Alright im new to Acurazine as well as to the forum blog thing.I just got a 2006 TL base model with the upgraded
18" Aspec chromed wheels. Where would be the best place to get the car tinted and what would be the best percentage to get.I like the way 20% looks but nobody will tint the entire car 20%.I live in Leander and work in Austin.

 

K-001: Legal Tint Limits and Information
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164732


Post in the TX sub-forum for info on where to go in Austin: https://acurazine.com/forums/texas-319/

 

35% in my opinion is the best all around tint. It looks the classiest from the outside, good protection on the inside and adds a perfect comfortable atmosphere, its legal in most states, and you can actually see out the windows at night.

I bought my TLS from TX and it had 30% all around which I believe is legal in the state of TX. It looks great!! 20% is decent but does get a bit tough to see out of at night. Anything less than that and its just ridiculous. Looks kind of ghetto too I think.
My last piece of advice is do not mix and match tint percentages. You see a lot of cars where someone will put something dark on the back window and rear doors then something light on the front doors. Looks stupid I think and gives the car an overall awkward look. If you like 20%, go 20% all around (or 35% or whatever). Lastly, make sure the tinter fully tints the small windows on the back doors. Often tinters will not push the tint behind the rubber weather strip and it gives the car a weird looking line that is pretty noticeable after the car is tinted. If the tinter says its not possible go to a different shop because a good tinter can do it with no problems at all.

Hope this helps.

James

 

well you obviously do not live in a state like VA where they jump out of trees just to give you a tint tix. or CA where you can't even put (at least you aren't suppose to) tint on the front (though CA doesn't enforce it as strictly as VA). so running the legal 50/35 in VA keeps you hassle free (in most cases) from the cops. yes there are plenty of people that will run 35% all around in this area, but when they are out enforcing...they will happily give you that tix to pad county or state revenue. i have mixed tint (50/35) and honestly it doens't look THAT bad. with a black interior it actually blends pretty well. i just got my MDX tinted as well (the fronts-again mixed b/c of the lovely tint laws we have here). i understand the concept of you gotta pay to play...i wanna play without the hassle and payment of unneeded tix.

so...with that said, it comes down to preference and what your state laws are as well as how STRICT they are about enforcing them. in VA they WILL pull you over just for tint. not sure how they are in TX, but i'm sure some of those will chime in on the enforcement aspect of it.

OP have you considered what type of tint you want to run??? you only talk about percentages. b/c of the TX heat i'm gonna say a lot of guys will run ceramic tint (most expensive, but the most heat rejection).

 

i got 3m tint 35% all around on mine wouldnt consider anything else

it is very high quality and will never turn purple

$299 installed out the door

 

I have 20% and really like it. I thought it was to dark at first but I really like it now.

 

very good tint! However for people who don't know much don't let a place just quote you a price saying they use 3M tint because 3M makes many different lines from lower grade fx series to the highest grade which is Crystalline. The difference between the tints is not how it looks it's how much heat rejection you get and the associated warranty.

The 3M tint you all should be aiming for is in the following order:

1. 3M Crystalline (however doesn't come less than 40%)
2. 3M Color Stable (however no 15% tints)
3. 3M FX-HP (lower grade and a little less heat rejection)

Optimum would be to get 3M color stable on the sides and Crystalline tint on the front windshield. Remember there's 2 way to achieve heat rejection, 1. Dark tint 2. Quality Tint. The Crystalline 50% tint will reject just as much as some cars with 15% all around!! About 56%!!

All 3 of those tints are non metallic and will not interfere with the electronics in the car. The price will vary though depending on what you choose. If you tell me your interior color I can recommend the perfect setup for your taste. Ive perfected this to a science with the amount of tints I've done and redone.

 

This is true if your interior is black. If not and it's parchment 35% will look like a joke and as if no tint is applied at all during a bright and sunny day. Also the mixing and matching of tints can be done but never should be done on the 4 side windows. However doing 35% on the side 4 windows and 20% on the rear glass is a killer combo and will look perfect. This is my ideal setup for black interiors. Remember most light comes from the rear windshield and front windshield.

 

OP- Check your tint laws in TX before you made a decision unless you really don't give a zhit about the police and run what you want.

 

I just had 3M Crystalline tint installed on my RSX. I put 70% on the sides, back, and sunroof and 90% on the windshield. This stuff is amazing. The 70% looks like a mild factory tint but blocks 97% of the IR thermal energy. The 90% looks totally transparent but blocks 90% of the IR thermal energy.

With the bright sun beating down on you, you can't even feel it. My A/C doesn't work nearly as hard to keep the car comfortable.

The only downside to this tint is the cost. It ran me $299 for the sides and back, $60 for the sunroof, and $160 for the windshield. The cost would be higher for a 4-door car.

This tint is available in 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 90%. The darker tints all block 97% of the IR thermal energy, so going darker would be more of a personal preference rather than a way to get improved performance. My installer here in Florida said that most of his customers who buy the 3M Crystalline tint put 40% all around and 70% on the windshield.

If you simply want your windows tinted dark for privacy or you like the way it looks, you can use any tint. If you live in the sun belt and want to keep the heat out of your car, the 3M Crystalline tint is your best choice.

(No, I'm not associated with 3M. I'm just very impressed with the performance of this tint film)

 

Just had 30% done on my TL-S (white interior)

 

Personally I like 20 all around. Unfortunately I don't want to get hassled and so I will end up getting 35 when I get my TL tinted.

I had 5% all around on my CL and got pulled over a couple times. Twice by the same cop.

 

Another huge fan of 35% here as well, it's about the safest way to go in terms of being pulled over.

I REALLY like 20% but it's pushing it here in PA, especially late at night when the police have nothing going on.

 

looks like Huper Optik?

 

Limo tint all dayy!!!!

 

^:looksatage: oh, that explains it.

 

Im also a big fan of the 20% all around n most likely will end up with 20 all around my TL
used 2 have a Civic n besides the attention i got from the cops bc of my exhaust they always said somethin about my tints..
then i had my friend(who works at 3M) take off the bak tint n leave it at 35% after i did tht small change i never got pulled over...
i live in MD and always went 2 DC but never got pulled over after...

 

I might be out in left field on this one, but I recently got Llumar brand Air-80 (80%) on the front windshield and Wincos brand 60% on all the sides and rear; and as the multi-cultural McDonalds commercial states, "I'm lovin' it." It has a noticeable blue hue to it and matches well with my silver '08 TL-S. It was expensive, $1200 to get both my TL and my '06 Civic Hybrid, but well worth it for the heat rejection properties of ceramic tint.

I live in CA so like most states, I could choose to run a graded tint from front to back or choose a very light color all around.

From outside:
When you stand directly perpendicular to the car, you can see clear through to the other side. Yet as soon as you start viewing the windows at an angle, the reflectivity of the tint helps to mask most objects on the inside.

From inside:
At first, it felt a little strange since 80% and 60% is so light, but I value retaining visibility over the "limo" look. Visibility in all ambient light conditions is excellent, about 95% of stock visibility is retained.

Overall:
If I open the sunroof, the light reflection off my "bone" colored interior allows almost full visibility of the interior from the exterior. I'm not sure how much this will annoy you, but since I don't pick my nose or rail pure Colombian snow off my dashboard while I drive, it isn't an issue for me. At night, with my NAV off and cluster lights dimmed (to prevent light fatigue) it is almost impossible to see into the interior from a reasonable distance (I doubt anyone will be pressing their nose to my window while I'm at a stoplight).

I used to have 50% and 35% on my '06 Civic Hybrid to control interior temperatures (the batteries are cooled by the interior air), but I found it dangerous to drive at dawn or dusk since most people don't drive with headlights on in low light (but not quite dark) conditions. My girlfriend became wary of driving this car at night due to this reason. This is the major reason I chose to change out the tints. I'm not saying that you'd be blind with 35% tints, but basically you have to rely on headlights and reflections to mark cars that are greater than 2 car-lengths away from you. If I get un-lazy enough, I'll take some pics of both cars as soon as I wash the filth of NorCal off my car (recent roadtrip).

 

Look for the state laws, as simple as that; orrrrrr tint in any percentage you want and gain your first tint ticket