Automotive Tint discuss? Worth it?

[xaeniac]

is window tint on automotive glass worth the price of admission to you? I am looking to tint a 2005 Ford Focus ZX5 for a price of $189. Car has 67000 and plan on keeping a long time. Should I pull the trigger?

 

[Tristicus]

It looks nice. $189 is nothing.

 

[zoiks]

Besides looking good, tinting can cool down the interior of a car considerably. But you'd have to to use a low percent tint to get any meaningful temp changes. Note that a good number of states institute a threshold on how much tint percentage you can apply.
Oh, and for $189, you're likely not using a ceramic tint which people say is better. Stay away from the purple stuff.

 

[Zivic]

less than 200 bucks, if quality work, is a no brainer.

I tint all my vehicles. basically go from the dealer to my tinter

yes it's worth the price

 

[thescreensavers]

in south florida its a no brainier. Not to mention your interior will last longer as the UV rays are being blocked.

 

[xaeniac]

they claim lifetime warranty

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't like tint because you can see better at night without it. And it's not like the windshield gets tinted, so it doesn't benefit you when you're driving during the day either. The only benefit is less greenhouse effect when parked.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Here in Texas its a must, I wouldn't have a car without it.

 

[thescreensavers]

they claim lifetime warranty

What brand, many of them do, you just need to find a dealer that sells the same film to get it fixed if the current place goes out of business

I don't like tint because you can see better at night without it. And it's not like the windshield gets tinted, so it doesn't benefit you when you're driving during the day either. The only benefit is less greenhouse effect when parked.

So? It still blocks a lot of heat when driving and not to mention makes it much more comfortable to drive you dont have sun glaring in from the sides. You dont need to get dark tints. I have 20% and I have no issues at night.

 

[KentState]

Makes a huge difference down here in my experience. I need to get my new car tinted at some point.

 

[saratoga172]

I did 15 on my car. Huge difference. And night driving isn't bad at all. Just takes a little getting used to.

 

[chin311]

Being from Florida i cant imagine not having tint. My cars go straight to being tinted before I even drive them. 15% all around.

 

[JackBurton]

Here in Texas its a must, I wouldn't have a car without it.

No shit! I just don't get how people ride around here with no tint. I actually have the best tint available (Huper Optik) and it is still pretty dang warm when parked. No tint would be unbearable.

Also a good sun shade really helps too. I bought one of these and love it. Keeps my car as cool as possible during the RIDICULOUS Texas summer.

 

[Zivic]

they claim lifetime warranty

lifetime warranty means basically nothing. I had a tint shop claim lifetime warranty... long story short they attempted to tint one of my cars 3 times before giving up and refunding me. find a shop via word of mouth... not on the shop's advertising.

 

[sleep]

just do it yourself. look how much you'd be saving. it's going to get frustrating, but it's worth it.

 

[exar333]

Makes a huge difference, I would pull the trigger for sure. Getting my WRX tinted this Sunday actually.

 

[alfa147x]

lifetime warranty means basically nothing. I had a tint shop claim lifetime warranty... long story short they attempted to tint one of my cars 3 times before giving up and refunding me. find a shop via word of mouth... not on the shop's advertising.

This. We have had 4 or 5 cars done from the same people. Great shop

just do it yourself. look how much you'd be saving. it's going to get frustrating, but it's worth it.

No. Don't do this

 

[Mutilator]

Just to throw out a couple thoughts since I had my car tinted this year...

1 - You CAN tint the windshield... Llumar AIR Blue 80 is a nearly clear ceramic tint that blocks out the heat without looking tinted. Solves the heat through the windshield problem. Legal in NC. 50% version however is not.

2 - If you stay at 35% or lighter then you shouldn't have much if any nighttime visibility issues.

3 - Something nobody seems to mention about quality tint... not only does it keep your car cooler but when you're in the car the direct sunlight no longer makes YOU hot. People don't realize it can be 30F outside and if you're cruising around in a dark colored fleece jacket or something you're gonna get a bit toasty. Tint should reduce or eliminate that. This also means in the summer you don't have to run the AC on full blast once the car cools down because your skin is staying cooler. I don't think I ever saw this mentioned each time I considered tinting but you better believe I'll be letting people know for now on. Especially those that are hot-natured or sweat easily.

So yeah to answer the ops question... it is worth it. This was the first car I've tinted... but I will tint every car for now on.

 

[slag]

Got my car tinted a few weeks ago and its noticeably cooler inside. Very nice, cost me $150.00 plus tax.

My last 3 cars have had tint and I wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[96Firebird]

I tinted my Firebird for slightly different reasons, to prevent theft. I got 5% on the rear window because my amp was directly below it. Didn't want anyone seeing it and try to break into my car to get it. Also, without the tint, the amp wouldn't even turn on until I drove for a few minutes with the windows down to get some air through the heatsinks and cool it down. Why they made the heatsinks black I'll never know. At least I knew my thermal protection worked...

 

[BassBomb]

well worth it, i dont have any on my front doors, so I need to get some
but the entire back is tinted and it is great

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Here in Texas its a must, I wouldn't have a car without it.

I drove in Dallas for a year w/o tints, though I always cracked the sunroof and put reflectors on the front and back windshields when parked.

Love the TX tint laws (compared to IA). 70% VLT on fronts = no tint :|

 

[Vic Vega]

25% all around. Can't live without it. It was 96F today with no cloud cover.

 

[jtvang125]

I tinted mine just a few days after I bought it. I did rear, rear doors and front doors, which is illegal in CA. Have not been cited for it yet though.

 

[goobernoodles]

Not to thread jack, but if anyone is from the Seattle area and could recommend a good tint shop, let me know. A shop that was recommended to me (Accutint) wants $100 for stripping the existing tint, and $300 for new tint. I assume that's without this state's ridiculous sales tax.