[coastal]

Every time I swing by the dealer (which luckily hasn't been too often), I see three or four new V70's sitting in the lot waiting for their tint to cure. Does EVERYONE tint?!<P>I have yet to do it, but it seems every time I see a new V70 it's got tint!<P>Are there additional benefits I'm unaware of?<P>Set up.... <P>starts.... <P>now:

 

[saabstory]

Tint, tint, tint, tint! (the crowd chants)<P>I did it for the looks, the solar shading, and security because I don't always carry the rear cargo cover.<P>Mainly for the looks now that I think about it. I'm a single guy driving what is arguably a family car, so the tint (hopefully) makes it a little more intriguing. (again, maybe in my dreams)

 

[S.R.]

Coastal,<P>If you are thinking about geetting your windows tinted, I would not even give it a second thought. I have tinted windows on both my Volvo and Infiniti. On my Volvo I have Llumar Solar and on my Infiniti I have 3M Metallic Solar Guard.<P>The biggest reason for getting it in my opinion is because it protects the leather seats. I live in an area that gets pretty hot in the summer and the tinted windows have helped keep the leather in both my cars looking new. If you ever compare the interior of cars when new to old with tinted windows and ones without, you will know what I am talking about.<P>Tinted windows keeps your interior from fading, protects the leather, helps keep broken glass in place, keeps your car cooler, protects you from UV radiation, looks good, and keeps people from seeing your valuables inside. <P>Having tinted windows and using Lexol on the leather will keep your interior looking brand new, I swear by it. <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/biggrin.gif"><P>-Drew

 

[darell]

All I can say at this point is to reread the above posts. I really have nothing to add except that I will never own a car that is not tinted. I tint my new cars before I wash them the first time. Seriously.<P>And obviously, at least in SaabStory's world, it makes you FAR more attractive. <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/smile.gif"><P>Ok, after saying I have nothing more to add, it turns out I do (big surprise, huh?): I have a dog and a breast-feeding infant. The dog is way more comfortable sitting in the back "sun room" with all the tint, and my wife can breast feed our baby in total privacy with the windows up. The only strikes agains tinting that I know of are: It costs money, and you have to take a bit more care of the inside of the windows (you know...no more cleaning with SOS pads). Oh, plus it's illegal to do the front windows in CA like I did.<P>And totally off topic - Thanks you guys for being such fun, and for picking up the pace on the board a bit.<P>Drive on.<P>- Darell<p>[This message has been edited by darell (edited 04-28-2001).]

 

[PK]

Darrell, my solution to the California anti-front-window-tinting law is to tint the rest of the windows dark, and the front windows medium. I've never had a problem.<P>A true story: My wife was once pulled over and the cop started flirting with her and asked her out on a date. She politely refused, and got a "fix-it" ticket in the mail for having her windows illegally tinted. Good thing for that cop this happened before we met! <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/smile.gif">

 

[darell]

Agreed. I've done exactly that, and I never have had a problem (I had my pickup front windows tinted for eight years with no problem either). But I keep hearing all these stories about people getting nailed for it. Sometimes being forced to remove the tint on the spot ?!<P>Another thing to keep in mind, is that if it isn't pouring rain out, just lower both front windws (auto-down, afterall!) after you're pulled over. One less thing to be noticed, and ironically, it won't look like you're hiding anything <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/smile.gif"><P>Or, just don't get pulled over.<P>- Darell

 

[coastal]

So you are allowed to tint the driver and front passenger side windows, right?<P>We're not <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/frown.gif"><BR>Only the windows behind the driver can be tinted, though from what I understand, it's not a serious infraction if you get nailed.

 

[darell]

Coastal (I like that better than T) -<P>NOPE. It is illegal to do anything greater than 80% net on the front side windows. (that means you can't add anything to the factory tint to make the result greater than 80% which is damn near clear). Basically they can add an almost totally clear UV film on those windows legally, but nothing more. The rest of the car can be blacked out if that's your thing. The law is there to protect the law enforcement officers. They want to be able to see you in there as they approach the car...thus my solution to simply roll the windows down.<P>Paul and I are talking about ways to get AROUND the fact that it's illegal here in CA. Each state is different.<P>- Darell

 

[Rob 101]

Darell - <P>I've used Llumar tint in the past. It lasted about 10 years w/o any fading or bubbling. But the visibility degraded toward the end. Maybe it was the glue getting old? I had it removed for $100 and really appreciated the restored clarity. This is probably the only reason I haven't tinted yet. But the need to block the sun is soon aproaching(57 days!)... not to mention protecting the interior and the added good looks.<P>Lots of questions - <P>1)What % did you go for on your fronts and your rears? <P>2)What is ballpark $ to do all 7 windows? <P>3)Any brands you would recommend? <P>4)Did it have any negative effect on your radio reception? <P>Thanks,<BR>Rob<P><P>

 

[darell]

Hey Rob -<P>I have 50% on the front side windows, and 20% everywhere else. If I had to do it again (and I did on my other car) I'd do exactly the same thing!<P>I like 3M, Llumar, Johnson...in that order. I'm sure there are other great films out there, but these are the ones I have experience with. They all have lifetime warranties (if your Llumar was degraded, it should have been replaced for free by the mfg) Have an autorized dealer of the film you choose do the install, and you should be covered. I've found good tinters by asking local auto dealerships who they use. Then I call and talk to them. If they brush me off, or don't have time for me, that's the last they hear from me. When one sounds good, ask to drop by and see a car he's done.<P>Look to spend about $250-$300 for all the windows. Most I've heard is $350. Remember the 80% net for the front windows is the max legal here in CA. 80% is all but clear (factory tint is in the 85-90% range). You can do ANYTHING on the windows behind the front seats.<P>I have had no negative effects on radio reception. I know others have reported it, but it simply does not effect mine. The antenna, of course, ends up to the outside of the tint. I have noticed cell reception to be a bit reduced inside the car with the windows all up. And I know it's the tint, because rolling the windows down improves the reception. Hasn't been a show-stopper though.<P>I recommend the semi-metallic films. They take longer to dry, but in the grand scheme of things, a couple of weeks is nothing compared to the benefits. To me, the looks alone would be worth the price of tint, but I did it for UV and heat protection. I can't say enough good things about tint.<P>- Darell

 

[PK]

Darell, let me get this straight once and for all: do you like tint? <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/wink.gif"><P>Well, I just picked up my new car today complete with new tint--it looks awesome! I don't know what the % are, but basically, it's extra dark on the back windows, and "medium" (but still fairly dark) on the fronts. Even though my car is a S60 T5, I thought I'd share this with the cool V70 gang!

 

[coastal]

To add more fuel to this discusssion, I've heard mention of a laminate tint being used by some shops. From what I understand, this is a clear sheet installed over top of the tint to serve two purposes:<P>1. To protect the tint from scratching.<P>2. To actually provide a security barrier not unlike that found on the front windshield. This would prevent a thief from smashing the windows to gain entry. <P>The only problem I see is that in the event of a collision the security laminate might prove a hinderance should one have to smash the window to exit the car. Thoughts?<P>NB: Volvo offers a security laminate as part of it's security package, but I'm referring to an aftermarket product that would be installed on top of the tint.<P><BR><P>

 

[S.R.]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rob 101:<BR><B><BR>3)Any brands you would recommend? <BR></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I would recommend these, in this order:<P>1. Llumar <BR>2. 3M Scotchtint <BR>3. Madico Autolux<BR>4. Johnson Film<BR>5. Solar Gard<BR>6. Sun Gard<BR>7. V-Kool<BR>8. Westar<P>If you want the best protection money can buy, I think that the best is 3M Metallic Scotchtint, but Llumar seems to be better over longer periods of time. Just make sure you never use any "Windex" type product on it, a damp cloth should be used instead.<P>-Drew<BR><p>[This message has been edited by InDy (edited 05-15-2001).]

 

[Rob 101]

PK...<BR>I think Big D "loves" rather than "likes"... would be more appropriate. The % is for VLT(visible light transmission)... the % of visible light allowed through the film. Lower % means darker. Thanks for stopping by... tell your other S60 friends to visit anytime! That might be the only way we catch up to you boys & girls on the S60 forum(BTW: congrats... looks like you'll break 1000 posts shortly!)<P>D...<BR>My old Llumar was done back in 1991 when the top of the line Platinum tint only came w/ a 5 year warranty. I'm glad to hear about lifetime warranties. The shop I went to 10 years ago is still around & they do all the tint for the local Acura dealership. They gave a quote of $195 for the back 5 windows & additional $100 for the 2 up front. Thanks for the factory tint info... that was my next question.<P>Coastal...<BR>Sounds $$$ for laminate.<BR>How about one of those cool emergency escape hammers IPD sells? Maybe some shaped C4 would do the trick <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/wink.gif"><P>InDy...<BR>Llumar w/ lifetime warranty sounds good to me.<P>Thanks guys,<BR>Rob <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/cool.gif"> still need shades unless I tint the front windshield!<P>

 

[Prepo]

Darell, I can't understand your numbers: you applied 20% when 80% is practically clear? Did I miss something? Thanks

 

[darell]

Prepo -<P>Rob explained it pretty well above. Tint percentages are defined by the amount of light that is transmitted. A brick wall would be 0% while clear glass is 100%. So 5% tint is what they call "limo tint" since it is extrememly dark (only 5% of the available light is allowed through it). Make more sense? (I took your misplaced post out of the A/C thread, in case you're wondering what happened to it.)<P>PK -<P>Yeah, tint is OK. Sorry if I was too vague <IMG SRC="http://www.swedespeed.com/ubb/smile.gif"><P>Coastal -<P>All of the high-end films are laminated by design. There's a layer of adhesive, a layer of dye, a layer of metal, a layer of clear...and probably layers of other stuff. The Llumar I have is supposed to be seven layers all bonded together. It's what makes modern films so strong and scratch resistant these days. Certainly you could add more laminating layers, but tint film itself does a pretty good job.<P>- Darell<p>[This message has been edited by darell (edited 05-16-2001).]