Tinting
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Joined: May 2010
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From: Nordern Michigan....Just under da bridge eh!
Yea. I think its cheaper in the southern states where its much hotter and there are more tint shops around. in northern MI here it would cost around 300 for the whole truck. Its ridiculous
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: southeastern, Virginia
The front windows are like 75% stock tint. Which dosnt even look like it has any tint. If you ask a tint shop for 35% tint wouldnt that make it slightly darker than 35%, say upper 20's or low 30's? And same for say 50% tint, which is legal max in va for front.
And for you guys with the eyebrow. How do you like it? I'm fairly tall and dont want to be half looking out the eyebrow and half out no tint.
And for you guys with the eyebrow. How do you like it? I'm fairly tall and dont want to be half looking out the eyebrow and half out no tint.
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Joined: Mar 2010
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here's my advice...i used to tint cars back in the day.....now i just let someone else do it. first, don't let the ford dealer do it. believe me, you are paying good money for crap. we used to tint for dealers all the time and we had to buy special "cheap" tint for them. they paid about $20 less than what the same car would cost a normal customer. but i have seen them charge $350 for 2 doors on a convertable miata. go take it to a shop and cut the middle man.
insist on llumar tint. why? because it has metalized flakes. you don't see them. the metalized flakes is what reflects the heat. you don't want a tint that used a dye. i have used llumar for years. it never turns purple, never bubbles, never peels, etc. you might pay a little extra, but it is worth it. it is a high performance film. you DO NOT want to pay to remove bad tint. it is hard as hell to remove because of the terrible glue.
as far as percentage, go with 20%. i have used it for years here in tx with no problems. the factory back glass is 20%. i have mine done with 5% over the factory tint and then 20% on the front 2 windows. then i have a 5% put on the top portion of the windshield (so i don't have to use my sun visor).
you get what you pay for though. stay away from the dealer and take care of it yourself. if you don't believe me, call around and check for yourself. most of the time, the price you see advertised is the cheap tint. insist on the top quality. you will be glad that you did. good luck.
insist on llumar tint. why? because it has metalized flakes. you don't see them. the metalized flakes is what reflects the heat. you don't want a tint that used a dye. i have used llumar for years. it never turns purple, never bubbles, never peels, etc. you might pay a little extra, but it is worth it. it is a high performance film. you DO NOT want to pay to remove bad tint. it is hard as hell to remove because of the terrible glue.
as far as percentage, go with 20%. i have used it for years here in tx with no problems. the factory back glass is 20%. i have mine done with 5% over the factory tint and then 20% on the front 2 windows. then i have a 5% put on the top portion of the windshield (so i don't have to use my sun visor).
you get what you pay for though. stay away from the dealer and take care of it yourself. if you don't believe me, call around and check for yourself. most of the time, the price you see advertised is the cheap tint. insist on the top quality. you will be glad that you did. good luck.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Northern California
I ran 35% for 2 years and never had problems with the law, but my tint turned sligtly blue. Had it redone with 15% on fronts and 5% brow and its perfect. Legal limit here is 70% on fronts, so I do roll the windows down around police officers.
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From: Nordern Michigan....Just under da bridge eh!
Im 6'3". Sitting in my normal seating position in the old Z71 I used to drive I had to lean forward and look under the eyebrow to see stop lights. Talk about a pain in the ***. It is nice in the sun just driving but that slight advantage goes away when im leaning forward to look under it.
I know I'm 5'11 and my old truck I had about an inch over the legal limit I could see fine. So I'm sure if you got about 5-7 inches you will be just fine. It takes a little to get used to if you never had it before. For awhile I thought it was weird and I had no room to see out my front window but now that I haven't had it for awhile I miss it, the sun can get really brutal some days.
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I have had everything tinted from my trucks to the tractors we got, it cuts back on so much glare, plus i get really bad migraines if i am in the bright sun to long. I got the factory in the back 2 doors and factory plus 5% on the back window along with a 4 in strip across the front windshield and 20% on the front 2 doors i love it. first stop after buying and inspecting a car for me is the tint man.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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From: southeastern, Virginia
So if the tint place puts 35% over the factory front windows (which is 75%) what should i expect? Or 50% sheet of tint over the factory front tint (half of 75%= 37.5?). Is that the correct logic?
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Joined: May 2010
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From: Nordern Michigan....Just under da bridge eh!
I know I'm 5'11 and my old truck I had about an inch over the legal limit I could see fine. So I'm sure if you got about 5-7 inches you will be just fine. It takes a little to get used to if you never had it before. For awhile I thought it was weird and I had no room to see out my front window but now that I haven't had it for awhile I miss it, the sun can get really brutal some days.
Here in Northern MI tho im not going to get it because the sun doesnt get THAT hot here
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Dracut, Massachusetts
Tint in MA.
In MA. I believe its 35% max. Factory only on the rear. Ive had to peel mine at the inspection place or get a rejection sticker. I always believed I could do whatever on the back glass, even paint it if I wanted. The inspection guy could feel the film on the glass and made me peel that too. I had 35% on the fronts . He put a tint camera on it and combined with the factory tint I was at 27%. I needed the sticker , so I peeled it.
I told him " You know what I'll be doing tomorrow " I found a better place to get my stickers now. When they ask me how dark the tint is. I say " I did it after I left here" No problems the last couple of years 5% fronts, stock on back doors, 20% over back window. The fronts didnt come out as I wanted, They look mirror rather than black. I did them twice - came out the same each time. but it gives the appearance of an untinted window at a quick glance. although outsiders cant see in unless there face is up to the glass. Ive heard the fine is between $150-$250 per window. If you backtalk the officer. Most of the time they make you peel it right there before you leave. I go to work in the early morning hours and come home and park it at dinner time. If you dont cruise it back and forth in front of them all day. you wont have a problem going Dark.
I told him " You know what I'll be doing tomorrow " I found a better place to get my stickers now. When they ask me how dark the tint is. I say " I did it after I left here" No problems the last couple of years 5% fronts, stock on back doors, 20% over back window. The fronts didnt come out as I wanted, They look mirror rather than black. I did them twice - came out the same each time. but it gives the appearance of an untinted window at a quick glance. although outsiders cant see in unless there face is up to the glass. Ive heard the fine is between $150-$250 per window. If you backtalk the officer. Most of the time they make you peel it right there before you leave. I go to work in the early morning hours and come home and park it at dinner time. If you dont cruise it back and forth in front of them all day. you wont have a problem going Dark.