Anyone tint their windows themselves? I see a lot of cars with crappy tint jobs so im not sure what to do... Local shops want a lot to tint the windows and it seems doable enough to do it myself but there seems to be a lot of film kits out there you can buy... and I really don't want to end up with a tint that turn from black/gray to blue in a month. So if anyone has done it please share.

Also, has anyone ever used a mobile tinting person? A few advertise on Craigslist and they say they will do up to 7 windows for $90 and that doesn't seem to bad at all actually.. but again, quality

 

The most important thing when tinting windows is to have the window ABSOLUTELY clean. You should also tint the window off the vehicle. This will help to eliminate bad edges and also give a little help because the edges will be covered. I did mine, but with the idea that a little blemish will be consistent with a 40 year old truck. I recommend the tint that comes from TAP plastics. Dark enough and they also have a good how to video. You could try a business to do this, but sometimes the guarantee is out the window because the glass is old.

 

Sure, it's easy.

Need an assortment of squeegies and have sharp new razor cutter handy as well as new razor scraper. Wet glass down good with window cleaner and go over it all with the razor until you feel no catching meaning it's clean. Before laying on tint, clean glass again with the baby shampoo solution and a lint free rag.

Follow instructions .... and get a good quality tint.

 

Well, I've done both. Honestly, it's not bad to do yourself if you have clean/unscathed glass. When I took out my Ford's back glass to replace the seal, I decided I wanted to do a quick and temporary tint job on the back glass cause I feel like an ant under a magnifying glass driving with clear back glass. Anyway, I ended up getting some "Black Magic" brand tint from Walmart and I wouldn't recommend that stuff. I only got it because I knew it'd be temporary. There's precut kits online and I think that would be the best option if you decide to go that route.

One bonus to paying extra to having a shop do it is they will usually warrant their work. On my other truck, I had the front 2 windows tinted to match the back and they have a lifetime warranty against fade/bubble/peeling. I think they quoted me like $115 for all of my windows on the Ford when I had asked, not bad when it includes a lifetime warranty.

 

Another excellent option is to get some 5% or 20% VLT Static Cling Tint and apply that inside, using same soapy solution and squeegies .... then trim to fit. Easy to work with, easy to reposition, etc .... and as long as that glass is spotless inside ..... it looks same.
From inside looking out it's not quite as sharp as the glue on kind, but you can't tell that from outside and how much do you look out back anyway?


My wife's Forester has tint I applied to rear glass and rear side glass and rear door glass. I used 20% and used static cling for the rear most side glass ..... did it in 2009 .... all still look great and you have to look close from inside to see any difference.

 

Tinting it yourself isn't really that tough, try to find a good thermal tint like the shops use if you're going to do it yourself or maybe they'd sell you some off the roll

 

I won't even begin to point out some of the bad info here.

As mentioned, squeegees and a good razor knife is mandatory, as is a good "hard card", a nice heat gun will help with the curved front glass if you have it available, but be VERY careful with it. 3M and Lumar make about the best film on the market that is readily available.

Clean windows thoroughly with 409. (If truck has old tint this stuff woulda really well at removing the residue for the old film), I suggest cleaning the window immediately before you tint it. Make a solution in a pump spray bottle of baby shampoo and water. Douse the first window liberally. Align tint on window with the top edge slightly past the top of the window and a good three inches or more at the bottom. Roll window down an inch or two to get the top edge cut. I personally do not leave any type of gap in my film and have never had any peeling issues. Squeegee all bubbles out of the film and cut the top edge. Roll window up and cut bottom edge a tad bit long. Do this from the OUTSIDE of the truck. Here is a tinters trick, if you have a sliding glass door in your house, you can use the first door to use as a template for the second door. Simply squeegee the first cut piece onto the sliding door and squeegee another larger piece to that one, trim to the exact size. (Note, the film will have a removable side that peels off, make sure if you use this method, you do not cut the same side twice. Once you have your film cut, remove it and clean the inside of the window to be tinted with 409. Spray liberally with baby shampoo and water mixture and position top edge of film on window with it rolled down an inch or two. Squeegee top to bottom, once close to bottom, roll window up (check that tint is not being damaged by top of the window seal, use hard card to help for a smooth transition) and complete pushing out all bubbles and water from under the film. Use hard card to push film under bottom weather stripping. This will be the last time window is rolled down for a week or so. Repeat steps for passenger side. If you have a sliding glass rear door on your house, the film is already cut. The doors are the hardest part to lay, the front windshield will be next. Same theory applies. Cut film from the outside of window, apply film from inside. You will clean each window meticulously. I only suggest tinting yourself if you have a dust free area. Wet the floor prior. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I tinted professionally for a few years in my twenties.

 

Like I said .... "follow instructions".

As to those particular glasses .... I'ld say first step is check state laws as written in your state .... and maybe worth your while to check those in states you might visit.
Here the front door glass got a good look with the meter and any at all on a windshield got a ticket at minimum and some who had a mess there that looked too bad, looked bad enough to be a safety hazard ... they got a tow unless they peeled it fast.

 

i have TRIED to tint windows before.

when grumpy gets his rear window put in, its gonna have tint done at the window shop. Wife got her dodge dart done there to and there was a little bubble appear and they fixed it no charge. ended up having to re-do the whole window (back window).

 

Thanks for all the input guys! I got some really nice tint from my local shop and did the driver side. He said I did a decent job for a first timer. It takes 3 days for it to set so ill see what happens and let you all know

 

Good work, post some pictures when you're done. Most importantly, don't forget about not rolling your window down while it's setting.