Thinking about tinting my 2006 RL. Anyone use a High Performance Hybrid Tinted Windows, I was told by one tint place it was a combination of dyed and metal, but will not fade or interfere with the NAV. Wondering if anyone has installed the hybrid tint? Btw, the brand was Sungard Diamond brand.

Thanks

 

Ceramic is the way to go if you don't want to interfere with Nav/XM. Costs a little more but so did your car! I would recommend FormulaOne Pinnacle http://www.formulaone.com/

 

How much did that run you? I got a quote from a local tint place here in the DC/MD/VA for $330. Seems a bit steep.

 

North Carolina's max tint allowed is 35%, which would be Formulaone's Pinnacle 35 (ceramic). The nearest shop is 50 miles away. Anyone on this board had Formulaone Pinnacle installed? If so, comments? Darkness? Any change in GPS/Nav performance?

Love my RL (Dark Gray, Light gray interior) but can already tell it will be a hot puppy to get into this summer. Yo, folks down in Florida and Arizona - how much cooler was your car after getting the windows tinted?

 

Another alternative to ceramic is 3M dyed tint. I had it on my TL with no issues whatsoever. I paid about $125 for the installation (Florida has many tint dealers and favorable pricing as a result). But I believe it is less than Formula One and more readily available to tint installers.

You may want to check the prices in your area and compare. This is what 3M promotes on this tint:

"While most other window film companies buy their polyester from someone else, 3M makes its own polyester in Decatur, Alabama. During this process, 3M patented a technology for producing its own nano-carbon polyester. This revolutionary and unique process, allows for maximum heat rejection without metals, which can interfere with radio and/or satellite signals. It also gives our films a beautiful neutral black look with unpararell color stability. Never before has anyone done this. In fact, it's so advanced that in time-based tests, 3M Color-Stable Auto Film held its color while most conventional dyed films rapidly changed to a purple color. No purple windows. Guaranteed!

We stand behind our work. Color-Stable films are backed by a limited lifetime warranty, which includes color stability."

 

Okay, well after doing some more research, I decided to go with the Formula1's Pinnacle series. VA has a max law of 50% in the front and 35% in the rear.... I went for a consistent look...so did the 50% all the way around. Got the tint place to do it for $300, but had to pay cash. I think the ceramic tint has a much darker finish than the standard dyed. So, far no issues with my NAV or XM radio. I'm glad I went with the ceramic, although it was a more expensive... I felt like it was more of a better choice and peace of mind. Looks great...will post pictures later.

 

Great choice! A little more than I paid, but paying a little more for quality will serve you well. One of the greatest properties of this ceramic is the lack of shine and glare especially at night. I can see through my rear window at night as good as I could before tinting.

 

Here are some pictures after the FormulaOne tint was installed. Very happy with the results. It has a very clean finish on the tint and this by far the best tint quality film I have ever had installed on a car. That's probably why it was more expensive...but well worth it.

 

Beautiful--I hope I can get mine to look like yours. The shine is outstanding. The tint looks great.

No police troubles? It looks dark for 50% at some angles.

 

I said the same thing... it doesn't look like a 50% tint. There's definitely some quality to the Pinnacle series. It makes the tint a bit more reflective when the sun hits it. Btw, I also had the rear door shades up and my rear power shade up at the time I took the picture. Other reason it probably looks dark is b/c I have a black interior. No issues with the police....cross my fingers? Plus I have a receipt from the place I tinted from; stating it's a 50% tint. I think the RL windows had a slight tint to it already before the tint. That might explain why it looks even darker.

After the shock of having to pay $300....I was use to paying like $120-$150 for the cheaper dyed tints in the past. Anyway, I'm totally satified with the results and glad I shelled out the $$ for quality. I can definitely see it. I'm almost kicking myself for not doing it early, but it just makes me appreciate the look even more. Also, it does cool the car a little bit, but I tinted the car more for the appearance. Good luck with you tint!