Hi all-
This is my first post. I bought an Acura Tl 07 about 6 months ago and love it. Finally in a position to tint.

First question is: Is Suntech or 3M a better tint? I'm finding prices from 180 for Suntech carbon up to $290 for Suntech XP. Also $220-315 for 3M.

Second question is: Is moleskin neccesary to keep tint good, and can I do it myself? Nobody knows what I'm talking about when I ask and then after explanation they all say no.

Any thoughts or experience would be greatly appreciated.

 

don't get too caught up in the window tinting world.

any reputable tint shop will only install high quality films anyway. save your money and go with the "bottom of the barrel" choice. my shop had 3 or 4 different types of film and i chose the cheapest one and 3 years later it looks the exact same.

regarding your second question about moleskin, yes you can install it yourself but again, any reputable tint shop should know what you are referring to. a lot of cars just like ours require moleskin to be installed so that the tint film doesn't get scratched and leave unsightly scars/lines. it just makes more sense for the shop to do it since they're already in there messing with your windows/door panels and whatnot.

 

i have the suntek xp carbon and i paid $300 installed, it was a bit pricey but service was what i mainly paid extra for.. the other shops around my area don't really do that great of a job.. so it was worth it to me, of course you'll find cheaper and more expensive but it all depends on your area as well

 

Search here is your friend. As long as you go to a good place, they should have lifetime warranties to cover either brand. Moleskins are important, especially as these cars get older and dirtier. They aren't that hard to install yourself either.

My 2 cents: I'm in Denver too, and semi-recently had mine tinted with 3M from American Auto Enhancement (off Broadway/Arapahoe). They do the moleskin all the time, and everything for a good price (I think it was $189/tint, + $20/window for moleskin). Great service too.

I had cheaper Sun Tek or Sun Pak (I forget which) on my last TL, and it would give weird patterns when you had polarized sun glasses on.

 

Save yourself money and headaches with all that adhesive crap and install your own felt. I think I originally got the idea from justnspace where you get yourself some felt from any store for a couple bucks. Remove the door panels and rubber gasket strip and simply cut the felt to size and attach it around the runner gasket strip. No adhesive used and no chance for it to slide off since its held in place with the door panel when finished. Has been on for a few months now and works flawlessly. Sorry I don't have pics.