Jaws

I'm looking into tint options for my 2005 TSX (Carbon Grey, Black), and I'm seriously considering getting Huper Optic because of it's heat rejection properties, since I live in Arizona. Locally, only one chain of dealers carries Huper, and they only carry the "Klasse" line of Sech and Drei, not the ceramic line (30%, 40%, 50%). So if my choice is between Sech & Drei, I'm leaning towards Sech because I don't think I really want to go as dark as Drei (but I'll consider it). Most of the form posts and car sample pictures I can find on the internet are of the ceramic line, and of course do me no good as far direct comparisons between sech and drei go. Does anyone know of any good forum posts, or preferably pictures, showing or comparing these two films, preferably on a darker colored car with a dark interior? I'd also be interested in any of your thoughts or experiences if you have one of these, or Huper Optic tints in general.

I want as much heat rejection as possible, but after seeing pictures of some 34% films (not Drei, but Huper 30% and others), I'm not sure if I want to go that dark, especially since I have a dark grey car with black interior. I also don't want to block a huge amount of the brightness when I'm in the car looking out (I assume the tint is lighter looking from the inside than outside?). I'm concerned about the darkness at night. Also, does anyone have anyone know how the tint effects the electro-chromatic mirror or radio reception? I've read that the Klase series is not ceramic like the other Huper line, so I'm concerned about radio/cell phone reception (I use an FM transmitter with my iPod), as well as seeing the rainbow spots on the windows while wearing my polarized sun glasses. Does anyone have any experience with these?

Yui

Hey Jaws,

I just got my Huper Optik Drei installed from Danny's Car Wash up in North Scottsdale. If you go with Sech, we can meet up and compare tints.

I don't find the Drei to be that dark at all. Visibility is very good, much better than the tint I had on my previous TSX. The heat blockage is very noticeable as well, definitely a worthy investment for being out here in AZ!

As far as interference, they don't put the Drei or Sech on the back window, they use something else, a Huper Optik product but something that's not going to interfere with antennae reception. I don't notice any decrease in reception on my car mine after installation.

smite

Hey Yui, so how is the 06 6spd treating ya? Have ya gotten the hang of it yet?

What % tint did you get? I'm thinking about getting Huper Optic as well when my car comes in. Maybe we can meet up sometime so I can check it out.

Yui

What's up Smite? How's the waiting going? Getting the hang of the 6 speed, indicated by the time between stalls going from minutes to days =P

I went with the Huper Optik Drei which is a 34% tint. visibility is a lot better than what I had on my 04. I don't even know what I had on my 04 cause the dealer installed it. All I know is that when I look through the tint on my 04 with sunglasses, I see an array of small round green/red circles, whereas I'm not seeing that on the side windows with the Huper Optik. I am, however, seeing that on the rear windshield. Danny's wouldn't install the same stuff on the back, citing lack of large enough pieces to do it as a one piece, so I may have to find another installer in California the next time I go visit my friend and get that replaced.

If you're not doing anything this weekend, I'm fancying a drive up to the Sedona area on Saturday, maybe I can meet up with you then? Send me a PM on that =)

Jaws

Hey Yui, thanks for your reply! The back window thing is a little concerning to me. I had read somewhere else that Danny's was putting non-huper on the back window (possibly Madco) when they first started installing it a couple years ago, but I thought that had stopped. The circles you're seeing sounds to me like a metallized tint (which the other Huper isn't). I don't really understand why they couldn't put Huper on the back when the other places around the country seem to have no problem with it. Unless it has to do with radio reception with Huper's metallized Drei/Sech and Danny's doesn't have the Huper ceramic to use on the back. Or, maybe they're trying to "save" money by not using Huper on the biggest window and ripping the customer off. I'm going to have to make a trip by there and question this, and maybe take a drive to LA to get it done (I think Danny's is already about $100 more than the places I've seen in LA).

Does anyone who has had Huper installed anywhere else have it on the back window, especially Drei or Sech? This would give me some evidence to counter whatever Danny's claims?

Yui

Oh, well after I'd asked the same thing it came down to "We don't have a large enough roll to do your back window as a one piece. We can do the rear on Minis as a custom thing but everyone who gets Huper Optik gets the same on the back." They mentioned doing the back as a 2 piece but I didn't like that idea at all. It IS a Huper Optik tint but just not the Drei or the Stark.

Knox

My old Jetta had 2 pieces in back. He ran the divide along a defroster line and it was hidden. Nobody knew until I told them. He did the same for my Passat. If they do it right, I'd go for it.

CJams

You can hide that seem pretty easy when doing a 2 piece back window. The only thing is they might cut that specific defroster line and it will never work again. One of many defroster lines, but still....

The only reason you would want a 2 piece back window is if they don't have a big enough roll. If most of the cars they do are 2 piece, the tint shop sux because they can't heat shape the back window.

Yui

Yes, the reason they would have had to do it as a 2 piece was because they didn't have a big enough roll. So, they switched to another type of tint instead, of which they had larger rolls.