DIY: Window Tint
 

can i do this? i want to tint the windows in my first gen. i saw some 20% tint at checker auto parts for about $10. it seems like a great alternative to the $200+ professional job. i have enough time and patience to do it right. but i hear it cant be done right. like the defroster lines in the rear windshield will create bubbles no matter what. has anyone done this? will i be able to? thanks in advance.

I have almost always tinted my on windows,
It takes a nice comfortable day with no time limit and a lot of water, if you keep the tint really wet it makes it alot eesier, and save the back window for last you will need a hand on the back window, its a big peice of tint.
It will take about three boxes of tint if you do every peice perfect, four boxes if your learning. Its best in a garage thats clean, so theres no wind.

That $10 tint is garbage. It'll be turning purple within weeks.

There is no substitute for a pro job on tint. It's not the kind of thing you want to mess up - and often, mistakes are not 100% obvious until some time has passed - bubbled, peeling, etc.

At least if you are going to DIY, get some decent tint - otherwise, even if you do a good job, you wasted your time.

Good brands: 3M, Madico, Llumar, and Johnson too, I believe.

Bad brands: SolarGard, and anything else found at auto parts stores.

~HH

I'm gonna hafta agree with hihoslva on this one. Those DIY tints are bad news. Especially when it's something that's as noticeable as your windows you'd want to shell out some money to get it done right. Even though you can take off the tint if you mess it up, it still leaves a residue that a PERMANENT part of your window.

You also have to be careful of your rear defroster in the back. If you screw up and it has already dried, it's impossible to get it off properly without screwing your rear defrost up. A lot of people forget not to turn it on when tint is in the drying phase and that is why you see a lot of bubbles contoured to the lines of the rear window defrost.

MisterT

Removing the windows
 

Anyone have any idea how to remove the windows?

I used to have a Chrylser Laser which I completely removed the windows from the doors and I got a fantastic tint job. All the way to the edge and no "clear frame".

I'm a little hesitant to try and remove the windows on my new P5 because I haven't been able to find anyone that has removed the windows.

Anyone know if it is even possible?

-Carlos:

No idea how to remove the windows, but FYI - the "clear frame" is a necessary part of a quality tint job.

Tint that is run all the way to the edge of the window will have a tendency to peel eventually. It won't always happen, but the reason installers keep it a little away from the edge is to prevent any chance of edge peeling in the future.

~HH

Solargard is bad? I recently spoke w/ a dealer/installer. I was told they have a lifetime guarantee against fading, bubbling, etc.

Anyone have any experience w/ formula one?

Perhaps I got lucky
 

hihoslva -

Perhaps I got lucky, I had my tint on for about 5 years before I finally traded my car in and it never peeled on the edge.

I don't know if it would have to do with the fact that after I put the tint on, I let it cure for about 48 hours before I installed the windows back in the car... dunno.

Thanks for the input.

-C:

check your local laws before you try 20%, and even at that, a pro's work will be SEEMLESS, as if it came that way from the factory. i did a tint job myself, deemed the back window all but impossible, had too many problems with creases or tears, wasted $65 dollars on the first tint job that i did, and the only tint remaining on my car is the 2 rear quarter windows, cause to tell you the truth, it's hard to see at night, vision sucks, and the tint doesn't work that well for very long. save up and get a pro to do it.
peace