I know very little about tinting. I have a Twilight Blue G so I just want it to look good, not bubble and not make it hard to see at night. What suggestions do you have for me and what questions should I ask when shopping around? What should I expect to pay?

Thanks

Twilight Blue/Willow/Premium/Nav/Wood/Winter/Xenon/ 3M Clear Bra

 

This is what I have learned:

There are two basic types of tint:
- Dye based
- Non-Dye based

Dye basted tints are:
- Cheaper
- Harder to see at night
- Less reflective

Non-Dye based tints are:
- More expensive
- Contain particals of metal in them
- Reflective
- Lighter when viewing from the inside out

On my G I got HP Quantum Tinting (limo all around).. I paid aprox. $200.00 for all of it.. Usually tinting places these days give you a lifetime warrenty against bubbling... If you want pics.. There should be a few in the rides section if you click on my name....

Hope this helps..

..pestilence..

 

VQSeries, I have the exact same color car you have. I have the tint with the metal in it that does a pretty good job of keeping the heat away, especially here in Texas. I went 35% all the way around. Funny...I thought it would look like a mirror when looking at it from the outside. I was pleased to find that it looks like regular dye tint. I was very impressed with the quality of work. Go to a good well known tint installer and look for the warranty. The shop I went to offered lifetime warranty, and has been at the same location for 15 years. It was also recommended to me by a friend. They also have contracts with 4 big new car dealerships (one being BMW). Do your homework and ask to see examples of their work. Good luck!

Limited Edition Twilight Blue / Premium / Graphite / Xenons

 

Lumar tint, best quality i know of, will cost more, but should have a life long warranty for original owner of car, ummm i love it, made with mostly metal soo will not bubble or fade... have fun lata

 

I paid 189 for lumar at my local tint shop

 

can anyone recommend a good tint shop in the north jersey/nyc area?

 

I used the base-model 35% tint all around based on the rec. I recv. from 2 different dealers.

 

I have Lumar 35% on the fronts and 20% on rears. It looks great. I paid $160, but that's because the shop did a group deal for us.

 

i got 6% all around and a lifetime warranty, paid like $265, and i could put my windows down the same day, i love dark tint............

 

I too have a tb G and I went with a Llumar Stealth series tint in 20%. The stealth series is their semi-metallic tint. It has somewhat of a blueish color to it and it looks great w/ the tb G's.

 

If you want to have good visibility at night DO NOT get limo tint. I wouldn't go darker then 35%. I had 5% on my old car and I'm surprised I didn't kill someone. I couldn't see sh*t when I was backing up.

 

I was always partial to the Hi-Performance, metal tint, neutral 35%, because of the fading, but my G came already tinted with a 3M ColorStable tint, which has a lifetime guarantee, and is also guaranteed against fading, I don't know how they changed that, but I am happy with it, I have 35% gray all the way around, and I agree with skeleton cru, don't go darker than 35%, even 35% sometimes is hard at night, depending on the light. Damn, 5%, LOL, be like wearing sunglasses into a dark bar!

 

On my past 3 cars I had 35% tint all around which is legal limit in Kansas. While I didn't have any purpling of the tint, all tints fade marginally over time. This time around I went with 35% front and 20% on the three rear windows. I did this to compensate for the fade of the tint and to keep a little more sun off my 4 month old son riding in the rear facing seat. As long as I have 35% in the front, the police won't bother with me because most SUV/Minivans come with 15-20% tinted rear windows as stock. With 20% on the rears, it makes the tint in the front appear darker than it really is. Night time driving with 20% isn't an issue visibility wise and enough glare still comes through to activate the anti-glare mirror. I also did a upper 6" 5% windshield brow to cut down on low horizon sunlight.

Like others have said, driving a car with 5%-10% tint is flat out dangerous. Lots of my Mustang friends did this and backing up was damn near impossible at night.

IMO, tinting the windows is one the best mods you can do to a car. It dramatically improves the looks, makes the windows a bit more safe from shattering in a wreck, keeps the interior cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, keeps you occupants more comfortable, and offers a level of security by making it harder to see into the interior.

 

Do agree with the 5% issue. At night, it is difficult to see the rear when backing up, which is a liability issue. A while ago, there was a guy in our area who only had 25% on the rears and ran over his infant who accidentally got outside. Although, this type of accident is rare, it is still a liability for yourself.

As for pricing it really depends on your area. There are companies that charge $99 and others that can go as high as $450. The most we ever charged was $600 for a Bentley and the lowest we ever went was $150 for a older model Tacoma. Competition in the area is also a large factor in pricing.

If you go w/ IR films (Huper or V-Kool), then you're going to be looking at a range of $350-$450. It comes down to the company's expertise, film they use, and geographical location.

 

I have 20% on the front windshield and 5% all around....makes the car IMO