Window tinting... looking for ideas
12-11-2009, 09:14 AM
#41
Drifting
Yea, the tint guy said that the tint from the factory is about 90% then he put on the ESC 45, which put the total level to 35%. The ESC 35 would have put it below the legal limit here in MA.
But it looks great, i've very pleased with the work that he did. And the extra reflectivity really adds a touch of class to it. I like that it's something a bit different than the standard "black" tint.
But it looks great, i've very pleased with the work that he did. And the extra reflectivity really adds a touch of class to it. I like that it's something a bit different than the standard "black" tint.
12-11-2009, 09:35 AM
#42
Drifting
Yea, and at 76% total IR rejection puts it more than double than a comparable dyed or metallic tint... crazy good stuff.
12-11-2009, 09:36 AM
#43
Drifting
Figured I'd update this as well, Got the Huper ESC brand, Pic's here.
https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/window-tinting-looking-ideas-716482/#post11562673
https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/window-tinting-looking-ideas-716482/#post11562673
12-11-2009, 04:21 PM
#44
Instructor
I went with the double layer Ceramic Series; the ESC is a little more reflective as it has a higher VLR. That really works with the CBP.
I sort of think that the Ceramic Series might be too thick for the window motors. The windows move a little slower and it sounds like the motor is straining a bit (especially when the windows are wet). Luckily it doesn't rain that much in SoCal. Nonetheless both are great lines of tint and I'm sure you'll be VERY happy.
I sort of think that the Ceramic Series might be too thick for the window motors. The windows move a little slower and it sounds like the motor is straining a bit (especially when the windows are wet). Luckily it doesn't rain that much in SoCal. Nonetheless both are great lines of tint and I'm sure you'll be VERY happy.
12-12-2009, 07:36 PM
#45
Cruisin'
After viewing the pics, I gave the tint-king in Billerica where Pete went (appreciate the referance) a call to talk about it and 15 minutes later I'm on my way to drop my car off there. It's less than a mile from where I work and I couldn't think of a reason not to do it. When he heard I had a light interior, he said it wouldn't look as nice as the Ebony. It definitely looks great, just waiting for the rear to dry, it looks a little cloudy, but I'm assuming as it dries it'll lok better. He did say first day it looks good, but it takes a couple of days or longer to dry and that people have called him saying it doesn't look right, but then never call back, so I'm trusting him on this one. I think it'll come out great. It's not as dark as I thought. The other thing is that the rear defroster with the tint seems to take the one set of headlights behind me and break them up into a set per line of defroster. Not sure if that will go away or just be something I have to live with.
He did talk about covering the headlights with a clear cover to protect the from pitting. There was a 2007 G35 in the shop at the time and boy you could really see the headlight covers pitting pretty badly after only 2 years. Any thoughts on getting the headlights done? $50 I think he said.
He did talk about covering the headlights with a clear cover to protect the from pitting. There was a 2007 G35 in the shop at the time and boy you could really see the headlight covers pitting pretty badly after only 2 years. Any thoughts on getting the headlights done? $50 I think he said.
12-12-2009, 10:07 PM
#46
Drifting
After viewing the pics, I gave the tint-king in Billerica where Pete went (appreciate the referance) a call to talk about it and 15 minutes later I'm on my way to drop my car off there. It's less than a mile from where I work and I couldn't think of a reason not to do it. When he heard I had a light interior, he said it wouldn't look as nice as the Ebony. It definitely looks great, just waiting for the rear to dry, it looks a little cloudy, but I'm assuming as it dries it'll lok better. He did say first day it looks good, but it takes a couple of days or longer to dry and that people have called him saying it doesn't look right, but then never call back, so I'm trusting him on this one. I think it'll come out great. It's not as dark as I thought. The other thing is that the rear defroster with the tint seems to take the one set of headlights behind me and break them up into a set per line of defroster. Not sure if that will go away or just be something I have to live with.
He did talk about covering the headlights with a clear cover to protect the from pitting. There was a 2007 G35 in the shop at the time and boy you could really see the headlight covers pitting pretty badly after only 2 years. Any thoughts on getting the headlights done? $50 I think he said.
He did talk about covering the headlights with a clear cover to protect the from pitting. There was a 2007 G35 in the shop at the time and boy you could really see the headlight covers pitting pretty badly after only 2 years. Any thoughts on getting the headlights done? $50 I think he said.
The rear light thing I had with my last tint on my 3G, either I got used to it, or it goes away, I don't remember exactly.
He said the same thing about my headlights as well. I figured you could buy some overlays and do it yourself for cheaper. But I am also wondering if anyone else got overlays for their headlights?
12-12-2009, 11:28 PM
#47
Instructor
@BGinMA...post some pics!
This all sounds familiar...after dropping $500 I was expecting perfection so I gave the tint shop a call a few days after the install about the cloudiness and defroster lines. The installer said that 48 hours is enough dry time for me to use the roll-ups but that it could take 6 weeks or longer for the tint to fully cure. The cloudiness went away after about 2 weeks and the defroster line issue went away after about a month.
This all sounds familiar...after dropping $500 I was expecting perfection so I gave the tint shop a call a few days after the install about the cloudiness and defroster lines. The installer said that 48 hours is enough dry time for me to use the roll-ups but that it could take 6 weeks or longer for the tint to fully cure. The cloudiness went away after about 2 weeks and the defroster line issue went away after about a month.
12-24-2009, 02:31 AM
#48
quick question for you guys that got your tints done at tint king in bellerica. how much did you guys pay? im fairly certain im gonna go with the HO ceramic 40. also, i have heard that most people go darker in the rear window to make it seem like the fronts are darker. any suggestions regarding that? last thing, should I wait til the spring to get tints or is it safe to do them in the winter? thanks
12-24-2009, 03:03 PM
#50
Window tint recommendatios
I getting ready to tint my windows and put on a clear bra. I leaning toward the Llumar Formula one Pinnacle ceramic tint and the 3M clear bra. Does anyone have any experience with either? I would like to get both completed as soon as possible.
12-24-2009, 03:52 PM
#51
Instructor
I don't, but I've heard good things about FormulaOne.
I have Huper Optik Dual-Layer Ceramic Series and a few other people here have Huper Optik Single-Layer ESC. https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...errerid=270088
I have Huper Optik Dual-Layer Ceramic Series and a few other people here have Huper Optik Single-Layer ESC. https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...errerid=270088
12-24-2009, 06:04 PM
#53
Instructor
I'd ask the installer, but I think you'll be fine doing it now. It might take a little longer to dry and cure though.
I considered a few install options before I had my HO done (Are you going with the ESC? If so, my post probably won't help much!):
Option #1 was 30 all around. The installer thought it would be too dark for LA
Option #2 was 40 on the front 2 rollups and 30 on the other 3 windows. My installer advised against that because it wouldn't blend well. He said that the front 2 would probably look even lighter if he did that.
Option #3 was 40 on all 4 rollups and 30 on the rear fixed. He said he usually doesn't do this but it would look decent. He also said that 30 on the rear fixed would have a marginal effect on the darkness of the front 2 rollups but that the rear 2 rollups would still look darker than the fronts but not to the degree as in #2. His main concern was that the higher reflectivity of 30 (as compared to 40 on sides) would be very noticeable and somewhat annoying to me since I had be using ceramic for a while and generally approach the car from the rear.
Option #4 was 40 all around and my installer's recommendation. I ended up doing this one. My installer was even a little surprised with how good it looked. It came out darker than we both expected so 30 definitely would've been too dark. He thought the front 2 rollups were going to look lighter than the rear 2 because of the slope of the rear fixed window but they generally don't.
The darkness can change just by walking from the front to the rear of the car. In petec's first and third pic you can barely tell that his front rollups are tinted because of sunlight entering through his windshield. But in pic 4 the front rollup looks lighter than the rear while it looks the same shade in pic 2.
I'll try to get some pics for you next weekend when I'm back in LA. Time to put out the reindeer food...
I considered a few install options before I had my HO done (Are you going with the ESC? If so, my post probably won't help much!):
Option #1 was 30 all around. The installer thought it would be too dark for LA
Option #2 was 40 on the front 2 rollups and 30 on the other 3 windows. My installer advised against that because it wouldn't blend well. He said that the front 2 would probably look even lighter if he did that.
Option #3 was 40 on all 4 rollups and 30 on the rear fixed. He said he usually doesn't do this but it would look decent. He also said that 30 on the rear fixed would have a marginal effect on the darkness of the front 2 rollups but that the rear 2 rollups would still look darker than the fronts but not to the degree as in #2. His main concern was that the higher reflectivity of 30 (as compared to 40 on sides) would be very noticeable and somewhat annoying to me since I had be using ceramic for a while and generally approach the car from the rear.
Option #4 was 40 all around and my installer's recommendation. I ended up doing this one. My installer was even a little surprised with how good it looked. It came out darker than we both expected so 30 definitely would've been too dark. He thought the front 2 rollups were going to look lighter than the rear 2 because of the slope of the rear fixed window but they generally don't.
The darkness can change just by walking from the front to the rear of the car. In petec's first and third pic you can barely tell that his front rollups are tinted because of sunlight entering through his windshield. But in pic 4 the front rollup looks lighter than the rear while it looks the same shade in pic 2.
I'll try to get some pics for you next weekend when I'm back in LA. Time to put out the reindeer food...
12-24-2009, 08:11 PM
#54
Cruisin'
BigBunks,
I got my car done at the tint king, same as Pete with the Huper Optik ESC 45 to make it ESC 35 which is MA legal, $380.
In some lighting it looks really transparent that you can hardly tell it's tinted, maybe that has something to do with the Taupe interior being so light. Sometimes it looks much darker. I got it done on a bitterly cold day 12 days ago. The installer recommended that I leave my car running for 2 hours with the heat on high. I did that and the side windows seemed to be very clear in 2 days or so. The back window still looks like it has a ways to go. It gets more clear each day, I think I just need to be patient. I'll try to get some pics this weekend after I chisel the salt off. Seems like they've used a whole lot more this year than usual.
I got my car done at the tint king, same as Pete with the Huper Optik ESC 45 to make it ESC 35 which is MA legal, $380.
In some lighting it looks really transparent that you can hardly tell it's tinted, maybe that has something to do with the Taupe interior being so light. Sometimes it looks much darker. I got it done on a bitterly cold day 12 days ago. The installer recommended that I leave my car running for 2 hours with the heat on high. I did that and the side windows seemed to be very clear in 2 days or so. The back window still looks like it has a ways to go. It gets more clear each day, I think I just need to be patient. I'll try to get some pics this weekend after I chisel the salt off. Seems like they've used a whole lot more this year than usual.
12-25-2009, 06:21 PM
#55
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I have the F1 ceramic tint. Great stuff. I've heard the HO is great also, a bit more blue, and a little thicker. The metalic I had for 10 years on my last car faded to 1/2 what it was to start with -- ceramic is not supposed to fade at all, and does not mess with GPS/phone recrption. You can't go wrong with F1 or HO -- small amount more $$ to pay for the best.
12-25-2009, 06:54 PM
#56
Drifting
Yea, almost a month for mine. The sides are all totally clear, not seeing anything with those anymore. The rear still has a little ways to go. It's at the point now where you can only really tell when you look thru the rear at another car. I would bet in a couple more weeks it will be perfect.
01-06-2010, 11:17 AM
#60
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I haven't tried Geoshield but I had MAC (Madico Advanced Ceramic) on my last car and Huper on my current. No complaints with either.
Here's my car with Huper 40. The darkness varies with the angle and amount of sunlight; it doesn't usually look much darker than this. I'm having the windshield done with Huper 60 in January and will post a new pic after its done.
Here's my car with Huper 40. The darkness varies with the angle and amount of sunlight; it doesn't usually look much darker than this. I'm having the windshield done with Huper 60 in January and will post a new pic after its done.
01-06-2010, 03:51 PM
#61
Instructor
I don't. Its usually dark out when I get home during the week so I'll try to take a few this weekend for you.
petec2010 has a few posted of his car with HO ESC in a different thread. He posted the link in one of the messages above.
petec2010 has a few posted of his car with HO ESC in a different thread. He posted the link in one of the messages above.
01-10-2010, 10:04 PM
#62
Instructor
Pics...as promised. It would've been too dark to take pics when I made it home tonight so I pulled over in an empty parking lot and snapped a few with my crackberry.
01-10-2010, 10:31 PM
#63
Racer
01-11-2010, 12:14 PM
#65
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Thanks for those crackberry pics and those angles. It looks a little darker than I expected. Very nice looking car!
01-11-2010, 01:25 PM
#66
Drifting
Very nice pics! You're is definitely blacker in color than mine. Mine is more of a silver color. But the reflection from those angles on mine looks similar. From some angles it almost looks illegal (in MA at least @ 35%).
One thing is certain, HO is one of a kind tint.
One thing is certain, HO is one of a kind tint.
01-11-2010, 01:33 PM
#67
I spoke with a guy from tint king and he said that the tint they use most often of cars is the energy saver ceramic 45. he also said they use the ceramic 40 but that it is more of a commerical film and costs $450 compared to $380 for the energy saver 45. any suggestions? The legal limit in CT is 35% and I want to get as dark as possible and still be legal. Does anyone know the difference between the 2? Thanks
01-11-2010, 02:38 PM
#68
Instructor
I didn't have the VLT of the windows measured before/after but I'd bet they're legal by MA and CT standards. We won't get into the Cali tint law...
I have Ceramic 40 (its really 42%). Its a double layer film as compared to the single layer ESC. Compared to Ceramic 40, the ESC 45 will be slightly more reflective (higher vlr%) and the solar performance will be a little lower (higher shgc% and lower tser% & ir%). Both are excellent films and you can't go wrong with either.
I think ESC might be the way to go for you. I don't know that you'd get the darkness you're after with either film, but the higher vlr (visual light reflectance) of the ESC would make up for a bit of the lack of darkness. AND with that $70 you save, you can buy a tank of gas and overnight me a couple of burgers from Five Guys!
I have Ceramic 40 (its really 42%). Its a double layer film as compared to the single layer ESC. Compared to Ceramic 40, the ESC 45 will be slightly more reflective (higher vlr%) and the solar performance will be a little lower (higher shgc% and lower tser% & ir%). Both are excellent films and you can't go wrong with either.
I think ESC might be the way to go for you. I don't know that you'd get the darkness you're after with either film, but the higher vlr (visual light reflectance) of the ESC would make up for a bit of the lack of darkness. AND with that $70 you save, you can buy a tank of gas and overnight me a couple of burgers from Five Guys!
01-11-2010, 02:49 PM
#69
thanks for the quick reply. the problem is that i want to keep the reflectiveness down. I love the way the HO looks on your car except for the first pic that you took in the parking lot, it looks like it has a silver tint to it and im looking for a straight black. on the other hand the other pics look fantastic and that i exactly what im looking for. is your first pic a true representation of what it looks like or does the camera just make it seem that way? thanks again
01-11-2010, 03:20 PM
#70
Drifting
thanks for the quick reply. the problem is that i want to keep the reflectiveness down. I love the way the HO looks on your car except for the first pic that you took in the parking lot, it looks like it has a silver tint to it and im looking for a straight black. on the other hand the other pics look fantastic and that i exactly what im looking for. is your first pic a true representation of what it looks like or does the camera just make it seem that way? thanks again
01-11-2010, 03:43 PM
#71
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You think it will pass MA/CT standards? I think the windows are tinted about 10% from the factory. So 42% with the 10% would be about 32%.
01-11-2010, 08:38 PM
#73
Instructor
Regarding pic #1...I think part of it is the camera but the film can have a similar (but darker) hue from certain angles. Ceramic film doesn't ever quite look the same from any two angles...do you agree petec? I put 3 more pics in my album for you that I took about an hour ago but, they're somewhat blurry.
01-11-2010, 09:13 PM
#74
Advanced
Never in my car ownership history have I ever considered tinting, but keeping tabs on this thread may make me a convert yet! Question: Being a noob to the tint scene, is there any danger of driving across state lines into say another state that has more strict tint laws with regards to tint percentage or tinting at all? ie: Being in MA, are there other states that have 'no tint' laws or tighter tint percentage limits? Could I potentially get pulled over or get in trouble in other states to which I travel? Or do they have to consider the 'home plate' on the car and it's laws?
I seem to recall a friend of mine from years past who lived in the south and had a highly tinted car and got pulled over at least once when driving out of state? I think I even remember him telling me the officer had a tint testing kit of various films to check for legality...
I seem to recall a friend of mine from years past who lived in the south and had a highly tinted car and got pulled over at least once when driving out of state? I think I even remember him telling me the officer had a tint testing kit of various films to check for legality...
01-11-2010, 09:37 PM
#75
Got it now. I don't think you'll get a "straight black" look with Huper. Honestly, I haven't seen a ceramic film that has the "straight black" look of more traditional dyed films so it'd be interesting to know the name of the film petec mentions above. BUT...once you experience the heat rejection of Huper, you'll be all smiles.
Regarding pic #1...I think part of it is the camera but the film can have a similar (but darker) hue from certain angles. Ceramic film doesn't ever quite look the same from any two angles...do you agree petec? I put 3 more pics in my album for you that I took about an hour ago but, they're somewhat blurry.
Regarding pic #1...I think part of it is the camera but the film can have a similar (but darker) hue from certain angles. Ceramic film doesn't ever quite look the same from any two angles...do you agree petec? I put 3 more pics in my album for you that I took about an hour ago but, they're somewhat blurry.
01-11-2010, 10:45 PM
#76
Drifting
Never in my car ownership history have I ever considered tinting, but keeping tabs on this thread may make me a convert yet! Question: Being a noob to the tint scene, is there any danger of driving across state lines into say another state that has more strict tint laws with regards to tint percentage or tinting at all? ie: Being in MA, are there other states that have 'no tint' laws or tighter tint percentage limits? Could I potentially get pulled over or get in trouble in other states to which I travel? Or do they have to consider the 'home plate' on the car and it's laws?
I seem to recall a friend of mine from years past who lived in the south and had a highly tinted car and got pulled over at least once when driving out of state? I think I even remember him telling me the officer had a tint testing kit of various films to check for legality...
I seem to recall a friend of mine from years past who lived in the south and had a highly tinted car and got pulled over at least once when driving out of state? I think I even remember him telling me the officer had a tint testing kit of various films to check for legality...
01-11-2010, 10:46 PM
#77
Drifting
Got it now. I don't think you'll get a "straight black" look with Huper. Honestly, I haven't seen a ceramic film that has the "straight black" look of more traditional dyed films so it'd be interesting to know the name of the film petec mentions above. BUT...once you experience the heat rejection of Huper, you'll be all smiles.
Regarding pic #1...I think part of it is the camera but the film can have a similar (but darker) hue from certain angles. Ceramic film doesn't ever quite look the same from any two angles...do you agree petec? I put 3 more pics in my album for you that I took about an hour ago but, they're somewhat blurry.
Regarding pic #1...I think part of it is the camera but the film can have a similar (but darker) hue from certain angles. Ceramic film doesn't ever quite look the same from any two angles...do you agree petec? I put 3 more pics in my album for you that I took about an hour ago but, they're somewhat blurry.
Yea, I agree, the HO looks so different from different angles. It's hard to take a good photo of it. Sometimes it's not that dark, and other times is super dark and reflective. My last tint was a black metallic and it was nothing like this HO. I can't wait for the summer to see the diff with the heat rejection.
01-11-2010, 11:01 PM
#78
Instructor
01-12-2010, 06:59 PM
#79
Advanced
Thanks for the clarification Pete! I figured as much but figured I'd see what other experiences were based on my recollection of my friend's experience. Oy vey, I have to prioritize all these additional add-on possibilities...This forum and community is nothing but trouble for my wallet! 
