Who has got their windows tinted? need help :)

Marlin_Girl · 11-02-2005, 11:28 AM

Hi guys,

My ute is in desperate need of tinting, but i dont know what to look for when the people i have in mind show me their work!

I need to know what to look out for as signs of a crappy or good job etc... and what kind of tint is the best/what would look best on my ute and so on, some of them seem to go purple as they get older, and some of them are a yucky brown colour to begin with! also what's a good price for a ute?

I'm sorry if this has all been posted before, i had a search in the forums and couldn't find anything. I'm going to have a look at tinting in a few hours, so hopefully someone can help me so i don't go into this blindly...

Cheers guys

Smoke Pursuit · 11-02-2005, 11:35 AM

I just got my BA done with some 3M tint, it come up a treat.

Basically look for price. If you think its too cheap, then it probarly is. Dont go paying top dollar tho etiher, and if you end up getting 3M tint tell the tint shop to leave the logos on to prove it is 3M (you just clean them off when you get home with some metho). You can pick between colours, usually most people get a dark greeny colour, which looks alright on most cars. The purple tint you see is the really old type which is non metalic, so I don't think you will have any issues with that.

Cost me $320 to get my sedan done, as for my AU II XR6 ute I think it was about $200, but that was 3 years ago. Tinta car wanted $450 to do my sedan and that was with a discount so yeh prices do vary.

Also look for a lifetime warranty!

Good luck!

Marlin_Girl · 11-02-2005, 11:55 AM

ahh thanks heaps! Yeah i was looking for around $200 hopefully. i'll definately be looking for some kind of warranty

Smoke Pursuit · 11-02-2005, 11:59 AM

Yeh a lifetime warranty is probarly wrong, i think mine has a 25 year warranty, but not sure.

paul7v7 · 11-02-2005, 12:22 PM

sorry to hijack the thread a bit but this 3m stuff, does any window tinting place deal with it?

Kev_BLNXR8_Ute · 11-02-2005, 03:26 PM

I have a guy that does all my tinting and he is great. I have sent about 20 cars to him. Way too far for you though. My tint is called incogneto. Aparently a metalic tint can interfear with your radio reception. Average price would be about $200 for a ute. Basicly look for a real long warranty, and a no gap finish and you cant go wrong. Mine is life time warranty custom fit.

Hope this helps a little..

Cheers kev

11-02-2005, 04:13 PM

If you want to make the trip, goto Perth. Speak to John Gray at Sungard Superstore in Bassendean. Tell him I sent you. He'll look after you. Workmanship second to none. I've had all my vehicles over the years tinted by him. Even my latest and greatest Focus.

You'll be looking at $150-$250 depending on what tint you want.

Things to look out for, in regards to a good job:

No bubbling.

No tears in the tint cut at the windows upper edge.

Make sure the tint has been cut RIGHT at the windows edge, not 5-10mm before the edge.

Dez · 11-02-2005, 04:28 PM

i got F1 tint from tint-a-car done for $295, on special apparently....

its BLACK tint, and it looks mad. comes with a 25 year warranty as well.

Marlin_Girl · 11-02-2005, 04:47 PM

OK i went to this random place in town... not sure of the details of the tint but it looked pretty good...

is only going to cost me $135 though... is this sounding dodgy? Still the guy said it has a national lifetime warranty... i'm confused as to why its so cheap. he didn't really offer me many details on it. I am going to Perth in March so maybe i should wait... i dunno! any thoughts?

11-02-2005, 04:52 PM

seems right, you only have 3 windows and the rear is quite small (not tall), do the utes have the radio antenna on the rear window, like the sedans? if so DO NOT put a metal tint on that section, you will loose your reception!

Fordy · 11-02-2005, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marlin_Girl

OK i went to this random place in town... not sure of the details of the tint but it looked pretty good...

is only going to cost me $135 though... is this sounding dodgy? Still the guy said it has a national lifetime warranty... i'm confused as to why its so cheap. he didn't really offer me many details on it. I am going to Perth in March so maybe i should wait... i dunno! any thoughts?

My ute cost me $180 and its top quality tint and he takes it right to the edge, very good job, i know people that could of done it for $150 and $120 but this guy is the best, he does from his house in Morely near the galleria.

you can come and see mine when ur in town if you want.

Envious · 11-02-2005, 05:36 PM

got mine done for free....brother used to have his own tinting business, Good Look window tinting.

: :dr_Evil:

Dez · 11-02-2005, 05:39 PM

marlin girl...if you're willing to pay for it, i'd say go with the F1 tint, can't go wrong with that....

jabba · 11-02-2005, 05:41 PM

i got my ut tinted for $150. and that was for 3m non matelic tint with life time warranty. look good to.

Marlin_Girl · 11-02-2005, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fordy

My ute cost me $180 and its top quality tint and he takes it right to the edge, very good job, i know people that could of done it for $150 and $120 but this guy is the best, he does from his house in Morely near the galleria.

you can come and see mine when ur in town if you want.

thanks, i'll see how i go. it's going to be a very busy weekend!

Thanks everyone for the help, i might go back and see if they take the tint right to the edge. unfortunately i got most of these replies after i'd already been to see them, so now i know what to look for!! i really want it done ASAP so if it looks like they do it properly i might just get it done - it has a lifetime warrantly after all!

YOOT · 11-02-2005, 06:12 PM

I got 20% tint which is 10% darker than legal for $140 cash in hand for my ute. However its not dark enough for me, I am getting it retinted with 5% so you can't see through it, also for $140 cash.

The metalic tint affecting your radio is only valid for AM reception, it won't affect FM. I have metalic on mine and it doesn't affect either, we put the same tint on my mums WRX and it totally rooted the AM. Go Figure... and both cars have in-glass aerials.

Dez · 11-02-2005, 07:24 PM

hey YOOT, i also got 1 shade over leagal (VIC) dont know what the % is, but he said he'd do 1 shade over, and still give me paperwork....it is dark, but like you said, not dark enough ;)

my brother went to the same guy and got 2 shades over, also on a black car, and it is very dark, however, on the right angle with the roght light, you can still see inside....it all depends how the light shines on it etc...but 2 shades over definitely is nice....

my mate has 3 over on his AU, and thats BLACK

:

Whitey-AMG · 11-02-2005, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dez

i got F1 tint from tint-a-car done for $295, on special apparently....

its BLACK tint, and it looks mad. comes with a 25 year warranty as well.

Yup

That's my stuff too.
Had it on the car for @ 6 years now and it has stood the test of time and heat. It has a nice classy charcoal look about it..........not too dark and not too light and it really is great stuff. It has titanium particles impregnated in the film which is why it's a little more expensive than most........but it is good.

Sylox · 11-02-2005, 07:45 PM

I've got 10% on the rear window and rear 1/4 windows any darker and you'll have troubles seeing out of it when reversing of a night...
And i went for 15% on the front windows which is just right on the ute.

The ute being black anyway, people dont really notice just how dark the tint is. You cant see though it 90% of the time.

Mine also came with a life time warranty and cost about $150

MAD · 11-02-2005, 07:52 PM

Can anyone recommend a place in SE suburbs of melbourne?

Which companies use the 3M tint?

Brute33 · 11-02-2005, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dez

hey YOOT, i also got 1 shade over leagal (VIC) dont know what the % is, but he said he'd do 1 shade over, and still give me paperwork....it is dark, but like you said, not dark enough ;)

my brother went to the same guy and got 2 shades over, also on a black car, and it is very dark, however, on the right angle with the roght light, you can still see inside....it all depends how the light shines on it etc...but 2 shades over definitely is nice....

my mate has 3 over on his AU, and thats BLACK

:

I think 36% is the legal limit in Victoria for window tinting , which is what I got.
Cost me $200 with a lifetime warranty.

Smoke Pursuit · 11-02-2005, 08:03 PM

My guess would be most of the bigger companies use 3M tint. Im not sure if its the best but im pretty bloody happy with mine!

LOWAU · 11-02-2005, 08:29 PM

Be carefull, some lifetime warranty's don't cover color fade only bubbles and peeling.

Read the fine print...

Dez · 11-02-2005, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brute33

I think 36% is the legal limit in Victoria for window tinting , which is what I got.
Cost me $200 with a lifetime warranty.

yeah, i thought 35% was the limit, so its probably pretty close to that.

i haven't had any trouble with the cops with my windows yet though...

and i think on a black or dark car, its a lot easier to get away with illegal tint, as it doesnt look as dark on the darker cars....mines red, so i stopped at 1 shade over

Marlin_Girl · 11-02-2005, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOWAU

Be carefull, some lifetime warranty's don't cover color fade only bubbles and peeling.

Read the fine print...

Thanks, will be looking out for that.

12 · 12-02-2005, 12:00 AM

Metallic tint affecting radio reception applies to the BA's, Marlin Girl has a AU (Awesome Ute...

: ) so whatever the tint is, it doesn't affect radio reception.

12-02-2005, 08:02 AM

Oops, thats right, so you can use metal tint all round, where as we couldnt on the rear window... what about BA utes?

YOOT · 12-02-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadManz

Oops, thats right, so you can use metal tint all round, where as we couldnt on the rear window... what about BA utes?

Same thing, aerial is a loop at the top of the glass on the ute. But as I said, my metallic tint doesn't affect the radio, and its only AM when it does.

I wouldn't worry about the cops, if you get pulled over, just wind the windows down.

Kenaz · 12-02-2005, 12:08 PM

Can anyone recommend a good tinting place out Ringwood/Croydon way?

Marlin_Girl · 17-02-2005, 07:11 PM

Hey guys,

I ended up getting it done at the place for $135...
It looks fine to me and they went right to the edge

not greatly dark but a huge improvement to before.
I might post up some pics when i get around to washing my car and the weather gets nice again! i also got a set of clear side indicators so they'll be on as well !!

CHeErs :P