Replacing my aftermarket window tint.

[Herbicidal]

Hopefully I'm not "asking for it"! When I bought my car new back in June 2008, I had the dealer use their mobile window tint company to tint my car windows. It's kind of a medium tint, I don't know the percentage. Even my 9 year old son asked if the windows were tinted. :rolleyes: Over the last two years I decided it's too light. Looking back through the tint at an angle, like when making a lane change, the view through the tint is gray and not very clear. So tonight after work, I'm taking my car to a shop in Roseville (All About Tint - they did my wifes 09' Corolla and it looks great!) to have them remove the old tint and install something much darker for the rear windows. I'm seriously considering a lighter tint on the front windows even though I know it's illegal. I've not been pulled over in like 25 years (knock on wood) and I don't drive like a maniac, or try to draw attention to my car, so I maybe I'll fly under the 'radar'.

I've got an older "before" picture here somewhere taken from the side and I'll take an "after" picture and post them up. I'm not sure what my options are darkness-wise until I visit the shop tonight, should be interesting! :thumbsup:

[big lo]

Me personaly I dont like tints anymore bcuz of that, cops stop you give you a hard time, then the ticket. Dark is nice but not to dark, remember your interior is dark so with darker tints it would look more darker, and why are you having this done at night? Good luck buddy with the new tints.

[Vioz]

20% is what i have on my sedan 20% all around and with a front window 20% strip. It's a little hard to see through the rear and back window but the driver and passenger windows you can see in pretty decent because of the light coming in on the front window.

Had a problem with one cop on my tints but he let me go with an exhaust ticket :)

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I have 5% in the back 5 windows and had 35% in the front two. When I had my front tint, I got hassled by the cops. I wasn't driving like maniac, speeding, etc. You have almost the same set up as me, and I'll guarantee you that you will be pulled over and fined. This is the reason why I took the front tint off.

[Herbicidal]

Me personaly I dont like tints anymore bcuz of that, cops stop you give you a hard time, then the ticket. Dark is nice but not to dark, remember your interior is dark so with darker tints it would look more darker, and why are you having this done at night? Good luck buddy with the new tints.Technically it won't be dark yet so I should be able to get a good idea on how it would look while holding the darker tint up to the un-tinted front window. They'll keep the car overnight and do the work tomorrow.

20% is what i have on my sedan 20% all around and with a front window 20% strip. It's a little hard to see through the rear and back window but the driver and passenger windows you can see in pretty decent because of the light coming in on the front window.
Thanks for the info on the percentages.

I have 5% in the back 5 windows and had 35% in the front two. When I had my front tint, I got hassled by the cops. I wasn't driving like maniac, speeding, etc. You have almost the same set up as me, and I'll guarantee you that you will be pulled over and fined. This is the reason why I took the front tint off.
Thanks K.L, I'll keep those numbers in mind too. :thumbsup: Still debating on the front tint...

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Thanks K.L, I'll keep those numbers in mind too. :thumbsup: Still debating on the front tint...

You can get 70% UV tint. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but I've heard/read that it looks darker inside the car.

Here's my old tint set up:

[auxmike]

That car looks sharp, even WITH hubcaps!

[Herbicidal]

I picked up my car this afternoon and I like it! Definitely darker than before. I ended up with the darkest tint on the back 5 windows and the lightest on the fronts. There is a lifetime guarantee for as long as I own the car. Here's the specs on the film:

3M Color-Stable Auto Film
Rear windows CS5_______Front windows CS50
8%....................................51% (visible light transmission)
58%..................................33% (total solar energy rejected)
5%......................................7% (visible light reflected)
99%..................................99% (UV reduction)

I haven't taken the "after" photo yet. I'll try to do that tomorrow and post it with the "before" pic.

[big lo]

Cool man, cant wait until you post pics, might change my mind with this, holla my dude.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

I picked up my car this afternoon and I like it! Definitely darker than before. I ended up with the darkest tint on the back 5 windows and the lightest on the fronts. There is a lifetime guarantee for as long as I own the car. Here's the specs on the film:

3M Color-Stable Auto Film
Rear windows CS5_______Front windows CS50
8%....................................51% (visible light transmission)
58%..................................33% (total solar energy rejected)
5%......................................7% (visible light reflected)
99%..................................99% (UV reduction)

I haven't taken the "after" photo yet. I'll try to do that tomorrow and post it with the "before" pic.

Kinda confused on that. So, the tint is really 8% in the back (I wonder if mine is really 8% as well) and %51 in the front? Can't wait to see some after pics.

[Herbicidal]

K.L, I don't quite understand it either. :iono: I pulled that info directly from the brochure.

OK, here we go. The first picture was taken in September of 2008 and the second was taken today, July of 2010. Sorry the photos are not all that inspiring and the first photo was taken when the car was in the shade. The sun was still shining brightly on the car in the second, so not exactly apples to apples, but I think you can tell the difference.

By the way, today it was around 100 degrees and I took an infrared heat gun and checked the temp of the paint of my car in the direct sun: 157 degrees (the back tinted window read 124 degrees)!!! My dark green Tundra which had been in the sun all day was 167!!! :eek:

If anyone wants pics from a different angle, inside the car looking out, etc. let me know and I'll try to accomodate.

September 2008, no tint on front windows:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/gallery/files/6/6/7/a7995da22693b31dd3f0aeaba1c2cc52_4751.jpg

July 2010, with tint on front windows and the darkest they had on the backs:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/gallery/files/6/6/7/s_img_2346.jpg

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Yup, looks like 50% and 5%. But I guess the real light transmission are 8% and 51%. Looks good. I miss my front tint =(