Window Tintage(Pimpage)

[emicen]

In the faint hope we actually get a summer in Glasgow this year i want to tint my windows. But ive never done this kind of thing before so....

How many rolls does it take to do your typical 3door hatch?

Is it really that difficult to do? Ive seen quite a few cars with tints done and a few months later theyre all bubbly but i was told this is because of lazy fitting and not squeezing the bubbles out properly in the first place.

I cant be arsed being pulled every 10mins for being to pimped out with the shade. Am i right in thinking ur limited to 10% tint on screen and front sides and can go up 60% on the rears?

You fit the film just like a sunstrip yes? Offer up then use a rubber edged window scraper to firm down?

As much help as you feel like very welcome!

 

[Nick Read]

1. Unless you have the combined skills of a wallpapering master and a plasterer with 20 years experience, dont even think about doing it yourself. Its just a waste of money and time. It is impossible to get right and its not down to laziness, you get to a stage where its actually impossible to get the bubbles out.

2. Not sure of the exact percentages, but the rule of thumb is that you can have black limo tints on the back because it will be the same as having a van. As long as you still have wing mirrors youre ok. For this reason you cant go mental on the front sides. Go for no darker than light smoke and youll be there or thereabouts. Might look a bit weird with two different tints though, Id say go light smoke all over and you cant go wrong. believe me, trying to look over your shoulder through a dark smoke rear quarter window when youre pulling out onto a motorway at twilight is dangerous, you simply cant see anything!

 

[emicen]

Im actually coming to the conclusion i cant be arsed doin it myself. Guy i know of is apparently the daddy at it so ill see if i can swap him a couple of cases of Red Bull for doing it.

How many sheets am i gona need for a Suzuki Swift (no laughing!)? Seen sheets from Carnoisseur 180cm*60 for £14

 

[theICEman]

McNab?? Is that you???

 

[theICEman]

The law on tints is that you must have at least 30% visible light transmission on your front side windows. Rears can be as much as you want. Wans got about 50% tint on his Micra, so you can get a fair bit darker. As for the bubbles issue, if you buy a decent quality film itll be backed with a special substance which you wet to form a seal against the window, but only when its dry. Therefore you can easily move it about on the window while wet and you can also easily squeeze the bubbles out. Youll only get bubbles if you havent taken the time to squeeze sufficiently or youve fitted the film without using enough water. However, the bubble-avoidance issue isnt the only reason for not doing tints yourself... the film is extremely difficult to cut to size without flexing it and getting marks and creases. Also it is extremely hard to fit properly without taking the windows out as you have to tuck the film in behind the seal or youll get clear lines round the edges which are visible only from the outside of the car. the top and sides are ok, you can roll down the window a bit but the bottom edge is harder. I would advise trying a place in Jordanhill. A mate of mine got a cracking job done on his Saxo for £160 all in. Alternatively I could probably get you a discount at Pentagon Glasgow cause my dad knows the owner Richard Pinder.

 

[emicen]

Fraser methinks! Was sat there for a good 5 minutes thinking who the f*ck do i know own a clio these days!

Big Rick (B16 RYK) up the ski club did Jaime Walkers on his Cinqecento and i think he did the one on ADs civic (the silver one thats in the car park all the time).

Might just ask the garage to do it when i tell them theyre gona dismantle my doors again to stop my leccy windows rattling!

 

[theICEman]

It is me Malcolm, I wondered if youd be able to guess! Right enough, Jamies windows are pretty sound, Rick obviously knows what hes doing. Is his car a Nova? Reckon Ive seen it about. If hell do it for 2 crates of Red Bull then fair play, sounds like a good option. Whos AD, not Andy Diffin is it? Havent seen his Civic. Is it just the tints youre getting done just now or are you going for a mod-fest? Ive got a fair few bits and pieces in store for my Clio once I get the cash from working over the summer.

 

[emicen]

Theres not really any point in tuning me Swift. Anything i do is gona f*ck the warranty and 3 years of free stuffs quite nice!

Suspension needs dropped and the handling sorted out once and for all. Set of alloys may help this cos the tyres are narrower than my mountain bikes.

AD is Adrian, one of the instructors. Diffs got a purple fiesta but hes just moved in wi his beatch so funds are a bit short wi him!

Rick had a black nova but mashed it big time out on stockie (barrel roll over a wall in to field!). Got himself a white one and hes sold that on now, the 2.0 16v beasty should be coming out to play this summer....

 

[Colin_S]

I have my 16v tinted limo black on the 3 back windows and dark smoke on the doors. I have been stoped by the police loads of times and have never said anything about my windows. And there is absolutly no problem seeing out of them, no matter what time or how dark.

 

[emicen]

Hmmm...went in to see Pentagon cos i was in the area today.

£550 for the superglass (unbreakable stuff)

£280 for smoke tint in normal film.

Is this steep of about the norm, that seems extremely high pricing to me!!!

Anyone happen to know if itll effect the warranty having my windows removed/replaced by a non-dealer?

 

[theICEman]

Yeah, to be fair Pentagon aint cheap but they do do a good quality job and its guaranteed so that if you scratch the film or any problems develop with the tints theyll fix it for you. Cappacino quoted me £360 for film on my Clio and Drivers used to charge £380 for a small hatch (until they closed down). Neither of these places are as good as Pentagon. Were you just in Pentagon today or were you in at Ultimate next door? I got some of my ICE from them, good guys to deal with.

 

[emicen]

I was in at the Pentagon workshop, weve got a store in the same set of industrial units on Cumberland Street.

Drivers aint closed btw its moved to St. Georges Rd in the old National Tyres place. Sent them my cv and application to try for a summer job sellin stuff and pickin up cheap bits for me motor.

Think the tints may be going on the back burner for just now tho, me mum just asked wot i want for my birthday and i may be gettin a CD headunit. Just networked my computer and my dads with cd burner so finally all my mp3s r on disc.

Problem is if i start working in town im gona be nervous as fcuk leavin my car every night.

 

[Colin_S]

You lot from Glasgow then. There is a place in Irvine that do window tinting, which is only about 45 min down the road from Glasgow and they will do it for under £200 and if you say Colin from DP Motorsport sent you probabaly a bit cheeper. He does a good job as the side windows but if you go to dark on the back one, the film is thinker and is a lot herder to do, so sometimes it might not be perfect. The Clio rear window is really hard to do, because of the way the heated rear window is.

 

[Colin_S]

Excuse my spelling in the last post.

 

[theICEman]

You still working for Red Bull? Wheres the Red Bull place in Cumberland Street? Do you know Stuart and that from Ultimate then?

 

[emicen]

Nah its not Red Bull. Just a word of warning for anyone that has Superglass from Pentagon. According to certain insurance companies you will get charged more for having it fitted because it is a non-standard part and therefore a mod! Disgraceful profiteiring if ever i heard of it!

 

[Fred@BTM]

im getting it done for £120!!!! Not a bodge job either, a mate of mine works for Beemer and hes getting it done for me (same people that beemer use on all of their cars)