I emailed the shop that the dealer uses to see what kind of tint they are using.
I contacted another local shop and asked for quotes. $369.99 for their top of the line Pinnacle Series ceramic film. Sounds like a good price and I may go with that.
If anyone can offer in an opinion, I'm on the fence between two shops here in Ottawa. One uses computer cut SolarGard, not sure exactly what percent but around OEM. The other uses American Standard Window Film, not sure which grade, but in either 20% or 35%... this is where I got my last 2 cars done. He does all the work himself and hand cuts it, I'm just not sure about the tint film itself.
Also on the fence about whether to make the front doors lighter or not... Doesn't look as nice but it's safer. Oh, so many decisions!
5% tint around the back and back doors and 50% tint up front by Coastline Motorsport, Woodland Hills, CA.
Tint job was $175! Was $225 and I had a $50 off coupon! If you are in SoCal, go see Jesse at Coastline. His tint guy only does perfection. It takes a few hours, but no bubbles no missing areas. Even the Dot Matrix on the edges was covered!
I just did mine on Friday at Tint Master in Lansing, MI. They have been in business 25 years and i saw pics of their work and was impressed. I am very pleased with their work. Took 2 hours got front door glass 35, rear door, sail and back window all 5%. Looks a ton better but still a bit hazy, waiting the 5 days to clean the inside off.
how the hell do you post pics here? cant find a button to do it.
I get my 2013 Focus tinted in 2 days. I had 35% on a previous vehicle and that was a little lighter then I want now. However after seeing pictures of 20% tint I think that is too dark and would attract cops. I'm going to do the same tint all the way around. Legally, the darkest I can go is 35%, however I'm not worried about a cop using a meter to measure my tint. I do not want something that is so dark, a cop can just look and say its too dark. I believe 20% probably would attract a cop. Can someone post pictures of 25% and 30% tints for I can decide what I should go for? Suggestions are welcome as well.
I decided to go with the law and do 35% tint all the way around as I found out that going darker than the law would void the lifetime warranty. With the dark interior though, it don't look bad at all.
That looks really good bikerlbf406. I am in Illinois also, and was on the fence if 35% all around would look good. I will be calling the shop tomorrow!!
Thanks, and yeah the dark interior inside really does make it look darker then it is. I know myself from a previous vehicle though, that if it's sunny outside, it don't look as dark, it just happened to be today was cloudy and overcast skies. I was thinking of going a bit darker, despite the law, but do to other circumstances decided to just stick with the 35%. However, I noticed tonight while driving it, that if I went darker, it would make it quite difficult to see out at night. The good thing is, is that between the back-up lights being brighter than my previous vehicle that I had tint on, that I do not have to roll down my windows to see while backing up at night, which I probably would have to if it was any darker. So I think I made the right choice.
Couple of points - I agree, the darker interior tends to make the tint look darker. My experience has been the opposite though - the tint looks darker in bright sunlight and lighter in overcast and at dusk/dawn - I think it has to do with the difference in light levels inside and outside the car.
Also - I think the manufacturer's tint warranty would be the same regardless of the legality. However, if the tint is darker than legal - the shop likely won't give you a receipt which means THEY won't warranty the work (which is almost the same thing as not having a warranty).
Stock Ford glass is 70% so you have to take that into account when you tint.
Here is the formula:
glass% x film% / (glass% + film%) = real%
Example: Llumar CTX 30 is actually 31% so if you do the math...
31 x 70 / (31 + 70) = 21.5%
Just for a reference, Ford dark privacy glass that you find on the rear of vans and pickups is 17%-18% so you would need a film in the low 20's to make the front door glass match.
It doesn't appear to be 70% stock to me, more like 85-90% light transmission, its much much brighter than after the 30% film would be applied to the windows.
I measured the VLT with a light meter on an E-150 and a Focus ZX3.
30% film on a stock door window is maybe a shade lighter than the stock privacy glass and a fairly subtle difference from the outside (unless you are looking for it.)
31 percent on the front, and 13 on the rears. I like it, and it thus far has not attracted any more police attention, considering any tint on the front windows is illegal here.
does anyone recommend any window tint shop in the NYC area?
thanks![driving]
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