Tinted windows

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Jul 20, 2009 | 02:54 PM

kynnhoj

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From: Toledo, Ohio

Tinted windows

Looking at new to us vans and came across several that have no tint on rear windows....

Any comments on after market tint?

Pros / cons

(longevity, cloudiness, cleaning, scratch resistance, etc.)

Thanks, John

Jul 20, 2009 | 10:23 PM

rebocardo

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From: Atlanta GA

I can always tell after market tint because it looks it. It is usually worse once you get inside the vehicle.

If I wanted shade I would probably go with a glue or static window graphic.

Jul 22, 2009 | 09:12 PM

YoGeorge

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From: Detroit

Quote:

Originally Posted by kynnhoj

Because it's a plastic film, it will always have the potential to be scratched...but most of the modern films really don't get cloudy per se. The newer generation films will last a good number of years, although that will depend on where you park the van. (Parking in the Arizona sun will definitely shorten the life of the film.)

Virtually every car on the road with tinted windows is using film, and this includes lots of really expensive vehicles. The van is also going to be easier to do because the windows are flat, don't have defroster or antenna wires, etc.

I'd prefer (and have, on my van) the factory tint, but if you find the right van, I wouldn't rule it out if it has clear glass. Do consider the price of tinting when you're buying, and you can always whine about how much it's gonna cost to tint the glass when negotiating for price on the van

George

Jul 28, 2009 | 05:32 AM

lost_in_space

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2 ways to go.

Use the plastic film but hire a good place that does it right otherwise it will look hack. It will scratch so I would consider adding wire mesh to cover the window. Weatherguard makes ones to fit & has nice plastic coating mesh. this will protect the windows from being broken or scratched from cargo & also help protect thieves from breaking in.

The 2nd way costs only $4 & works great. Get black spray paint & paint the windows black from the inside. It looks like a million bucks from the outside & noone can tell its paint & not dark tint. In fact noone can see in although you wont be able to see out either. It dosnt look the greatest from the inside though. If its a work van & you dont need the back windows I would & have done this to my vans. Of course I didnt use this method on my new quigley.

Jul 29, 2009 | 09:27 AM

neil 95 e350

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From: San Marcos, CA

having worked in a couple of places that did tint, i agree with the "find the best..." thought. a good tinter can do a job so well that you would almost swear the tint was in the window. for years 3M tinting was the only brand to use, dunno these days. and a friend had excellent results with one of the precut tint kits from ebay. he is a very hands on person, so i am sure that contributed. but the kit itself was 3M and the pieces were sized perfectly.

Aug 9, 2009 | 11:54 AM

GABayne

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Hello, I also worked at an accessory shop that does window tinting, and we only had one guy that did it, and was great at it. As neil said, "find the best" you can, and look at the work. The biggest thing is dust specks in the window. The fewer the better, and if the guy is taking the time to keep things clean, he's probably doing the install properly as well.

We used Sun-gard film that had a metallic layer in it, and it was great, looked good, and was fairly scratch resistant.

Older film from about 15-20 years ago used to fade to a purplish/blue color, but newer graphite films only seem to lighten up, they keep their smoke color pretty good.

And I also agree with YoGeorge. I prefer factoy tint too, but my recently aquired E-350 15 passenger has clear windows that I plan to have tinted once I get the extra money.

Around here, I think the going rate for my van is about $300 for all of those windows, with a lifetime guarantee against excessive discoloration/fading, and against any type of peeling off.

Aug 9, 2009 | 11:58 AM

GABayne

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Sorry, also forgot to mention cleaning. We found that ammonia based glass cleaner not only removes the glue if it gets behind the edges (it's what we used to strip tint glue off after peeling the film) it also contributes to discoloration (especially so with prolonged use on the older films.) We used automotive glass cleaner from the parts section that is alcohol based. Eagle, armor all and a few others all sell them (they are generally a clear bottle/clear product.) They do cost a little more than windex stuff, but works far better for getting crud off car windows that you don't generally get in a house.

It works so well, that I usually use it for mirrors/windows at home too, even though it is more expensive (after grumbling about the price anyways. I still prefer cheap and free, even though this stuff is worth the money.)

Hope this all helps.