Tinting windows

[OUTLAW1300]

Anyone ever buy those pre-cut window film from eBay and tinted their car windows themselves? Are they any good and are they easy to install? The pros are asking $170 to tint all the windows on my Cadillac CTS V. Just trying to save money. I have been watching videos on youtube on "how to tint windows" and it doesn't look that difficult like most people say.

Any thoughts or experience?

 

[OUTLAW1300]

I had to sell my 2000 Busa to put a down payment on this...

 

[Professor]

Don't skimp..... get a good tinter to do it. You'll be wasting money on the tint from ebay.

Choose the tinter carefully and check out references. 170 is a decent price. You can pay as much removing a bad tint job as putting it on in the first place.

That it too nice of a car to screw up. I had a part time tint business for about 10 years (15 years ago) and I took my last one to someone else.

 

[highestgrade]

if you can get the tint tool kit & a heat gun...it's simple...but requires lots of patience..if you could do it yourself..you could afford to apply better quality tint

 

[twotonevert]

Good tinting has a little art to it, I have tried multiple times to do my own. It is much easier to take it somewhere.

 

[thapp]

i window tint for my job among other things but i can say there is deffently an art to it , it took me three years to get where i am now probably the best in my town and 170 is about the norm for a car like yours also i offer a lifetime warranty as long as you own the car so take to someplace that offers that kind of service and any reputable shop and they will offer a lifetime warranty to and dont be afraid to ask questions about what they are going to do i.e. darkness, taking anything apart on your car,warranties. if you have a good feeling something is going to go wrong go somewhere else good luck

 

[Skywalker]

I done my 1990 K1500 and it turned out beautiful. However, I have been a shad tree machanic all my life and it was a pain. I highly suggest you use the professionals and get that warranty. I had my 03 Dodge Ram done two years ago because what was on it when I bought it looked cheap and slightly purple tent and was scratched. These guys here in Colorado did it up right and put on a layer of felt on the door cap to stop the scratching and a lifetime warranty!

 

[Fastfrog007]

MSRP $58xxx Why skimp on tint? take it to a pro, its well worth it. I took my Camaro to a "guy" that works at my local Benz dealer and tints after-hours, $200 later, perfectly applied tint, well worth it

 

[coreywiley]

Don't skimp..... get a good tinter to do it. You'll be wasting money on the tint from ebay.

Choose the tinter carefully and check out references. 170 is a decent price. You can pay as much removing a bad tint job as putting it on in the first place.

That it too nice of a car to screw up. I had a part time tint business for about 10 years (15 years ago) and I took my last one to someone else.

I disagree. I bought my tint on ebay and it was that type of tint you can by at Walmart. The tint I bought was the pre cut. It's easy you just have to take your time and make sure you remove all the water from between the tint and the window. Make sure you use johnson and Johnson baby shampoo to spay the window.

 

[ibified]

Cory: let me know how that tint looks 5 yeard or so down the road. Who knows, it might be good quality stuff that doesnt fade and/or turn purple, but who knows?

Quality of film is every bit as important as quality of the installer. Call around to pros and ask them what kind of film they use and what kind of warranty they offer with it. LLumar, Madico, and Suntek are gonna be your better films out there, and will hold up well and wont fade.

As for doing it yourself: all you have to do is miss one bubble, get one tear, or one crease, and your tint job is ruined. At that point, even if you took it to a pro, the film probably won't match, and it wont match enough that you will be able to see a difference. 30% gray from Madico and 30% from Llumar don't match one another, so im betting that most of the other brands wont match either.

Save yourself some time and headache and eat the cost of having someone do it professionally. $170 is a VERY good price for tinting that car. And as professor said, a professional shop is going to charge you at LEAST that to remove bad tint, PLUS the cost of tinting again.

 

[slngshott]

I have used the precut tint and it is good stuf. Same as the tint shops use not walmart tint.The worst part is heat shrinking the curved windows.You could do it. If you dont feel comfortable doing the rear window do the others and let a shop do the rear.You still come out ahead.I use elitetint on e-bay and his products are top notch.I have used him many times.

 

[trojan2k]

If you can afford that car you can afford a good tint job. Spend the money. Most of the good tinters also give a lifetime warranty.

 

[Busacure]

pain in the -->

 

[afterhours]

$60k car....and you want to get cheap on the tint?

i paid my way thru school tinting windows. most people with two hands and a sheet of instructions could do it.....but not many can apply it, with the same quality and dirt free application as a pro.

don't be cheap, a nice dirt free tint job can complete a nice ride.....but a dirty, bubbling, poor quality tint job will get you laughed at.

 

[TonyMastodon]

nice looking car, but you should just pay the money and get it done right.

removing tint is NOT fun.. dont be cheap on the little things.

 

[MO-BUSA]

not worth my time to do it myself with all the aggravation from it, 170 is a decent price for your ride shown I would think plus you probably get some kind of warranty with the tint also....
by the way thats a nice ride

 

[dadofthree]

Don't skimp..... get a good tinter to do it. You'll be wasting money on the tint from ebay.

Choose the tinter carefully and check out references. 170 is a decent price. You can pay as much removing a bad tint job as putting it on in the first place.

That it too nice of a car to screw up. I had a part time tint business for about 10 years (15 years ago) and I took my last one to someone else.

Plus they'll meet state requirements and have the proper window tint stickers that are typically required by law. I have to agree, get it done right on that baby.

Don't know your local laws but you might want to read up on them

 

[TonyMastodon]

your ctsv has 560 at the wheels???
what did you do?? i need proof!!

crank hp is easy, but 560 at the wheels? thats like 680hp crank!

 

[dirtyred]

I had to sell my 2000 Busa to put a down payment on this...

nice! thats a cts-v!! my boy had one, thing will flat out fly! super suspension, supermotor etc... bad ass but really expensive!

 

[Narcissus]

Get Huper-Optik ceramic tint!

It costs more, but you won't be disappointed. Dramatically cuts down on heat and will never turn purple like the cheap stuff.