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Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?

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Old 6/30/10, 07:30 PM
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5% isn't bad once you get used to it.



Double 5%



And I have 5% now, but want it darker or get my windshield tinted.


Crappy cell phone picture, but


Expedition: Has five on the rear, sides, and I want to say 30% on the front sides. I hate it and it's very noticeable. If it matters I have sensitivity to light which is why I have my windows dark. Yes it's a ten...
Old 6/30/10, 08:46 PM
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I went with 35% on mine and it's perfect. Not too dark and not too light. Been driving with it for a few weeks.
Old 6/30/10, 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by laserred38
I have my windshield strip done, and only recently discovered windshield tinting done by guys on the audio sites I frequent. Now, after seeing pictures of cars with front side windows tinted (here in CA, front sides are illegal too-so I don't have them done...for now) I've noticed even the slightest front side window tint looks weird with the windshield so clear. IMO at least.

Which is why I want to do the windshield and front sides 50%. It will give them a nice, barely there smoke, but with the front 3 windows being all the same shade, it won't be as noticeable.
Do our original side windows have a tint in them at all ?
Old 6/30/10, 09:53 PM
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The factory windows DO have a slight green/gray tint. I'd say around 75-80%. There's a pic in the Performance White section of a GT right next to a white building. It's very noticeable. You can do this yourself by parking next to a light colored building and looking at the difference in color of the building through your glass versus the naked eye.
Old 6/30/10, 09:59 PM
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I'm asking this cuz i'm going for tinting next week and wondered if i will have to take into consideration the pre-existing tint in the window when choosing the % of tint of the new film i'll have installed. So say i wanted to go 50% on the side windows, that means i would have to deduct +- 15-20%, making it a 30-35% tinted window.
Old 6/30/10, 10:09 PM
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I see. That would be a question for your tint guy then. I'm not an expert and don't want to give you bad advice. I also don't know the laws in your province. I would take the car to the shop and see what they recommend...or just get the tint done after your inspection
Old 6/30/10, 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by laserred38
I see. That would be a question for your tint guy then. I'm not an expert and don't want to give you bad advice. I also don't know the laws in your province. I would take the car to the shop and see what they recommend...or just get the tint done after your inspection
That's exactly what i'll be doing. I'll talk to them on Friday.
Old 6/30/10, 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by montreal ponies
I'm asking this cuz i'm going for tinting next week and wondered if i will have to take into consideration the pre-existing tint in the window when choosing the % of tint of the new film i'll have installed. So say i wanted to go 50% on the side windows, that means i would have to deduct +- 15-20%, making it a 30-35% tinted window.
My guess is that the side and rear glass have the same level of factory tint...I recommend just considering them all as starting point zero and picking the percentage tint that you like...but as said above, this question is best left to the tint guy.

50% is a really mild tint though...IMHO why bother? Anything less than 30% and you can still see completely into the car from the outside...I've known many people (including myself on my '84 Corolla GT-S, back in University) who went with 35% on the doors and were soon dissapointed because the windows were not dark enough. The absolute min. to me is 20% all around (not the windshield)

p.s. If you make a wrong choice, getting tint removed costs more than getting tint applied. You can remove DIY...just the doors would be fairly easy...soap, windex, razorblades, patience and time...but removing tint from the rear window is a huge PITA because of the defrost lines...
Old 6/30/10, 10:41 PM
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Law is very clear over here, the 2 front windows have to let 70% of light transmittance .
Old 8/23/10, 02:58 PM
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43%? Mass. Legal before and after

. . . . so I went with the darkest tint that the shop said would pass Massachusetts safety inspection with no hassles; this turned out to be 43% film plus factory tint = about 35% net light transmittance . . . it doesn't look like much in the photos, but I'm pretty happy with it . . . it defintely does make a difference, but it is not so dark that I have any problems seeing out at night

hint: the first two are "before", second two are "after"
Attached Thumbnails Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?-tintbefore1.jpg   Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?-tintbefore2.jpg   Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?-tintafter1.jpg   Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?-tintafter2.jpg  

Last edited by Bert; 8/23/10 at 02:59 PM. Reason: hint
Old 8/23/10, 03:44 PM
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%35 is crap. Dealers tint on the back windows from for has been %20 for years. I would have to say %20 is the best tint choice all around. Had it on my 1992 GT and my 2007 F-150 (all windows one both) Looks great at night, and is perfect amount during the day IMO.

I went with %5 on my new 2011 and love every second of it so far.
Old 8/23/10, 04:28 PM
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i have 20%, including the louvres, except the windshield. It looks great!!
Old 8/24/10, 12:13 AM
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I'll chime in. I've got 20% on the 4 side windows, nothing on the front & back. I think I would have been fine with 25% or somewhere in between.

So far, only once have I rolled the window down to look out and it was on a rainy, cloudy night in a parking lot with no lights and I was backing out of a parking spot.

It's great during the day.... at least during the couple of days that I haven't had the top down, windows down. That's how I drive 99% of the time.
Attached Thumbnails Getting my windows tinted. What % to go with?-img_0229.jpg  
Old 8/24/10, 04:07 AM
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Just in case if you're wondering what's legal or not, I thought this list would be a helpful hint for all of you planning to install tint.

It gives you an overview for each state. It is definately correct for the State of Florida.

http://www.tintdude.com/laws.html


Hope this helps.
Old 8/24/10, 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Bert
. . . . so I went with the darkest tint that the shop said would pass Massachusetts safety inspection with no hassles; this turned out to be 43% film plus factory tint = about 35% net light transmittance . . . it doesn't look like much in the photos, but I'm pretty happy with it . . . it defintely does make a difference, but it is not so dark that I have any problems seeing out at night

hint: the first two are "before", second two are "after"
I did the same thing. The place i went to (and have brought 2 other cars to) will only do the legal limit in MA, which is 35%. I think its perfect. Its enough to keep the car a few degrees cooler in the summer.

Although when i took one of the other cars to get inspected last year the guy argued with me saying the tint was too dark! Screw him! I got paperwork saying its 35%!
Old 8/24/10, 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Ethanjbeau
. . . . when i took one of the other cars to get inspected last year the guy argued with me saying the tint was too dark! Screw him! I got paperwork saying its 35%!
yeah, I'm still afraid that might happen, it depends on who you take it to and what mood they are in, whether they feel like giving you a hard time or not . . .

I had mine done at Ziebart in Shrewsbury, and they say they tested it with the same meter that the inspection guys use, so if they give me a hard time I will ask them to test it, not just go by eye.
Old 8/24/10, 10:39 AM
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I went with 35%, and depending on the angle, it can look really dark... No problems whatsoever with the cops, not even here in Germany / Belgium...

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