Window Tinting advice

[riftime]

Who would have thought window tinting would create so much discussion... :)

I've managed to dig up yet another question, here goes...

I have a presara which has one of those rear view mirrors that automatically dim/tint/darken at night to decrease the glare/brightness of headlights in the rear view mirror (not sure if all Aurions have that). Now that winter is upon us and its dark by the time I drive home, it was raining a few nights ago which made it even darker. The view behind me was pretty damn dark. I wonder whether tinting the rear window would pretty much mean that I need to disable the auto-tinting function of the mirror? This feature wasn't a requirement when I bought my car, but given that it's there I'd be annoyed to have to disable it given that I paid money for it.

So has anyone with a Presara noticed the effect window tinting had on their rear view mirror at night? Did you have to disable the auto-darkening function (sorry, don't know what that feature is actually called).

[zr nate]

hi all,

just had the Bolle window tint (seires 2) installed on my red zr6. For $500.00 and a lifetime warranty totally recommend it. Also got two free pairs of sunnies but their crap to look at, (good for the beach and stuff)

[¥uri]

hey mate,

i was interested in getting this but i felt the 'Bolle sunnies were just a gimmick.. settled for the midnite express instead.. any chance of uploading photos, both the sunnies and window tint?

cheers

[zr nate]

hey mate,

i was interested in getting this but i felt the 'Bolle sunnies were just a gimmick.. settled for the midnite express instead.. any chance of uploading photos, both the sunnies and window tint?

cheers

Hope these photo's help but i am using a camera phone, sunnies are at home and arem't fashionable but functional and polarised.. I also looked at midnight express but IMO the bolle was almost as dark and had the better warranty

cheers

[¥uri]

nice job! very hard to see inside

what % is that equivalent to? and do the sunglass lense look the same as the tints.. a tinge of green i find..

oh and one more thing, did that glare strip across the front windshield come standard or included with the Bolle option ?

[Speedz]

I got the Formula 1 tint from Tint A Car, about 400 bucks... I got the darker than legal tint which is great especially I live under the harsh Qld sun!

Only problem is that when parking in a tight spot I will need to lower down my windows at night because I just cant see around me lol...

[¥uri]

I got the Formula 1 tint from Tint A Car, about 400 bucks... I got the darker than legal tint which is great especially I live under the harsh Qld sun!

Only problem is that when parking in a tight spot I will need to lower down my windows at night because I just cant see around me lol...

B) oh nice.. thats the top of the line tint.. metalised film, maximum glare reduction and so on.. top price you paid for aswell, good job..

but darker than legal limit.. what does your insurance say about that?

apologies, im paranoid about insurance

[intrigue]

hi all,

just had the Bolle window tint (seires 2) installed on my red zr6. For $500.00 and a lifetime warranty totally recommend it. Also got two free pairs of sunnies but their crap to look at, (good for the beach and stuff)

That's from Tint a car right? Is $500 expensive for a tint? Because everyone else on this topic seem to be paying low $200 to about $400?

Or is Bolle quite expensive?

Anyone recommend anyone in Perth?

[J e r e M y]

hi all,

just had the Bolle window tint (seires 2) installed on my red zr6. For $500.00 and a lifetime warranty totally recommend it. Also got two free pairs of sunnies but their crap to look at, (good for the beach and stuff)

That's from Tint a car right? Is $500 expensive for a tint? Because everyone else on this topic seem to be paying low $200 to about $400?

Or is Bolle quite expensive?

Anyone recommend anyone in Perth?

Tint A Car compete among themselves :P so send a couple of emails to a few branches here n there..n tell them A is giving me this n B n bla bla bla to C n then C will give u a better price n bla bla bla bla.. :P ive only dealt with tint a car..they`re not bad service wise.. but i cant remember which Tint A Car branch.. charged my fren ( a cute lil girl ) $600 bucks for Midnight express which is a total rip off cos i paid $320 which im also very sure even im being ripped off.. and they stuck on HEAPS of Tint A Car stickers all around her car =_=

[Speedz]

I got the Formula 1 tint from Tint A Car, about 400 bucks... I got the darker than legal tint which is great especially I live under the harsh Qld sun!

Only problem is that when parking in a tight spot I will need to lower down my windows at night because I just cant see around me lol...

B) oh nice.. thats the top of the line tint.. metalised film, maximum glare reduction and so on.. top price you paid for aswell, good job..

but darker than legal limit.. what does your insurance say about that?

apologies, im paranoid about insurance

Hi,

I got your Qs all covered :P

1st my mate always goes there so he managed to get me a great price... (he introduced at least 5 cars there already including mine...)

2nd I got the metallic Formula 1 tint all around my car except the back when I choose a non metallic (same tint %) so that it doesnt interfere with the AM radio signal... (dont ask me why coz I felt my old man will try to get his hands on my car with the AM radio on... lol...) Love the tint coz like I said the real test is during the hot summer when its ultra hot and sunny in Brisbane...

3rd On the invoice, it written that Midnight Express tint for insurance purpose and i was told to act dumb if the fun police ever pull me over also show them the invoice... also he said Aurion and Corolla are not cop magnets so they tend to leave you alone unless you go all funny on them... for the record, his company vehicle (Yaris & Lux all uses darker than legal tints...)

Lastly I do hope the fun police are not reading this and hope they watching porn instead...! ;)

[mrbigbob]

Anyone know a good tinting place in Sydney? Thanks

hey

give us a call been tinting 4 about 23 years

bob 0411 333 069

[DJKOR]

Anyone know a good tinting place in Sydney? Thanks

hey

give us a call been tinting 4 about 23 years

bob 0411 333 069

23 years eh? In your other post you mention 14 years though? Also, wouldn't this be classified as advertising? I'm sure you would still need to comply by the rules before advertising your services (if that is allowed).

[lateralus]

Anyone know a good tinting place in Sydney? Thanks

hey

give us a call been tinting 4 about 23 years

bob 0411 333 069

23 years eh? In your other post you mention 14 years though? Also, wouldn't this be classified as advertising? I'm sure you would still need to comply by the rules before advertising your services (if that is allowed).

i smell a scam...

[Speedz]

Owned! :P

[BanHien]

Hi all,

After more than 1 year driving "this" car, I'd like to have it tinted. It's a silver (just silver, not athother silver) Presara. The manuals say I can't use metallic tint for rear window because this will effect the perfomance of the Link system. Please help, let me know any good non-metallic tint out there can do the job for around $400 (whole car). I'm living around SE area of Melbourne.

Regards,

BH

Edited November 17, 2008 by BanHien

[boxerboy]

Tint professor, Nunawading, and I s'pose their other outlets, are doing an offer now for $280.

Darkest legal 35% for doors, 20% for rear widow.

I came across a stall in a shopping centre and asked the person. She gave some sales garb about prices going up in 4 weeks by $100.

The card she gave me has locations at Dandenong, Moorabin, Frankston, Oakleigh in the east or s/e.

[BanHien]

Tint professor, Nunawading, and I s'pose their other outlets, are doing an offer now for $280...

Thanks for the info, I actually used Internet & get to Dandenong shop - will do it tomorrow (Thu 27/11) for $295.

<i>BH</i>

[Ingres]

Anyone staying in Brisbane area and know where to get 3M tinting and do you know how much it will cost?

[TRD 110]

Had the car tinted today - 35% for $235. Was quoted $260 and then found a $25 discount voucher on the internet. Went to Instant Windscreens at Parramatta. Nothing bad to say about them, no fuss or hassle.

Tinting definately improves the looks, not dark enough for my liking though. I had 15% on my last car and managed to get defected, couldn't be bothered going through that hassle again.

Have attached a before and after pic (not the greatest but hopefully you'll get the idea...)

Edited December 1, 2008 by TRD 110

[Madrox]

I am the Workshop Manager of a tint-a-car in sydney. ( i wont say which one just in case, but we are a very big performer)

by the way i am not advertising as i get no personal gain from doing you guys a deal.

i do not get a commission as i am the workshop manager not the sales manager.

i bought mish and marks sportivo and that is why i am on the forum, not because i am trying to make money for TAC.

first up speed.

formula one is 35% so it is not darker than the legal limit.

midnight express is the darkest legal 35% as well.

so is bolle mk1 and mark2.

midnight express looks darker as it has charcoal in the film which gives it a black effect.

i am giving you the honest truth here with this. TAC is full of salesmen who work on commission.

they will try to sell you anything to make themselves money.

so here are the correct prices and what we can adjust to. (for sedans)

Midnight express -- 10 year warranty RRP is $395 we can cut 40 off depending on how hard the car is

formula one -- 25 year warranty, RRP is 545 and we can drop to 500

Bolle is much the same.

New cars from car yards get a cheap as film which costs them about 220 and they charge you 500+

so never ever take up the tint option when buying a new car, you get a cheap film with not much warrenty.

we dont compete with other stores as we are all franchises and can all charge whatever we want.

Now to let you guys in sydney know. pm me if you want a deal on window tint. $295 for MEX, 20% or 18%.

you will still get your warrenty and as you are from this website, I will personally make sure it is a very good job.

i will say you are a mate (mate's rates discount)

and for those who complain that our prices are expensive, just think about it this way.

Does a merc A class cost the same as a yaris?? why?

you can buy 35% at supercheap auto for 20 bucks and pay a tinter probably $50 to put it on for you.

our films are high qualtiy and we offer full warrenties on the film and workman ship. plus you get a free car wash.

we go out of our way to make sure that your whole car will look schmick once the film is on.

[Madrox]

Flowing from this, it would seem that the value of tinting is primarily in the tints ability to reduce IR.

... and reduce visible light thereby increasing privacy. As you described, reducing IR though would act as a heat insulation of sorts ?

So increasing the insulation property of the vehicle (most noticeable in summer?) and increasing privacy... isn't that why people usually get window tinting ? At least that's my criteria. I haven't made the leap yet, and although I've had the Presara now for 4 months, I still miss the privacy of the window tinting I had in my last car.

My idea/point about the UV-sensitive tints was more in line with having a changing level of tint based on amount of UV. So at night there would be less tinting to avoid the reduction in visibility. However, as you point out, UV gets filtered out so for this to work (assuming that there is such a film) the tint would have to be applied to the exterior rather than the interior (as the glass filters UV before reaching the interior film). Exterior film application would be silly though ? Just an idea...

Here's another question about the tinting process. Given that the film is applied on the inside, how well are the windows actually cleaned prior to the film being applied ? What's used to clean the windows ? Might seem like a silly question, but have you ever tried to clean the car windows (especially the rear window) to such an extent that it is absolutely spotless and streak-free? Seems to me like quite a challenge, and to have film applied over a bad clean job would permanently seal that disappointment in? Maybe there's a scientific explanation why this is not important if you add another layer on top with no gap for light to be refracted?

they are cleaned with a razor blade first

windows are then cleaned with an ammonia based product called glass klean and a scoura.

then we use a squeegy.

then we use alot of water to flush dirt away.

then put the soapy solution on then the film.

same with rear screen exept we use steel wool instead of a razor blade for obvious reasons.

DO NOT EVER USE AMMONIA BASED PRODUCTS ON THE TINT. IT WILL FLAKE THE TINT OFF AND IS NOT COVERED BY WARRENTY.

also check with car washes to make sure they dont clean your windows with it either

[TRD 110]

Now to let you guys in sydney know. pm me if you want a deal on window tint. $295 for MEX, 20% or 18%.

you will still get your warrenty and as you are from this website, I will personally make sure it is a very good job.

i will say you are a mate (mate's rates discount)

Madrox, please don't take this the wrong way but I rang up Tint.a.Car Parramatta on Friday and was quoted $295 for MEX 35% without any haggling what so ever. Bloke on the phone said normally $395 but it's $100 off at the moment.

Saying that, it's good to know you'll ensure people from the forum get a good job done - lol, I probably would have taken you up on the offer if I didn't get my windows done just today.

[Madrox]

i dont take it the wrong way lol.

TAC parra is very good aswell and would look after you

i tinted my best mates car and charged him $295 as well. and i paid for half of it out of my own pocket as a birthday present for him.

we cannot go below that price.

we will vary the price on certain days and i would say parra did the same.

on a quite day we will charge 320 to get people in.

and on a busy day we will charge 395 because we dont need the customer.

with the car industry in trouble at the moment, prices are dropping for tint and so forth as no one is looking into buying it, and cars arn't being sold.

hence less customers so cheaper prices.

the only thing saving us is that summer is coming on and tint will reduce the heat.

and 4 months ago is was 100 bucks of MEX. We run promotions on a season basis. Bolle ended today. it very well could be that Midnight express is now our promo again which would mean 295 again.

lol like i said i am workshop manager not sales manager.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Madrox

[TRD 110]

Cheers for clarifying. Nice to know the inside workings...

[Madrox]

it's alright.

i am a terrible salesman because i can't bring myself to lie to people.

my bosses hate it when i have to deal with customers because i tell them all the details and give them a cheap price.

at the end of the day if i was buying tint, and knew nothing about it, i would want to know the truth.