04-19)
10-04-19, 02:24 PM
#93
Super Moderator
[QUOTE=cb1111;10627865]
When I first moved back to the states in the early 90's, I had a white GMC Typhoon. That car had a huge slab of very dark tinted glass on the side. While looking for a house, I was living in a rented apartment in a row house just off Central Square in Cambridge - not the best part of town and going out after dark wasn't a really good idea.
/QUOTE]
I'd love to have a Typhoon today. I remember as a kid wanting one of those.
IIRC... back in that era it was effectively the fastest 0-60 stock rig
When I first moved back to the states in the early 90's, I had a white GMC Typhoon. That car had a huge slab of very dark tinted glass on the side. While looking for a house, I was living in a rented apartment in a row house just off Central Square in Cambridge - not the best part of town and going out after dark wasn't a really good idea.
/QUOTE]
I'd love to have a Typhoon today. I remember as a kid wanting one of those.
IIRC... back in that era it was effectively the fastest 0-60 stock rig
10-04-19, 02:47 PM
#94
[QUOTE=Acrad;10627893]
When I first moved back to the states in the early 90's, I had a white GMC Typhoon. That car had a huge slab of very dark tinted glass on the side. While looking for a house, I was living in a rented apartment in a row house just off Central Square in Cambridge - not the best part of town and going out after dark wasn't a really good idea.
/QUOTE]
I'd love to have a Typhoon today. I remember as a kid wanting one of those.
IIRC... back in that era it was effectively the fastest 0-60 stock rig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyXxXatF2yM
yeah. I wash I had kept it, but back then I was into swapping cars every couple of years.
It was great fun in Germany. It was the king of the stoplight drag and very many Porsche's are probably still thinking "WTH". I've grown up since then...
What was scary was hitting the speed limiter on the Autobahn at a hair under 130mph. The first time it happened to me it was extremely scary - the engine shuts off, no PS, no PB and didn't restart until it got down to about 110. The brakes were iffy too, but I really wish I'd have kept it.
When I first moved back to the states in the early 90's, I had a white GMC Typhoon. That car had a huge slab of very dark tinted glass on the side. While looking for a house, I was living in a rented apartment in a row house just off Central Square in Cambridge - not the best part of town and going out after dark wasn't a really good idea.
/QUOTE]
I'd love to have a Typhoon today. I remember as a kid wanting one of those.
IIRC... back in that era it was effectively the fastest 0-60 stock rig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyXxXatF2yM
It was great fun in Germany. It was the king of the stoplight drag and very many Porsche's are probably still thinking "WTH". I've grown up since then...
What was scary was hitting the speed limiter on the Autobahn at a hair under 130mph. The first time it happened to me it was extremely scary - the engine shuts off, no PS, no PB and didn't restart until it got down to about 110. The brakes were iffy too, but I really wish I'd have kept it.
The following users liked this post:
Acrad (10-04-19)
12-02-19, 03:52 PM
#95
Driver School Candidate
window tint worth it in SoCal?
all, does ceramic tint worth the price in socal area? lovin the sunshine but not when i am trying to get into my car during summer time. shop quoted me ~400 for 4 windows plus the one over the trunk. fare price? how about the windshield? i think that's more important than the two front windows...
12-02-19, 04:03 PM
#96
I'm in So. CA, and I took my 2019 GX to my tint guy ASAP for ceramic tint on the two front doors. He matched it to the factory tint already on the sides. Looks great, and I'm not interested in tinting the windshield since it's tough to find a decent shop that will even do that in CA. I paid $150 for top of the line ceramic with a lifetime warranty. I did the same tint on my LS460 and I'm quite happy with the heat rejection and looks.
12-02-19, 05:58 PM
#98
I use Mr. Tint in Norco. He’s done about 10 vehicles for me, and perfect every time. I waited for it, and he knocked it out in about 30 minutes. The tint has zero effect on the mirrors.
12-02-19, 06:36 PM
#99
Advanced
Definitely go ceramic. Maximum heat rejection without needing to go darker.
Air Blue 80 from Llumar is what people should be looking for on the front windshield.
12-29-20, 08:34 AM
#102
Driver School Candidate
Going to do a ceramic 80% front windshield on the wife's new GX. I'm thinking 35% on the front windows. Can anyone confirm that this is not going to be darker than the rear windows without any added tint?
12-29-20, 09:20 AM
#103
Advanced
The ceramic front windshield is really nice even at night time to help reduce some glare.
12-29-20, 03:45 PM
#104
Driver School Candidate
35% is a lighter tint. It all depends on the angle, the amount of sunlight and your interior color. From some angles it will look darker than 35% on an overcast day, but it won't be as dark as the back.
The ceramic front windshield is really nice even at night time to help reduce some glare.
The ceramic front windshield is really nice even at night time to help reduce some glare.
