Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

(This is the forums archive - If you want to get back to the main site simply click the banner above and you will be taken to our homepage.)

Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums is the Ultimate Online Resource for Owners and Enthusiasts of American Luxury Cars. Feel free to browse through our archive - but make sure you make it back to our main site - Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

Cadillac XLR : Cadillac CTS : Cadillac : 2005 Cadillac STS : Cadillac Forums : 2000 Lincoln LS : Lincoln Mark VIII : Lincoln Mark VII : Car Wax
Lincoln Town Car : Lincoln Air Suspension : Lincoln Continental : Lemon Law : Do It Yourself Car Repair : Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums : Mesothelioma

Back to the Archive Main Page

Pages: 1

Window tint

(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Glorywagon

Do you all tint your own windows or have them tinted?I see on ebay they sale them precut.

Posted by: Rich88LSC

I have them done. I have no experiance doing it and it's a bitch to get the stuff of if you screw up. The $175 it cost me was not worth the time and agravation I would have spend. If I knew what I was doing then I would do it myself though.

Posted by: MatthewDavid

Yeah totally... I've tinted a few smaller cars and it's not the funnest thing in the world to do... the side windows are pretty easy but the rear one would be really hard... if it was pre cut maybe not so hard... usually it would need two peices... but it's hard to get all the air bubbles out... if you do decide to do it get a piece of glass somewhere and practice just to get a feel for what it's like... and lots of liquid!!!... doesn't have to be sopping wet but the more the better I've found and have a good squeegee... but once it dries you pretty much have to take a razor blade to it and scrap it off... sux like that

Posted by: warthog5

I just had mine redone last week. They were done when I bought the car, but the rear window had lot's if BIG bubbles.

It cost me a bunch more due to having to remove the old tint. They use a solution and put the car in the sun to get the window hot to help it work better.

You can't go using a razor blade on the rear window. Not if you want the rear defroster to still be working.

The rear went on in 2 pieces and the cut line is on one of the defroster lines.
So he told me, as I can't see it. It looks like one piece.

There is also a special little tool that they run around the edge of roll up windows. It trims aprox 1/16in to 1/8in off the edge so that the tint doesn't try to curl or peel as the window goes up into the felt seal as you roll it up.

I have 30% on the rear and 35% on the quarter windows and door glass.
The price was high. $350 to R&R, but the quality and looks of the car are outstanding.

The bleeding air bag was fixed and the stance is normal now.

Posted by: 96hotrodlincoln

dang, you need to get those bags fixed

Edit: I'm and idiot and didn't read ahead

Posted by: mmtphoto

I got stopped for tint today, the cop had a hand held meter and said my tint allowed 17 percent light-he said in Pennsylvania the law is it must allow 70%-I told him I bought the car that way a couple of years ago (this is an olds aurora, 2002 4.0, my wife's car-I had it home today to put new tires on it). He said he was only pulling me over to tell me they were too dark, no ticket-I told him that it's the first time ever pulled over for that, and that my wife leaves for work at 5:45 AM and drives down Broad Street in North Phila and feels more secure since others cannot see into the car. He said. 'off the record' not to remove it then, that he felt like no one would give her a hard time for it. I don't like taking her car at night becasue I feel like it is an open invite to get pulled over. The cop, who was pretty cool about it, also said that if the tint was done well (he thought what was on the car was a quality job) it is difficult and expensive to remove.

Posted by: Rich88LSC

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmtphoto

I got stopped for tint today, the cop had a hand held meter and said my tint allowed 17 percent light-he said in Pennsylvania the law is it must allow 70%-I told him I bought the car that way a couple of years ago (this is an olds aurora, 2002 4.0, my wife's car-I had it home today to put new tires on it). He said he was only pulling me over to tell me they were too dark, no ticket-I told him that it's the first time ever pulled over for that, and that my wife leaves for work at 5:45 AM and drives down Broad Street in North Phila and feels more secure since others cannot see into the car. He said. 'off the record' not to remove it then, that he felt like no one would give her a hard time for it. I don't like taking her car at night becasue I feel like it is an open invite to get pulled over. The cop, who was pretty cool about it, also said that if the tint was done well (he thought what was on the car was a quality job) it is difficult and expensive to remove.

I got stopped a couple times when I lived in CA in the Mark VII which wasn't very dark and my girl friend at the times Civic which was pretty dark. Not ticketed though. If you get pulled over at night roll the window down and put the inside lights on before the cop gets up to the car. Tint laws are to protect the officer and if you show them you are respectful of that even though you are breaking the law most cops won't ticket you.

Posted by: The Rev

I bought the precut tint on ebay. Good quality, but make sure you have a second set of hands. I didnt. The rear quarters went on perfect but I ended up crinkling both of the front windows which made a nice crack on it. The rear windshield? Impossible. I couldnt get that on, so I'm paying to have the whole car retinted once I get my cobrastar decal from geno.

Posted by: AbrahamLincoln

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmtphoto

i live in pa as well, i have 15 or 20 percent all the way around and i dont get any grief for it, if i see a cop i quickly open the windows... no problems...

Posted by: Ace

Yeah the cops around me do not bother aboot tint. BUT just a FYI, Since we (my garage) are an enhanced inspection station(inspect salvage cars to see if they are worthy of a reconstructed title) we are required to have a light meter. We decided to test my dads STOCK tinted windows in his 05 f250 on the rear door windows and they are actually too dark by state law!

Posted by: bryantaylor

even though its pre-cut, you still have to shrink it.

Posted by: lunchmeat

Window tinting is HARD! You gotta have everything super clean so no dirt will show. Plus you have to shrink it. You ever try to shrink a back window?? You dont want to. Just pay the price and save yourself the stress and broken stuff you will throw. Cause you will throw some stuff.

Posted by: The Rev

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunchmeat

Window tinting is HARD! You gotta have everything super clean so no dirt will show. Plus you have to shrink it. You ever try to shrink a back window?? You dont want to. Just pay the price and save yourself the stress and broken stuff you will throw. Cause you will throw some stuff.

Yeah I threw a few things. How do they shrink it? I've heard that people use heat guns like shrink wrap which makes it so hard to get off.

Posted by: bryantaylor

you have to shrink it with a heat gun. but crappy tint doesnt like to shrink

Posted by: mmtphoto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace

Yeah the cops around me do not bother aboot tint. BUT just a FYI, Since we (my garage) are an enhanced inspection station(inspect salvage cars to see if they are worthy of a reconstructed title) we are required to have a light meter. We decided to test my dads STOCK tinted windows in his 05 f250 on the rear door windows and they are actually too dark by state law!

The cop who pulled me over said if it was factory tint, it was exempt, which I think I heard somewhere-but how do they know what is 'factory'?

Posted by: The Rev

I've always wondered, are factory tinted windows like sprayed with something, or is it still film?

Posted by: lunchmeat

You use a heat gun and a hard card(kinda like a credit card) You have to shrink it without blowing a hole threw it or wrinkling it or its trash. Started to learn but didnt make it very far

Posted by: Rich88LSC

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmtphoto

The cop who pulled me over said if it was factory tint, it was exempt, which I think I heard somewhere-but how do they know what is 'factory'?

In most if not all states that is not true. They have laws on which windows may be tinted and how dark the ones that can be tinted can be. It doesn't matter who tinted them.

Posted by: glanga

Factory tint is done by deep dipping which if I remember right is an electrically charged process sort of like chroming something I think. Sometimes it says or is etched on the window if it tinted and to what percent. I think Saint-Gobain glass says it in there when they do that crazy polarization to the windshield in Mercedes.

Posted by: lunchmeat

Alway woundered how they did it

Posted by: unity

Keep in mind, of course, that the Marks come with factory tint. Pretty sure it was standard on all Marks. Right? So if you get tint you have to also account for the existing tint.

Posted by: turborich

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryantaylor

even though its pre-cut, you still have to shrink it.

EXACTLY! you need a heat gun & lots of practice. I would just go to a good shop.

Posted by: jamie97lsc

i get mine done locally, i can tint, but i'd rather pay. i always go 5% on all my cars. you cant see in during the day never mind at night lol!! these are all pics of my marks after getting the windows done. actually i went 5 % on the back windows of my blue 93 and 15% on the front doors it was for my wife and she didnt want them totally black.

Posted by: AbrahamLincoln

factory dark tints are usually in locations where its not illegal to even have no windows such as the rear and if its four doors back doors.

the windshield and front doors can't be or you're in trouble... so you mind as well go as dark as you want with them. but FYI tinting darker in the back and going lighter on the front doors looks a bit goofy IMO.

Credit Card Consolidation:Krakow hotels:Remortgages:Travel Shop:Mobile Phone