<---i want to tint my car windows.. please advise.

[LOLyourFace]

i was strongly recommended by mazda dealers/mechanics to this one-man show who does a GREAT job at windows tinting. His basically makes his living just by words of mouth just like what I heard.

He's asking for $200 for all 4 windows and the back window. MA law says you can't have anything less than 35% transparency level (anything less than that would get me pulled over and fine + cannot pass inspection)

Here are couple of Qs for ya:

1. just how dark is 35%? If it's not dark enough, I'd rather just save my money... anyone have pics of your own car or whatever to show me how dark 35% is? (I wish I could do the 5% which is like matrix dark.. so sleek.. this one guy does it at the dealership because he IS the inspector..)

2. how long do these last? They're obviously a layer of film over the window.. But the guy I was recommended to says he uses high quality material and comes with guarantee...

3. is it worth it for $200 @ 35% for all four windows and the back? What are your experiences?

 

[isekii]

I paid 215 for 30% allaround wiht lifetime warranty.

200-230 is the going rate... make sure that place offers some type of warranty.

The darkness will depend on your interior. Mine is 30% all around but seems much darker due to my interior being black.

 

[NutBucket]

$200 doesn't sound unreasonable. I had all of mine done for $160 but I knew the shop owner. The tint should last a long time and it seems like this guy *should* or will be using good film, not cheap stuff. As for darkness, I can't say. I have one shade below limo in the rear on mine and I don't know if I'd want it any darker. I don't have the % on that shade tho.

 

[LOLyourFace]

Originally posted by: isekii
I paid 215 for 30% allaround wiht lifetime warranty.

200-230 is the going rate... make sure that place offers some type of warranty.

The darkness will depend on your interior. Mine is 30% all around but seems much darker due to my interior being black.

interior is black vinyl for instruments etc, the seats are light grey cloth...

 

[CrazyPerson]

Originally posted by: isekii
I paid 215 for 30% allaround wiht lifetime warranty.

200-230 is the going rate... make sure that place offers some type of warranty.

The darkness will depend on your interior. Mine is 30% all around but seems much darker due to my interior being black.

not bad

 

[mjquilly]

please, for the love of god, just don't do it your self. if your car dealer reccomended him, it should be ok.

 

[LOLyourFace]

bump

 

[jlee]

The guy who did mine charges $130 (I know their family, so he cut me a deal) for a 4-door car (Corolla, Civic, etc). I have 20%, but also a relatively light interior..I'm very happy with it.

It's hard to tell from a picture, but here are a few:
http://cadetlee.techfeasibility.com/car/5.jpg
http://cadetlee.techfeasibility.com/car/6.jpg

 

[LOLyourFace]

next day bumpage

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
The guy who did mine charges $130 (I know their family, so he cut me a deal) for a 4-door car (Corolla, Civic, etc). I have 20%, but also a relatively light interior..I'm very happy with it.

It's hard to tell from a picture, but here are a few:
http://cadetlee.techfeasibility.com/car/5.jpg
http://cadetlee.techfeasibility.com/car/6.jpg

everything is cheap down in florida..

isn't 130 usually the going rate down there ?

I found a place in florida that sells pre cut tint for specific cars... it's about 80 bucks for the kit... and you can have a professional install it for like 50-80 bucks i guess

 

[MichaelD]

1. Find reputable place. Preferably a larger shop, not Mom&Pop
2. Tell them exactly what you want
3. Ensure their work comes with a lifetime written warranty
4. Inspect the vehicle afterwards and don't accept it unless it's right


I followed these steps to the letter, and got my 98 Accord tinted all around. (Back in 98.) In 2001, I got bubbles up the wazzoo due to the South Texas heat. Inside a vehicle, temps can reach more than 160F. :Q

I took my car in with my warranty and receipt in hand. They scheduled me for an appt, and redid the whole car, perfect job, for nothing.

I sold the car two weeks later...*whistles* what a coinky-dink!

 

[isasir]

35% tint

If it's sunny outside, sometimes it looks like there's barely any tint. If the sun is down tho', then it looks real dark. This pic I believe was taken at about 1 PM, after taking it to the car wash.

I opted for 35% instead of 20%, cuz I knew there'd be nights when I'm driving home after a long night out, and I'm 1/2 asleep and my contacts are drying up, etc. that I didn't want to purposely make it harder for me to see any potential obstacles.

 

[sk560]

nice advices.... gonna follow them when i get back to the states. anyone knows any reputable shops in the san jose?

 

[scorp00]

IMHO 35% is worthless and way too light. My car is currently 30% sides(too light, but the law here is 27%), and 5% on the back. It's a 3 window firebird.

The back is illegally dark, but they can't check it. The thing they use to check is in the shape of U, so it will only check windows that slide down. So you might be able to tint your rear window darker, or see how much the fine is for a tint violation. Here it's $400+, so I opted for the legal route.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

 

[Radiohead]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

blue bulbs = ghey ..
I hope you dont have those blue lighted washers..

When I saw an M3 with clear corners with blue bulbs... driven by some indian kid I wanted to smack him for defacing a bmw

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

blue bulbs = ghey ..
I hope you dont have those blue lighted washers..

When I saw an M3 with clear corners with blue bulbs... driven by some indian kid I wanted to smack him for defacing a bmw

heh, I've seen altezzas on a 3-series. Thats just sad.

No blue lighted washers either. I only have that one blue bulb, which is coming off once I find the regular bulb. But clear corners aren' ricey for the Maxima, it actually makes it look a whole lot better..its just that I refuse to spend money on the Maxima.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

blue bulbs = ghey ..
I hope you dont have those blue lighted washers..

When I saw an M3 with clear corners with blue bulbs... driven by some indian kid I wanted to smack him for defacing a bmw

heh, I've seen altezzas on a 3-series. Thats just sad.

No blue lighted washers either. I only have that one blue bulb, which is coming off once I find the regular bulb. But clear corners aren' ricey for the Maxima, it actually makes it look a whole lot better..its just that I refuse to spend money on the Maxima.

I guess the clear corners can look nice on a Black maxima .. but all other colors it looks ghey.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

blue bulbs = ghey ..
I hope you dont have those blue lighted washers..

When I saw an M3 with clear corners with blue bulbs... driven by some indian kid I wanted to smack him for defacing a bmw

heh, I've seen altezzas on a 3-series. Thats just sad.

No blue lighted washers either. I only have that one blue bulb, which is coming off once I find the regular bulb. But clear corners aren' ricey for the Maxima, it actually makes it look a whole lot better..its just that I refuse to spend money on the Maxima.

I guess the clear corners can look nice on a Black maxima .. but all other colors it looks ghey.

Not really. It looks good on any 4th gen Maxima of any colour. Btw, by clear corners, I mean replacing that orange bumper light housing. Plus it matches the cleared corners in my taillight! Howver that one was done by me for free.

 

[Brutuskend]

I have a friend that does that for a living. He makes a pretty good living at it, and I think that's about his going rate.

 

[LOLyourFace]

what the? i can have the darkest as i want on the rear windows? That's not what the mechanics told. They said that it's 35% on both front and rear side windows... (I live in MA)

Where can I find official law on this for the state of MA? www.rmv.com?

found it

but doesn't say anything about the rear side windows tinting!?

 

[Radiohead]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Radiohead

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF!! I have tried applying tint on our old Corolla for the hell of it, and well, it looked plain ugly. I got rid of it after a week (that was another challenge on its own).

On the Maxima, we got 35% in the front and 20% in the rear. I think we paid about $200CDN with lifetime warranty. It's metallic tint too. You can see pics of it here:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3 - not really a good pic, but shows darkness of the tint

btw, I went with the legal limits. 35% is the max allowed for front windows, and in the rear you can go as dark as you want. But a 5% in the back would make it difficult to see out hte back, plus it would look odd with the 35% in the front windows. In Pic 1&2, you can see the difference between a 35% and 20% tint (as the front windows are 35, and the rear are 20).

you planning on getting clear corners for the front?

Nah. ANd I'm getting rid of that blue lightbulb in the front corner too.

blue bulbs = ghey ..
I hope you dont have those blue lighted washers..

When I saw an M3 with clear corners with blue bulbs... driven by some indian kid I wanted to smack him for defacing a bmw

heh, I've seen altezzas on a 3-series. Thats just sad.

No blue lighted washers either. I only have that one blue bulb, which is coming off once I find the regular bulb. But clear corners aren' ricey for the Maxima, it actually makes it look a whole lot better..its just that I refuse to spend money on the Maxima.

I guess the clear corners can look nice on a Black maxima .. but all other colors it looks ghey.

Not really. It looks good on any 4th gen Maxima of any colour. Btw, by clear corners, I mean replacing that orange bumper light housing. Plus it matches the cleared corners in my taillight! Howver that one was done by me for free.

Is that 97 ?

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: LOLyourFace
what the? i can have the darkest as i want on the rear windows? That's not what the mechanics told. They said that it's 35% on both front and rear side windows... (I live in MA)

Where can I find official law on this for the state of MA? www.rmv.com?

I heard MA laws were pretty strict about tint and aftermarket crap..
Why bother with the hassles that you'll have with the PO PO

just leave it alone.

In NJ I'm not allowed to have tint in my front side windows, but I got it done 30%. I didn't go darker cuz Cops would have a cow.

so far no cops have tried to pull me over for it. Inspection is however a different story.