hangbok

Hey guys,
I'm looking at tinting my car. I have a black 02 tl, and I live in chicago, IL where the tint laws are a pain in the ass. Its none in the front, and about 40% in the rear. Also, since I attend purdue, where the laws are more leanient, I was thinking about doing an all around tint job.

Question is, what combo do i go with? I was thinking about 35% tint, all around. I dont' want my car to be like too dark doing the day, but juss enough so that at night, you can tell i have tints on.

Does anyone have pics of cars with 35% tint, also 35% front/25%rear?

... and what kind of tints do u guys recommend?

plz post pics.. i'm a visual person!..=P

anokha786

Do a search. This topic has been beaten to death several times on this board.

-Ash.

fsttyms1

i have 35 on the frot 2 windows ans 25 on all the rest

jpadilla

37% all the way around, uniform color and balanced. looks great on SSM.

bassplayer

i have a black 03 with:
50% Front
35% rear
20% rear window.
i live in california....
pics in my gallery. hope it helps...

goldendragon576

20% in the rear and 35% all around. The cops look at me all the time but since 35% is light enought that they can see me, they don't bother.

edgalang

Front half = 4 windows (2 front sides, windshield + moonroof)
Rear Half = 5 Windows (2+2 rear sides + Rear Window)

SUNNY DAY

Headon NO Flash


With Flash


No Flash


With Flash


No Flash


No Flash

edgalang

MILD OVERCAST

No Flash


No Flash


Keep in mind the non-flash pictures show up brighter because the lens have to stay open longer. A tripod is used on all pictures.

SilverUA5

20% and 35% is almost the same, i would say 20% in the back and 55% in the front, but if you really want it dark, get 5% in the back and 35% or 55% in the front.

BLaCk Acc

5% limo tint iss pimpp lol no one can see **** in my car, it sucks when u gotta flick someone off u gotta roll down the window lol
check it out,,

r10apple

Mine is 20% all the way around. IMuHO, there is a pretty discernable difference between 20% and 35%...The legal limit in Florida is 35% up front, but I just as soon keep the tint and pay the ticket if I get one...
I'm too old and eyeworn to put 5% on anymore--can't see at night!!!

sc354

I'm in the same boat as you. I've narrowed my possibilities down to 2.

I'm either going with 35 for the side windows (2 fronts and 2 rears), and then 20 on the back windshield

or I will put 35 on the two front windows (driver and passenger), and then 20 for the rear windows and back windshield.

I have been told that the second option that I want to put on will not give a clean look. When ppl seeing the car from a side view, it will look awkward having two shades of tint.

I'm sure whatever you choose will look good, you're the only person that has to like it.

maxx96

This is what I use on mine, Llumar 35% Front, 20% Back and rear.

TeknoKing

one advice after seeing many tints on different cars, DONT MIX.

(only play with the rear window IF you really want to)

35% all around is legal, but you can still see pretty much into the car.

anything above 35% is a waste of money to put on.

I have 20% all around, not tooo dark, not too light, just perfect.

5% tints are cool especially if you have excellent vision at night, which i dont :[

fsttyms1

its dirty but here is 35-front 25-rear

edgalang

Get your facts straight...it's only legal in certain states. In CA, the legal limit up front (2 side windows) is 70%. If you are going to give legal advice here, at the very minimum say which state it's for. (BTW tinting the entire windshield is illegal...just cuz I did it, does not mean I'm promoting others to do so.)

Define waste of money. They reason I chose such a light tint is because any darker, I'd be looking @ a fix-it ticket. The whole purpose of tints (in my case) was to get the 98% UV blocking feature the tints had. Even @ 70%, as long as it blocks out the harmful UV rays, I think it's worth it. There are a number of asian women that travel and does every bit they can to NOT get tan. Putting tints on every square inch of window (regadless of how dark) fixes their problem. (if you can't tell already...I'm with one of them)

Do you have it on your windshield too? Because if you don't, having a dark tint all around then all of a sudden mixing it with a window that has no tint is the UN-cleanest thing IMO.

I'd almost agree. The problem with 5% though is that it's that much harder to blend with the front. If you start out with 5% in the rear, then the lightest that could go in the front without looking too obvious is 20%, which means the windshield would have to be around 35% to blend in right. A 5% rear combo is too dark for me too.

vsop TL-S

I used Madico Cool Chrome 35% all around. I try to get a pic posted later today.

njtls

edgalang...does the 55% on the front windsheild stand out to the cops?...i was thinking of going 50%...or 70% on the frotn windshield...whats your opinion?

fsttyms1

its illeagl to put it on your windshield in every state unless your talking about your "A" line. in which case it doesnt matter what you use. i have vinyl on mine

thegold91

i have 85% tint on all the windows except the front. its relatively easy to see out of and extremely hard to see in to.

fsttyms1

85%??????? the higher the # the lighter it is and that stuff is pretty darn dark. i have 35/25 and it doesnt look that dark.

edgalang

Keep in mind the higher the %, the lighter the tint is. As for cops, the reason why I used a tint combo in the first place, was that I wanted to give an illusion that my tints are stock, yet dark enough to provide a "little" more privacy in the rear. I've been running with this setup for a little more than a year now. Purchased the car @ April 28, 2001, and the tints was my 4th mod a few months later. The whole point is to tint it just enough to NOT let anyone know you tinted it.

But I digress. Unlike most people here, my primary reason for tints was NOT for looks. Even if I was forced to tints my entire car with 70% I would...since the added UV protection alone is worth it. Ever get in a black interior car after it was parked outside for 8 hours in a sunny day? With this setup, I don't have to have a heatshield for my dashboard. The important decision to make is not how dark the tint is, but the quality of tint your getting. Some lasts for only 3-5 years, mine lasts for the life of the car (or in this case, window).

IMO, anything less than 50% on the windshield is asking for trouble. That's a huge fine if you get caught! I even had insurance adjusters drive my car and as far as they know, the windows are all stock.

TeknoKing

edgalang


no one in their right state of mind would tint the windshield,as you've mentioned it is totally illegal.

i got a few tickets for my 20%, but its worth it the 50 dollar ticket is not that bad.

and I tint for privacy, the look and leather protection, and not for the sun UV rays, im not a hypochondriac =]

sooner or later all tints and all HIDs will be illegal, our poor goverment needs more money

njtls

well i want to tint my windsheild for looks...maybe i'll jsut do 70% to be safe

TeknoKing

cool, post pics if you will, it should look hot. (just watch out for cops)

edgalang

Apperantly we're not talking on the right plane here. You say you wouldn't put windshield tint on because it's illegal, yet you do the exact opposite and put darker tints on the side even though THAT's illegal. You claim that you don't like mixed tints since you think it doesn't blend nicely on the car, yet you have a very high contrast of dark tinted windows with one that's not tinted at all. You bring up the subject of hypocondria, but how is that at all related to wanting to make the interior of the car cooler in hot days?

The reason why I even replied to your first post is to simply ask all users of this board to get their facts straight. Simple. You are relatively new to this board, so I understand...but, the last thing anyone of us wants is to give a relatively new member bad legal advice. Opinions and rumors are one thing, but don't confuse them for facts.

edgalang

I apologise if I sound a bit harsh. Again that is not my intention. I come off a tad bit too logical at times, but in reality, I try my best to do my part to help keep this board as positive and encouraging as possible. I just hope this site doesn't turn into a SuperHonda type of forum...where most/if not all entries are nothing more than opinions and rumors with nothing to back them up. But...with the now introduction of the 3rd generation TL, more younger buyers will start to flood the forum since the 2nd gen TL is starting to become more affordable. I'm sure the decrease of maturity level overtime is inevitable, but I can still try right?

`ill*tl

20% all around & 5% rear windshield

At a certain angle in the sunlight, you can't see anything through the car


This is how it would look on a sunny day with the sunroof open (The garage light right above the car is acting as the sun)


.. sorry I don't have any better pictures :o

fsttyms1

lookin sweet brian! wish my car was that clean!

Jon1981

I got my windows tinted because I dont want to get confused with someone and end up shot, dead or jacked. Plus when you creepin on your lady you dont want everyone finding out who you was with. The US goverment outlaws all things that we can use to protect ourselves. They wanna police us 24/7, know what we doing, how were doing, who we doing, and where we got it from.

blk_tl

Mine 5%

BLaCk Acc

WTF?? am i the only one confsued??

`ill*tl

Thanks Kris..haha, yeah I got a peek of your car. Just make sure to clean her real nice when the weather clears up. I heard it snowed about 3in's up there.

fsttyms1

yea we have had some crappy weather lately. ill clean her up nicely soon. my GF got me the factory body kit for X-MAS

bassplayer

This is a good one?

`ill*tl

Ooo...the kit makes our cars really stand out. It's funny when I pull up to some old person in a TL-S and he's looking at my car all funny thinking how come mine looks so much better than his You gonna wait until Spring to kit your car?

fsttyms1

nope as soon as it comes in, i may wait till i repaint the front bumper and hood though?

`ill*tl

I say put them on as soon as you get it!!!

fsttyms1

i probably will!