how much can i expect to pay for tinting the windows of a regular cab 87 f150? does it cost more for the tint to be darker? And does anybody know the laws for ohio with tint? What is the legal limit?

 

my 89 F250 reg cab cost $140 all the way around (except windshield) from a quality shop around me. lifetime warranty. generally, darker tint won't cost you more, but higher-quality stuff will. the installer may have several brands or grades of product, which a good shop will go over with you. choose the one that's best for you and go!

Mike

 

A couple things to note:

How dark do you want to go, personally I like either 20% on sides of cab, and 5% on rear window... OR 35% on sides and 20% on rear.

IMO anything OVER 35% is just too mild of a tint, not even worth the cahs to get it tinted.



There are four basic tints,

Ultra cheap = looks like purple film tint = garbage, dont get this

Mid Grade = looks like decent tint, uses a dye to make the film dark... It can be quality but expect fading up to half the *tint* lost in a year, after that it settles down.

High Quality = Same appearence as mid grade, but instead of dye to make the film tinted, they use a metal based film. Its great, but pricey.. Will NEVER fade no matter what.

Ultra High Quality = Smoked glass. The bgest of the best, but costs mega bucks. No film on the windows, never fades or scratches off.




I would get mid grade tint, but go darker than you initially want because in 3 months it will fade to a much lighter tint.


Also I wouldn't suggest doing it yourself, its so hard to cut your own tint and apply it without getting air bubbling etc.. it will look like crap. Just get a pro to install it with a warrenty.

Good luck

 

and check the local laws of your city and state by looking it up on google.

 

chances are, the shop that will be doing the work knows the local laws.

 

The fastest way to find out is to get on the phone and call different places near you with the same questions you asked here.

 

like galizien said, dont do it yourself. i did my tint myself and it looks like crap but it is dark and i only paid $20 so i dont really care. i dont see why it would be anything over $100 for you. my wife's 4 door car cost $140 for mid grade.

 

I would look into doing it yourself if you have a some free time and a little patience. I purchased the higher grade window tint (5%) and tinted my back and rear side two windows (ext cab). I purchased a tinting kit with a squeegie, fluid, razor blades, etc and a buddy and I did it all in like an hour. It doesnt look spectactular but for my first time ever doing it, i think it looks pretty good and I probably have less than $40 in the project. If i were to do it over agian, i think i could get it almost perfect. However, if you want a perfect job and are willing to spend the money, a professional is the way to go. $140 doesn't sound too bad. I dont know about Ohio, but in illiniois the windshield and front door windows cannot be tinted legeally.

 

I grew up on the Mi/Oh border. From what I remember, both states are pretty pissy about any tint... I'd guess $120-200 would be fair. I did the windows on my 250 myself.(extended cab) It was already tinted in the front front 35% when I bought it. I did the rear sides and the back with 2.5%. I'll admit, I have some experience with tint, and if I wasn't such a cheap @$$ I'd of paid for it. It came out pretty good, but sooooo $%^%# dark you can't see out the back window in the dark. It had factory tint, so who knows what it is. Then again, the truck is pretty much a dedicated car hauler and lives with a 40' trailer behind it. I sleep in it on occaision too. If it were a daily driver, I'd recommend against it. Like I said, check out your local laws. It may be less of a hassle to leave well enough alone.

 

Tinted my 94 f-150 reg cab about 6 mo ago. I'm in FL so I can't help you with OH laws, but as far as pricing goes, I'm think it will be comparable. If so, I can give you an idea. The place I went to used Llumar tint, which I heard was good quality. 3M also comes to mind. But I paid exactly 100 bucks cash (no tax). It will, however, cost you a little more if you have a sliding rear window. I do remember the guy asking me about the rear window. Makes sense that the more they have to cut, the more it'll cost you. Here in FL, you can get away with 15% rear, and 30% sides. The Llumar tint has really helped with keeping the heat out and I've been really happy. Don't forget keep windows up for 48hrs after tinting. Up there where it's cold, you should have no problem, but I had to wait until my a/c was fixed before tinting or else I'd bake! Hope this helps......

 

On my 90 F250 reg cab i did 3M 5% all the way around for $140 including a strip across the windshield to help block the sun.