Window Tint Education Please

[Tropicalcats]

just purchased a 2012 Ford Fusion. Its Black on Black and I want to get the windows tinted. Can somebody give me an education on window tint? what I know so far is the laws for my home state and that the lower the number the darker the tint. I have 2 choices for products 3M and a tint by Formula One which is the Comfort series. In my state I cannot tint the windshield but can have a 4 inch strip put on the top of the windshield. does anybody know of a simulator so that I can see what it would look like? How dark will it be in the car? How hard to see out at night? Any opinions ?

[fantum]

Here in Miami tinted windows are a must.  Cuts down on heat in the car, damage to the interior due to solar radiation, and sunburn on long trips.  If your car has a lot of the new high-tech electronic devices you need to be aware of which types to stay away from due to signal interference.  My suggestion is to ask around and find a reputable installer.  They will be able to recommend the best product for your car.  And, I went with the 4 inch strip on the top of my new Challenger's windshield.  Cuts down on glare and due to the rake of the windshield is not very noticeable under normal driving conditions.  I would also have them install the tints as they usually provide a warranty with their work and the better the installation the better it will look and last.  Also, a good job should cost you around $150.

Good luck,


MIKE

[Chryco Psycho]

even a 30% tint works well , you do not want to go too dark on the front side windows , too hard to see anything but still tough to see in at all , you can definatly go darker on the rear windows

[Road_Runner]

Agree with Chryco's suggestion not to go too dark on the front side windows.  I added 3M tint on a 4 door GMC pickup including the front windows and it really bugged me that starting around dusk I couldn't see well out the side turning into entrances, etc.  Also keep in mind that if you drive through a state with tougher laws (like Georgia), you are apt to get a ticket.  My in-laws who live in Florida got a ticket when driving through a small town in GA about a month ago.  It didn't matter that the tint was legal in their home state.

Later, Jim

[barracuda7199]

check your tint laws in your state you can order pre cut tint for your car which is really the way to go if you are attempting this your self. which is something i gave up on doing which doesn't happen very often.

['Cuda Hunter]

Since a tint job is usually in the neighborhood of 200 bucks you can try different options and not be out too much cash after changing products.

I like the mirrored tint.  Keeps the tinting light and makes it so no one can see in.

[Super Blue 72]

Sorry, don;t know of any simulators and if you find one it might not really represent what you'll actually see due to different lighting situations during the day and such. 

Night driving was what made me not use tint.  We had it growing up on all our cars, home made jobs.  Eventually I didn't tint anymore as it made it difficult to see things at night with the windows up.

I worked with one numb nut that actually tinted his windshield...    Had the words, "Super Star" across the top of the windshield.

[Chryco Psycho]

You should see Panama , they tint the whole front window with dark tint as well as the sides , Ihave seen vehicles with approx a shoebox size cut out in front of the driver , every vehicle has flashing lights & a lot have red lights in the front of the vehicles , but there are rarely accidents so what does that tell you !!

[06Daytona]

I used to install tint about 100 years ago. The product I used was Sun Guard or Sun Gard I can't remember the spelling. If you're just looking for something to cut down glare and keep the heat out of the car I'd recommend 20% on the back windows  and 35 or 50 on the front side windows. It keeps most of the glare out without lowering your visibility. If you google pics of your car with an eyebrow you can probably find what it's going to look like.
Puerto Rico is quite a bit like Panama it seems. Down here people have their window really dark all the way around or they have the body wraps covering everything. The silly thing is that the cops are cracking down on dark tint on the fronts but ignoring all the other problems with the cars.
Last week I saw a cop checking a guys tint with the little computer thing and ignoring the fact that the guy had no brake light lenses, one headlight that was held in with duct tape and the other one missing, the trunk 'locked' with a bungee cord, no front bumper, 2 emergency donuts for tires on opposite corners of the car, black plastic for a back door window and a quarter panel shoved in so far that the trunk wouldn't close. I wish I got a pic of it.

[Super Blue 72]

the guy had no brake light lenses, one headlight that was held in with duct tape and the other one missing, the trunk 'locked' with a bungee cord, no front bumper, 2 emergency donuts for tires on opposite corners of the car, black plastic for a back door window and a quarter panel shoved in so far that the trunk wouldn't close. I wish I got a pic of it.

I think I found that car!    He had to tint the windshield as he had no other windows to tint! 

[NorbertoBenavente]

Here in Miami tinted windows are a must.  Cuts down on heat in the car, damage to the interior due to peimar solar, and sunburn on long trips.  If your car has a lot of the new high-tech electronic devices you need to be aware of which types to stay away from due to signal interference.  My suggestion is to ask around and find a reputable installer.  They will be able to recommend the best product for your car.  And, I went with the 4 inch strip on the top of my new Challenger's windshield.  Cuts down on glare and due to the rake of the windshield is not very noticeable under normal driving conditions.  I would also have them install the tints as they usually provide a warranty with their work and the better the installation the better it will look and last.  Also, a good job should cost you around $150.

Good luck,


MIKE

Tinted windows are vital..It will protect you from harmful solar radiations..Even my car has got tinted windows.

[PlumCrazyRTSE]

One thing about the 4 inch strip at the top of the windshield, be careful about how dark you make that.  I had that done several years ago when I had the windows in my RAM truck tinted and it was really difficult to get used to.  Everyone who road in the truck seemed to disliked it.

[dodj]

I had the windows of my wife's Subaru BRZ tinted when we bought it. The numbers were explained to me like this. 30 lets 30% of the light through. 20 lets 20% of the light through - so it's darker. We went 20 side and rear. I don't find the 20 too dark on the sides but I think if I had to do it over, I'd change the rear window to 30. Backing up in the evening or night is not great. Sometimes have to roll down the window or open the door to make sure it's all clear.

[spamtank]

I've read that some of the metallized tints can reduce the signal for cell phones and other RF devices inside, if that's a concern.

['Cuda Hunter]

Tinted windows are vital....Even my car has got tinted windows.

And what kind of car do you have?