Window Tint

[peder25]

Anyone have any experience installing the pre-cut window tint film? I am in Charlotte and the lowest price i could find to do my truck was auto fx for $200. The pre-cut tints on ebay go for about 30 so i could save a lot of money.

 

[Elliott]

I would pay $200 to have it done professionally. The hassle and/or the risk of it looking like is just not worth it.

 

[peder25]

if i try and i mess up cant i just take it off?

 

[purpleTJchick]

The window tints might not be llegal offline, why risk it?

And yes, it will look bad, I have seen 4-5 people try this, you can get bubbles (alot) and can be off centered, and a whole bunch of things

 

[kaiser715]

The shops only charge $30 for the tint, also. And $170 for knowing how to do it right. Save yourself a headache.

 

[MichaelT]

I had my front 2 windows done on the jeep at auto fx. They did a good job, it has been a few years now and there are no bubbles or tears or anything. I want to say they charged me $80. I made an appointment and they got me in and out in no time.

 

[Road_Warrior85]

It really isnt that hard to do it yourself.

Before you peal off the backing, lay out the tint on you passenger side window, backing side up, cut around the edges, and bam, you now have the perfect shape for the inside of your driver side window, just peal off the backing and put it on.

TO avoid those bubbles of air..... or any other fuck ups when you put it on the window.... get a spray bottle of water sand soap..... hose down the window with the mixture.. that makes the window slippery enough for you to move around the tint once you put it on the window.... and makes it much much easier to push out the air bubbles with you drivers license.

If you want to be safe, just do one window.... give it a few days to see how it turns out, then either finish the rest of the windows, or peel off your fuck up and let a shop do it

 

[y2kcrawler]

Ironically i was just talking to my friend about getting this done. I wanted to do it myself but i heard it can be a real b!tch and i just dont have the patience for it! I found a pro who will do it for $40. Its through a friend so i will let you know if it works out and recommend it if it is good

 

[bigwaylon]

Anyone have any experience installing the pre-cut window tint film? I am in Charlotte and the lowest price i could find to do my truck was auto fx for $200. The pre-cut tints on ebay go for about 30 so i could save a lot of money.

I tried it twice...once with the pre-cut from Ebay, once with a roll from PepBoys...

needless to say, both were redone professionally (actually, both at Auto F/X)...

I have successfully done my windows at home, but flat glass with all 90-degree corners are MUCH easier...

Auto F/X has always done a great job for me...there is a place right down the road about 1/4 mile from them (assuming that the one in Pineville is the one you're talking about...not sure if it's the only one or not) that did my current truck. Comparable pricing and quality work.

Greg

 

[StretchASU]

AutoFX does a great job...80 for the two front windows on the 4runner. In and out in about 30 minutes. Paying a pro to do your tint is definately worth it.

 

[Erik]

a tint, no matter what brand, will only be as good as the installation... a lot of people buy pre-cut films and you can get high quality films but either way the price difference between paying someone to professionally install your ebay film vs/ paying somone to do the whole job is minimal and definatiley (in my opinion) not worth the gamble.

if you're near wilmington or need an excuse to go to the beach for a day, hit up burley on here... he tinted my house, my work van, and just about all my friends cars (not to mention the multi-million dollar houses i've seen him working on) and not only is his quality of work second to none, his prices are damn competitive......

-Erik <--- laughing about the "legal" comment made since almost everyone knowlingly has their vehicle tinted darker than the NC legal limit

 

[burley]

take it to a pro. its not worth the headache. plus if you buy a pre cut kit, they hardly ever match up perfectly to the window and if you mess your last window up, is there gonna be a shop around that has that same film to match up your mistake? doubt it

erik posting at 420am. thought we were hitting up the northend. you bastard

 

[Erik]

that was 12:20am fool, get your time preferences right on here, hehe....

no north end for me today but i'm down for being lazy at the pool or wb today. call me.

 

[y2kcrawler]

The window tints might not be llegal offline, why risk it?
And yes, it will look bad, I have seen 4-5 people try this, you can get bubbles (alot) and can be off centered, and a whole bunch of things

I dont think many people care about legality in this forum. Hell im sure our rigs in one way or another arent legal.

 

[burley]

It really isnt that hard to do it yourself.
Before you peal off the backing, lay out the tint on you passenger side window, backing side up, cut around the edges, and bam, you now have the perfect shape for the inside of your driver side window, just peal off the backing and put it on.
TO avoid those bubbles of air..... or any other fuck ups when you put it on the window.... get a spray bottle of water sand soap..... hose down the window with the mixture.. that makes the window slippery enough for you to move around the tint once you put it on the window.... and makes it much much easier to push out the air bubbles with you drivers license.
If you want to be safe, just do one window.... give it a few days to see how it turns out, then either finish the rest of the windows, or peel off your fuck up and let a shop do it

yah its that easy, use this guys tool list:
water
SAND
soap
drivers license

and once you get that perfect pattern BAM! you just put it on without cleaning the window or anything. you need a job, i might be hiring

 

[Road_Warrior85]

yah its that easy, use this guys tool list:
water
SAND
soap
drivers license
and once you get that perfect pattern BAM! you just put it on without cleaning the window or anything. you need a job, i might be hiring

I dont know where the hell you got sand from.. I sure didnt list that.

But yeah... I didnt mention cleaning the window because you would have to be dumb as hell to not do that....

Sorry if I made it sound too simple ... with a little patience its not that hard... but thats just my opinion

 

[burley]

if your so handy, how come you cant fix your bike? but you can tint windows . and you were the one that typed "sand." re-read

 

[Erik]

opinions are like assholes... and if your asshole is like mine, it stinks!

 

[Road_Warrior85]

if your so handy, how come you cant fix your bike? but you can tint windows . and you were the one that typed "sand." re-read

Damn, It did say sand didnt it.... Well, Im sorry... the a and the s are pretty close together.. the word was supposed to be and.... but evidently I caught the s at the same time...
OOPS
But yeah, putting tint on a window is a hell of a lot easier than internal combustion engine mechanics, be it motorcycle, be it car/truck.
I have never taken any automotive schooling, nor worked in any garage.... My mechanical knowledge is limited to what I have helped others do, figured out by accident, and read about to learn.
I know plenty of the fundamentals, but not as thorough on the troubleshooting... I haven't been around enough broken engines to always know the tell tale signs. For example, if my motor had a broken valve, I might know something didnt sound/feel right, but I wouldnt recognize the problem.
Many of you have experienced broken/bent valves, therefore you may recognize it right away.
I did just recently tear down my bike to re-wire the LED lights on my bike. Electrical shit isnt that hard either. I just dont want to fuck with the mechanical aspects of the bike because I have very, very little experience wrenching on bikes. If I screw things up on my jeep I still have that wanna be roll cage and body to protect me if I wreck.... On the bike, if I screw up I really dont have any fall back plan in the even of an accident.

 

[Rich]

Anyone have any experience installing the pre-cut window tint film? I am in Charlotte and the lowest price i could find to do my truck was auto fx for $200. The pre-cut tints on ebay go for about 30 so i could save a lot of money.

I bought those for the side windows on my Dodge.. though it was high quality Llumar film, pre-cut.

Using a driver's license.. Usually those places that sell the tint will have a little "kit" for about $10. comes with the neat wedge rubber squeegie and a few other doo-dads that make it *quite* a bit easier. I had NO issues with bubbles and the pre-cut matched the window damn near perfectly. (and the part that was 'off' wasn't even off by 1/8")

Make sure the window is CLEAN, clean, clean, (razor blade it, scuff it, blade it again, then rinse it like hell, and do it where there's NO breeze. even little bits of lint are your enemy. That and keep it ridiculously wet until you're ready to squeegie it.

That said, I won't even attempt the rear window on my trans am. I don't think I'm good enough for multiple pieces, or to try and heat-shape one big piece.

 

[burley]

i was just busting your balls, i just hate when people say its easy. if it was easy, i wouldnt be able to charge what i charge. anyone can tint a window, few can perfect it. hand cutting it to fit perfectly is the hard part. prepping is just repetitious

and i love how everyone talks crap about the tint at autozone/advanced/walmart/pepboys but praises llumar because all that "crap", is made by Llumar. hahaha.

 

[Rich]

and i love how everyone talks crap about the tint at autozone/advanced/walmart/pepboys but praises llumar because all that "crap", is made by Llumar. hahaha.

Chevy makes both the Aveo, and the ZR1 Corvette, too

Most manufacturers have their cheap lines, and their high end. The stuff I got was their higher end, unless you're saying that all Llumar film is junk, which would be very surprising, given my personal experience with it while living in South Florida.

 

[burley]

not junk but from working with almost every film on the market, llumar isnt at the top of the list to say the least. decent film, not for me. tint shops sell and install their premier film usually without even trying to upsell you. but on those precuts, they usually use an "at" film which is dyed and just like a tshirt, over time- it fades.

 

[Eastern]

I have had 2 trucks done. One with llumar, and one with 3M, they where both done by the same person (professionally) and the llumar came out better for my opinion. I would have thought the 3M would have been higher quality, but what the hell do I know.

Oh yeah, lets not get into the legality part, there was a thread like this that went terribly wrong after I got a little drunk one night and tried to stand up for the people that had illegal tent. lol Look out for the traffic police on NC4x4.

 

[Rich]

...went terribly wrong after I ...tried to stand up for the people that had illegal tent.

Is that like the "over 4 hour erection" you get when you take Viagra without a prescription?