Window TInt

J

JSFM35X

Active member
Can someone please give me a quick education on window tint film.

My younger son is wanting to tint the windows on his car (that he does not have yet) but I like a planner.

I told him my experience is that it is a PITA to keep swirl free. The window rollers mark the film and it looks like hell.

He tells me not any more. Truth is the last car I owned with tints was a 1988 so he may in fact be right.

I will be tinting them NYS legal if we do it (not sure what the % is and if someone does please chie in)

So what are the best brands, what do I need to ask, know?

Thanks
 
3m tint I have seen last a very long time on numerous cars. Just use alcohol based window cleaners to keep from turning the tint purple. The whole thing with tint is the installer. Look at some of the work they have done,and pay attention to the rear window. That is usually the most difficult one and if that looks good you can trust the others will.
 
Thanks Mike, does 3M just make one type?

Mike lambert said:
3m tint I have seen last a very long time on numerous cars. Just use alcohol based window cleaners to keep from turning the tint purple. The whole thing with tint is the installer. Look at some of the work they have done,and pay attention to the rear window. That is usually the most difficult one and if that looks good you can trust the others will.
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I believe 3m makes 4 types of window tint. Honestly the installation is key. I always take our vehicles to a local installer and have never had a problem.
 
Drop them an email or call... He does the best work on Long Island, great guy as well. I had another tinter do my SR an it came out ok but had the scratches from the rollers (I did the whole car in Llumar ceramic, even the windshield). Then I had underground do my Ml350 an it came out flawless, he really is awesome. He uses Llumar for all his stuff and he doesn't leave any gap in the window edges... yes he is THAT good.

As for Llumar, they are the best besides Huper optik. I've had Llumar on all my cars and never had one issue. They look incredible and definitely warrant the price, I'd definitely recommend the Ceramic tints as they block a ton more heat then conventional tins and they are more reflective. This means less dark %, which means less problems from law enforcement.

Underground Tinting
www.undergroundtinting.com
 
Thanks

The Driver said:
Drop them an email or call... He does the best work on Long Island, great guy as well. I had another tinter do my SR an it came out ok but had the scratches from the rollers (I did the whole car in Llumar ceramic, even the windshield). Then I had underground do my Ml350 an it came out flawless, he really is awesome. He uses Llumar for all his stuff and he doesn't leave any gap in the window edges... yes he is THAT good.

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JSFM35X said:
Thanks
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Anytime, I have 40% and have been pulled over other violations an inspected but never ticketed for it. I think 40% is very acceptable an good looking. The NYS legal limit is BS, almost all oem tints are lower than that.

My SR with Llumar CTX 40





 
My last 2 cars have had 5% all around. I miss having dark tint on hot days here in FL, but I don't miss paying those extra fines. :innocent:

I would suggest finding a quality installer and letting him know you want a quality job. Tell him you're very particular with your car and will tip him nicely if he does a great job with the install. I think with a lot of service jobs if you take care of the worker providing the service, they'll take care of you.
 
Tint laws, like those requiring frong license plates, are, uhm....selectively enforced.

JSFM35X- I know that tint is cool-looking and all (my Crown Vics have all had dark tint), but there can be genuine visibility/safety issues at night. Yeah, yeah...but, well...just sayin'.
 
Its my kids car, if I tint them NY legal (only way I would do it) will there be visibility issues at night?

I don't want him hassled or give a police officer a reason to pull him over just bc of dark tints.

Accumulator said:
Tint laws, like those requiring frong license plates, are, uhm....selectively enforced.

JSFM35X- I know that tint is cool-looking and all (my Crown Vics have all had dark tint), but there can be genuine visibility/safety issues at night. Yeah, yeah...but, well...just sayin'.
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I just read a post about newbies posting more, so...

I'm a long-time lurker and reader here, but I want to chime in here. I'm a police officer, but not in NY. That being said, I don't see tint as a big deal, ESPECIALLY if the driving is fine. My personal feelings are that I need to be able to see inside the vehicle day or night. I have stopped people with pretty dark tint, but they have rolled windows down and put interior lights on when it was night. I mentioned the tint, but that was it. That's MY story. A certain percentage of my colleagues around the country don't share the same philosophy.

I would check with your local law enforcement (where the driving will mostly be done) and ask them. If it's at about 70%, that's almost what an older Crown Vic is from factory. Most factory tints (my Tahoe included) are lower than that. Here, if it's factory/OEM tint, you're ok.

Of course, your mileage may vary. My general area - with a couple of exceptions - are pretty laid back with tint rules. We've got other things to get done other than tint violations.

Again, check with local police/whoever covers your area. You might be surprised what the answer is.

A police officer posting about tint -- here come the comments! :D

Gordon
 
3m is a good way to go. Also Llumar. Make sure your tinter offers a decent warranty.
Crystalline tint is top of the line but also comes with a huge price. Ceramic film is a good option as far as heat reduction goes.
I have 18% all around with a strip on the windshield. I can wear sunglasses but it's not necessary. I dont have to roll my windows down to make turns at night. It is illegal, but I've never had issues as far as tickets go. (wrote this before realizing that you want to go legal)
If heat is the biggest concern, you can also have clear film installed on the windshield.
Nevertheless, tint can be removed and replaced if your not happy with your first choice... If you have the $$..
 
Thanks for your perspective. I have some friends on the job that tell me that your attitude can be the determining factor between driving away easily or having a bad, expensive night. I totally understand that. I also understand not wanting to approach a car that is dark, and tinted dark. We all want our officers home safe every night and you have no way of knowing who your dealing with when you get out of the car. I would only tint the windows legal in my state, and just want to make sure he know to roll the window down and turn on the dome light. I was also told to put both hands at 12 oclock on the steering wheel to make the officer the most comfortable. So far, so good.


gordonjuan said:
I just read a post about newbies posting more, so...

I'm a long-time lurker and reader here, but I want to chime in here. I'm a police officer, but not in NY. That being said, I don't see tint as a big deal, ESPECIALLY if the driving is fine. My personal feelings are that I need to be able to see inside the vehicle day or night. I have stopped people with pretty dark tint, but they have rolled windows down and put interior lights on when it was night. I mentioned the tint, but that was it. That's MY story. A certain percentage of my colleagues around the country don't share the same philosophy.

I would check with your local law enforcement (where the driving will mostly be done) and ask them. If it's at about 70%, that's almost what an older Crown Vic is from factory. Most factory tints (my Tahoe included) are lower than that. Here, if it's factory/OEM tint, you're ok.

Of course, your mileage may vary. My general area - with a couple of exceptions - are pretty laid back with tint rules. We've got other things to get done other than tint violations.

Again, check with local police/whoever covers your area. You might be surprised what the answer is.

A police officer posting about tint -- here come the comments! :D

Gordon
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Forgot to mention that in the (heavily tinted) Crown Vic, I keep a fresh razor blade in the glovebox just in case I ever run into a, uhm....really hard case guy who's looking to hassle somebody, even though Accumulatorette and I apparently come across as LE-friendly, based on our experiences.


gordenjuan- Welcome to Autopia! Nice to see a LEO perspective on this, especially, heh heh...a nice layed-back perspective at that!

FWIW, I *really* sympathize with LEOs who have to approach a tinted vehicle at night, at least when the occupants do *NOT* roll down the windows. Oh man...scarey IMO.

Like JSFM35X, I always do the "flashers on, domelight on, empty hands in plain view" thing, going so far as to be "palms up" and have the keys out of the ignition and visible on the dashboard (advice from LEO pals, brrrrr in the winter). And yeah, "tinted windows down", which could get a little complicated when we have the dogs along or in bad weather.
 
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