I have spent a lot of time on this website and found a lot of great advise from everyone, with only a few contributions. Now I have found a reason to ask for help.

I want to get my windows tinted and am looking for advice. The major reason I want the tint is to reduce the heat buildup inside the car during the summer, of course I think darker windows will also make the car look better. I live in PA and the tint laws seem to be debatable. Some say 70% is the minimum amount of light transmission allowed, others say it has to do with whether or not you can see into the car with the windows up.

After researching on-line, I am leaning towards 3M crystalline tint, as it has a relatively high heat rejection rate. 60% tint rejects 53% of the heat.

I went to a shop and held the samples up to the window (I know this is not a good example), but the 40% didn't look much darker than the factory tint. I am afraid if I go lower than 60% they will be very dark.

Does anyone have this product or other recommendations?

Thanks, any advise is appreciated.

Andrew

 

your local tint shop should be able to tell you the legal tint you are allowed to have.

I ran limo on my back 3 windows and 30% on the 2 doors. I like to stay legal here in Texas.

 

I have 20% all around on one of my cars (not the mustang) i didnt get around to it yet. I live in NY so legal percent here is 70% probably same in PA. The way i see it is go with the one you want because its illegal anyway and 70% SUCKS. It doesnt even give you darkness and privacy thats why i got 20%. I think 20% is the best way to go because during the day it gives you privacy and at night time no one can see in which i love. Its not too dark to drive with either thats why i decided on 20%. My brother has limo tint on his car and when i drive it its difficult for me to see and he even admits it also so as i said i think 20% is the best way to go because anything under 70% youll get a ticket so you might as well just what you want! p.s. I have never been ticketed for tints nor have i even been pulled over and asked about them

 

35% seems to be the norm for legal tint. I'm sure some states are more strict. I went 20% all around and have not had any issues since March.

 

Andrew:

Here's a link to a website, explaining the window tint laws for every U.S. State, including PA.

http://www.tintlaws.com/laws/PA/

I don't know how law enforcement is in your state, but here in Florida it is fairly relaxed in most counties. Unless you have mirror-tint or limo tint all around, and/or act stupid on the roadways, it is not a problem.

I have 20% all around on the Mustang, and have had not one issue.

Keep in mind, that some states have different tint laws in regards to cars, compared to pick-up trucks or SUV's. Here in FL, pick-up trucks and SUV's are considered MPV's (Multi Purpose Vehicles), and you are allowed to have the rear windows on those vehicles as dark as you want, including limo tint, except driver and passenger windows. However it does not apply to cars.

Ask your installer if the window tint has a lifetime warranty against fading. I know SunTek Carbon is one of the tints, which is warranted for life.


I hope this helps.

 

To clear things up, tint is measured in the percentage of light that passes through the tint: 35% tint means that 35% of light makes it through the film -- 5% is essentially a limo/blackout tint.

As a fellow PA resident, PA has absolutely HORRENDOUS tint laws.

Essentially, you'll find 2 answers:
1. The law is written so ambiguously, that the legality of tint is up to the discretion of the LEO stoppiing you ("must not impede the ability to see into the vehicle" is essentially what it states).
2. 65%-70% is the darkest you can go on any window of a coupe or sedan (in the state of PA, any SUV, wagon, or hatchback may legally have any degree of tint [even 0%] on windows behind the B-pillar).

This being said, I ran 35% tints on my Acura TSX for a while and never ran into any issues. It had a black interior and I felt that the tint was just right - not too dark or too light. You can pass inspection without an issue with any degree of tint no matter what -- it can only be written up as a moving violation. Generally it's a fix-it ticket (you have X days to remove it and provide proof, or you pay the ticket and be on your merry way).

Just depends on how your LEO is feeling that day, basically.

 

Was it unclear?

 

Well said.

I kept it "legal". I used Solarguard HP Supreme 30.
Specs here: http://www.solargard.com/us/Auto/HP_Supreme
This all around, nothing on front windshiled. So far no scratches, and clean with water only.

 

Thanks guys. I guess we all agree the tint laws in PA are terrible. Can any of you post pictures to show how well you can see into the car with all the windows closed? This is the thing I am having trouble with.

 

Here's 1 pic.

 

All the pics in my Garage are with the tint.

 

The visibility through tint is greatly affected by the amount of light on the other side. Depending on the angle of the sun / angle of the photo / whether or not the window on the other side of the car is down you can get drastically different appearances. Also, the color of the interior will make a big difference.

 

As a resident of PA the law is 70%. With that said i went ahead and had 35% tint done only to get a $200 dollar ticket two months later. So I guess you just have to ask yourself one question. Do you feel lucky punk!!? My understanding is the police can keep writing you up and I'm not sure if the cost goes up. So if you are generally a lucky person do it, if you have bad luck like me forget it!!!

 

andrew

what part of pa do you live in?

 

I live in the Harrisburg area.

Can any of you recommend a tint shop in this area?

 

I'm confused. If the law states 70% in PA, and you went with 35%, then why the ticket? Seems you could have presented the information from the web site and beat the ticket? What am I missing? Laws that are deemed ambiguous are what lawyers love to get their teeth into.

 

Because 35% is 35% darker than 70%. He could probably get by with something darker than 70% but be aware that Mustangs come with factory tint of somewhere around 5%-10% (95/90) now (though I cannot get a confirmation of % from anywhere). I bought "legal" tint but still got a ticket b/c the factory tint combined to reduce the visible light below 35% (and the dbag of a cop I dealt with didnt tell me the % it was under). I didnt want any hassles which is why I asked for legal, but now I have to pay to have the old tint to be removed, for new tint to be installed and for the ticket. Not fun. I might get out of the ticket, but I still have to take off work to fight it and I have no proof that I asked for "legal" tint and not 35% so that cost will be on me. IMO stay as close to legal as possible if you dont want to be hassled. 70% sure is lame though.

 

70% is much lighter than 35%, hence the ticket. The % is the amount of light that the tint allows to pass through it, so the lower the number the darker the tint. There are also different grades of tint, and different types. Dyed tint is usually the least expensive, but also is the least durable and tends to fade over time. (I'm sure you have seen old tint that has turned purple) Metallic tint is made with metal particles and won't fade as fast as dyed tint, has better heat reduction, but can interfere with electronics. (Radio, cell phone signal) Ceramic tint has the best heat/ uv reduction, it doesn't interfere with electronics signal, but is the most expensive. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Creative Car-Tunes in Camp Hill will hook you up. They outsource to a guy named Andy who probably has done most of the tints in the Harrisburg area. Lifetime warranty on the labor, and when I did 5 windows on my Acura it was $185 out the door. Great quality stuff.

 

I’m in hot & sunny southern Nevada and use the Formula One brand window tint, specifically the “Pinnacle” series for my last two cars because of the following properties it offers:

Proprietary non-metallized, nonconductive nano-ceramic technology maximizes heat and ultraviolet rejection, keeping you and your vehicle cool and helping to protect from the damaging effects of the sun. And unlike metallic products, Pinnacle films won’t interfere with your GPS, keyless entry, radar detector, mobile phone, and other radio frequency technology you rely on in your vehicle.

Other Formula One tint choices here: http://www.formulaone.com