Mod Grocery List Item #5 - Window Tinting

pektel said:
I wondered about the stock tinting on SUV's (and even minivans), but I'm guessing there are provisions in the law for stock tinting.
Click to expand...

Pete you are correct about provisions. To the OP I have 20% all around. Everyone around my area has 20% and the cops don't mess with them, and Michigan tint laws are just like Indiana. If you are considering tinting the front windshield I wouldn't go any darker than 50%, and in all honesty I would only put 70% on the windshield. If you use a high percentage tint for the windshield the cops most likely won't notice, especially if you have a dark sun blocker (the top strip of tint that goes down to the AS-1 marking). Sorry for the long winded post.
 
Sorry pect I reread your post, you had 95%. lol. Tinting the front windshield looks nice but really affects vision when you are driving. On clear nights it not to bad but in rain and snow it's a SOB to look through, especially at night. In NJ if you tint down to that line that's when they really bust your balls about all the windows for some reason, guess it makes the whole car look darker. I noticed the Solar tint on the new Mercedes gets really dark for stock and a greenish hue to it also.
 
Thanks guys - for all the posts on this. It helps a LOT! Thanks also to those that posted pics of their rides. I wish I could go as dark as some of you have, but I'm not that gutsy.

I pretty much confirmed what Quik and a few others have said about the factory tinting. I saw some text at the bottom of the windows that has the lincoln symbol with "solar tinting" underneath it. So, if the factory tinting is 95%, then I'm hoping a shop can do whatever is necessary to get it to 35%, but I've yet to nail down a place to call, etc.

Thanks again, guys. Looks like I'll pursue a shop to get 'er done.

TRU
 
I hate to break it up, but STOCK TINT ON VANS AND SUVS (sides and rear) IS 15% NOT 35%!

I have had what is called "factory match" put on my wife's MKX front windows and they had to use 15% to match it. While I was there the guy had a brand new Ram and Silverado doing the same exact thing all those were 15% as well. Believe me if you have a suv and it is factory tinted and you get 35% on the front windows it will be mis-matched big time. Unless the factory tint different shades for different states...
I had 20% on my 02 LS and I think I am going to go ahead with the same stuff on my wife's MKX for my 06. You can still see in it (especially if the moonroof is open) if you are close, but from a distance they look pretty dark. The 20% you could see in it a little too much IMHO. I've seen blacked out windows around too 5% and THAT is too dark for me.
Ohio's law is 50%, but I see 20 and 15 all the time. As a matter of fact the Ziebart and Solar Shade around me doesn't even do 20 anymore, you have two options...
It's either 35% or 15%!
 
Without a doubt 100% the factory tint is 35%. And peck I know I still owe you some pics. I will post them for you. But, back to factory, It is 35% the guy at the tint shop might be using a brand that has it labled 15%. I have seen a difference in some brands but no a huge one. And the factory tint will never match up perfect to the aftermarket you ad.
 
...my interior is grey or "dove" as lincoln calls it....and Lincoln Ave is right...if i had the "charcoal" or black interior it would look darker... and to answer your other question... no i didnt tint the windshield, it definately would be harder to see at night... well i think the 35% will look great, good luck!
 
Lincolnluebe, you are telling me that your stock MKX or Z has darker tint than longislands car and the black Ls pictured? Mine has 20% as well, I will post tomorrow. But stock tints not that dark.
 
Lincoln Ave I hate to disagree with you but-

The 15% I'm talking about is this...

012.jpg
 
Can somone post their 35% for comparison? Open your moonroof and make sure it is a sunny day!!
Andrizzle what % are you? Because that seems to be pretty close to what I have seen. If You cannot see through it unless you are up close and it is sunny out.
Here is another guy with 15% it looks pretty similar to what I have as well.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=1084

The cars I have seen in person with 35% are significantly lighter than what is on my Wife's stock and tinted fronts. Similary when I had hers done they showed me 35%, 20%, 15% and 5% on glass side by side so I could pick
I have talked to 3 independent shops in the past and they all claim stock "privacy glass on current vehicles is 15%.
 
It looks dark but, it is not 20% tint or 15% for that matter. There are alot of different test that can be done. The easiest and most common is the flashlight test. Open a door shine the light from the ooutside and look at the bulb. Tell me what parts of the bulb you can see or does it look just like a duller light?
 
Also I can see your seat through the fron window take some side pics and some from the back. You can make tint look darker depending on how the pic was taken and if the car is in the sun or shade.
 
I am at work right now (hee hee) but I will try the flashlight test. not sure what you mean by parts of the light? Also just out of curiosity where did you get the information that all factory is 35%?
 
I got the info from two of my buddies that work in the plants. One buddy worked in the ranger palnt in NJ, and now works in a plant near kansas city missouri on the F-150 line I believe. My other friend worked at the chevy plant and did the jimmy/blazer and both ickups also. And I have had my tints matched to factory before on cars. There is a black MKX two houses down from me and the tint is a lot lighter than mine. I am gonna post up pics but not of the MKX, I don't know who's it is and if they would get upset or not. But also if you look into state laws and what the OEM requirements are on tint, it's not even possible to have tint that dark on a factory car.
 
I thought I replied to this alrdy, I guess it didn't go through.


Mine is 5% (the black LS)
 
I never knew there were state laws that had anything to do with the rear windows at all.
I talked to a buddy of mine who just had his G8 done. They claimed to give him 15% as well... I guess different areas call % differently? There are 4 distinct shades that I actively see even in my own parking lot at work.
5% cannot see into it barely at all
15% cannot see into unless right up on it because of light coming in the front windshield
20% see outlines and silouettes of drivers from 10 feet away or so
35% tinted but you can definitley see what the person is doing from farther away
Then there are some guys on here who have 50% which I have never seen before in person.
I was always told and still hold to the idea that 15% is not pitch black up close, but the next step up.
There is no way there are 1 (35) 2 (20) 3 (15) 4 (5) shades difference between what I have and 5% pitch black. Again I have seen them all compared to one another. Maybe on Rangers it is...
But as far as 3 different tint shops around as well as the guy who did both my 02 LS and MKX (who has been tinting since 86') factory privacy is close to15%. And I looked at all of them he pointed out 15% and told me that if i did not want color variation then factory match was 15%. From the inside it is barely a different color, but on the outside it looks stock.
 
I think 35% looks good on the LS. I had it on my LS untill I got my windows re tinted in April. I can tell you this, do your homework. All tint is not made the same. If you want something that is going to last, stay away from tints with dye in them. If you look in my gallery, that's the 35% and it was dark enough during the day and night. Now I have something like 37% or something like that they told me. It's a lil lighter you can't really tell but it has a mirror like reflective to it that looks nice on my black car. Was little more expensive too.
 
Thank you NYC. That is what I would have considered 35%. You can see through it to the other side from a short distance from what I can tell.
Looks good too.
Another point I would like to bring up. Since my wife drives the MKX I know first hand that looking head on to the car in trafic you can tell someone is in the driver's seat but you cannot see much more than that. Can't really see there face or anything.
 
Yea I noticed no pics showed up. I bought a MAC and still trying to figure it out. I will post them tomorrow when I get home or try to and it's not a state law it is a federal law, kinda like air bags and seat belts. And there are way more shades then those 4. But when I have my sunroof open and I mean opened not vented my car looks like NYC's car. But you definately have 35% on your MKX. Like I said the one 2 doors down is a lot lighter. Try the flashlight method tell me what you see.
 
I'm not sure what I was looking for, but I could see the individual filaments and heated up wire when looking through the window without much glow.
? ? What does that mean exactly?

I realize unless we could actually compare one anothers cars we can be certain on anything.
BUT
For me all I can say is the tint on the fronts of the MKX is what I want on my 06 LS. it is darker than what was on my 02. The shop that did my 02 "claimed" it was 20% When both cars were side by side the tint on my LS was lighter than that on my MKX. The shops around me consider that shade to be 15% so when I go to have my 06 done here in a couple of weeks maybe I can get some better clarification from them.
I do also know that the 20% wasn't dark enough for me you could tell it was me going down the road. I like a little mystery.

Also it depends what color interior the car has for sure. That makes a BIG difference. I really didn't intend on going on like this, but I can say maybe I learned a little today.
Anyhoo let me knolw what the flashlight thing meant and when I get my 06 done I'll post pics up!
 
NYC, you're like the magic LS picture Genie (Pek won't be happy). Your pics did it for me - 35% is what I want. Now I've got to track down a local shop for an estimate.

Thanks,

TRU
 
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