I want to tint my front door windows to match the rear windows, does anyone know how dark the factory tint is?? Is there any particular brand to get or stay away from. Thanks for the help.

 

when i got my front windows done they said it was 13%, you can't tell the difference between the two. i'm not sure of the name brand of the tint

 

I tinted my front two windows with 20% film. This matches the factory tint almost perfectly. As for brand, I would stay away from the dyed films and go with a metallic film. Otherwise you will be replacing it every few years when it turns purple. Some good brands are Sungard, Llumar, 3M, Solar Shield, Johnson, etc. If you have a shop do the work, make sure they offer a lifetime warranty. I did mine myself because I used to have a friend that was in the business and learned quite a few tricks.

 

RamDan,

What are those tricks? I've been thinking about doing the back window myself. It looks simple since it is relatively flat. I've seen tint at Wal Mart but I'm not sure if it is "metallic" or one of the good brands.....anyone with an opinion on the film at Wal Mart?

Thanks!

 

Sorry RamDan, I should have done a little research before bothering you. Don't you just love the internet? I did a search in Google for "window tint film" and came up with this site about how to install:

http://www.diynet.com/diy/ab_windows...271201,00.html

 

I had mine put on at the dealer looks great but, I have a 03 also and the tint scratched on mine after about 2 weeks and I found out there is a TSB on 03's because of the wrong felt inside of the door, might want to get it checked or replaced first

 

Found a much better site where the professionals post their tips and tricks:
http://www.tintdude.com/

 

Yes, this is probably one of the best resources on the web. They also have a message board for questions.

 

A couple of my friends brought up a good point about visibility with the tint on the front windows being so dark. Does anyone have picture of their tinted windows and what % of tint do you have on them. Thanks

 

In my gallery is a picture of my windows tinted with 20% film. If you don't want your night vision to be affected, don't go with anything darker than 35%. Once you go darker, it will start to affect your night vision. 20% really isn't much different than 35%, but if you get anything darker than 20%, be prepared to roll down your windows quite a bit at night.

 

For what it's worth in CT you need 35% on the two front side windows to be legal.

Here is a chart revised Apr 22, 2004 that shows all the states' tinting restrictions:

http://www.iwfa.com/iwfa/Law_Chart/S...aw%20Chart.htm

 

I added 13% on my rear doors to make it nicer for the kids while travelling.

Then 20% on my front doors, yes it's illigal, but very nice and stops the bright sun.

Also added a 13% shade band across the upper part of windshield, great idea.

 

That's how I look at it. The benefits outweigh the risks of having illegal tint. Here in MD we don't have regular yearly inspections, so the worst that happens is you get a $50 fix-it ticket. Then you just repeat the process. The law here is 35% and i've never had a single problem with 20%. Once you get darker than 20% you will get stopped.

 

I used to tint windows a while ago. 3m makes good tint. I don't know if you can get it without being a dealer. I got lazy and pay my friend to do it now.