Windows Tint - Darkness vs Functionality

[moonshadow]

How dark have you tinted your windows while still feeling comfortable with the visibility you get when driving (backing up, changing lanes, using your side mirrors, rear view mirror, etc).

I am getting my windows tinted tomorrow because I think it looks cool, and because it helps keep a car cool in summer. Originally, I was going to do a Limo tint on the back and rear seat windows, with 85% on the front windows. This is street legal in California.

Then I got to thinking. I used to have a car that had limo tint on all the windows and it was kind of difficult to see out of. Drivable, but a little difficult. I am not considering going lighter, and wanted to gather opinions on what is a very subjective question.

(I have a black car, and am getting smoke colored tint)

 

[drive_eagle]

get 35% tint all around. don't do darker in the back and lighter in the front. only cars i think look good with that is if the car is a 4 door yo. and just get normal tint, none of that color shiot. has to be in my mind the best percent. not to dark, and driveability is great, day and night.

 

[jaxon23]

i went with 5% all the way around...only time it sucks is backing up at night

 

[memory-x]

i did 20 percent all around , dark enough to look good and keep alot of the sun blocked out, not bad at all on the backing up part

 

[cuttheduck]

So anyone else also agree that tinted windows on DSMs should be the same percentage all the way around? I was going to go lighter in the front because of state laws but i think i could get away w/ 35% all around. Any other thoughts or experince w/ all around tint versus having two diiferent "shades". thanks

 

[diviniti]

currently on my supercrew I have 5% all around. the back 3 already have privacy tint, which makes them almost black. like someone said in a previous post it only sucks at night. ony my dsms, ive had 5% all around, and 5% on just the back 3.. for some reason in michigan tint on the front windows on a DSM makes cops pissy.. but i havnt had any troubles with the Supercrew yet.. (knock on wood)

 

[Defiant]

Don't crowd the CA law. It's bad enough that most of the cops out there don't realize front side tinting is now allowed.

My '95 has the rear and quarters done, it looks fine.

Make sure your mirrors are set up right, and the dark back won't matter:

http://www.smartmotorist.com/mir/mir.htm

 

[Ghost1984]

i did 20 percent all around , dark enough to look good and keep alot of the sun blocked out, not bad at all on the backing up part

Same here, 20% all around

 

[Gary 420A RS]

post some tint pictures

 

[glimt]

Thanks for the responses guys. They are really useful. At this point, 20% seems plenty dark to look completely tinted, and still be useful. I had 20% on my car in high school and it was very drivable.

It would be really useful if we could see what 5%, 20% 35%, limo tint, etc look like. If you guys have pictures it would be really cool to see them.

 

[glimt]

So anyone else also agree that tinted windows on DSMs should be the same percentage all the way around? I was going to go lighter in the front because of state laws but i think i could get away w/ 35% all around. Any other thoughts or experince w/ all around tint versus having two diiferent "shades". thanks

I agree with you. I looked at a bunch of cars in the gallery last night, and I definately like the ones with the same amount of tint all the way around. It just looks cleaner.

 

[unlikely hero]

On my ZX2 I had 5% all around and loved it. W/ my dsm I'm really thinking about 2.5% but i think that might be overkill.
=Jason-

 

[memory-x]

my car with 20%
http://defrangeautocrafts.com/pics/gallery/gclipsetint.JPG

my truck with 35%
http://defrangeautocrafts.com/pics/gallery/trucktint.JPG

 

[glimt]

I went with 18% on the back, and 28% on the sides (backseat windows, and front seat windows).

I went to a very good shop. They assured me that the darker back window would look the same as the side windows once it was on. I hope they are right.

I will post pictures when I get it back.

 

[awd4g63]

Here's my Prelude with 20% sides and rear and the whole front window 35%. I absolutely love it. I've never had a problem with visibility and the hot summer days are nothing for my a/c

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[JoeWagon]

Originally, I was going to do a Limo tint on the back and rear seat windows, with 85% on the front windows. This is street legal in California.

Go to the tint place of your choice and look at samples. 5%/85% would look horrible in my opinion. 85% is practically factory DSM tint. 85% is NOTHING. I wouldn't even bother tinting anything over 50%, so decide if you want legality or looks. If you want to stay legal, leave the tinting to the hooligans who parade limo tint around and get pulled over more often. Keep the front and back similar, none of that 5%/85% stuff. Oh yeah, and I dislike colored tints, mirror tints, and color fade tints.

 

[98eclipseRS]

Don't crowd the CA law. It's bad enough that most of the cops out there don't realize front side tinting is now allowed.

My '95 has the rear and quarters done, it looks fine.

Make sure your mirrors are set up right, and the dark back won't matter:

http://www.smartmotorist.com/mir/mir.htm

woah woah hold on a minute are you telling me I can have my passnager and driver side windows tinted now in CA?? how dark am I allowed. I got a ticket for it yesterday which is bull and my tint isnt even that dark anymore. This would be great info to know if going to court.

 

[1badtsiawd]

i got 5% all the way around. and then got the windsheild tinted 35%. looks badass. i've had it like that for over a year and haevn't had one problem with the cops. i've even been pulled over a couple of times and they didn't say anything, which suprised me.

 

[glimt]

woah woah hold on a minute are you telling me I can have my passnager and driver side windows tinted now in CA?? how dark am I allowed. I got a ticket for it yesterday which is bull and my tint isnt even that dark anymore. This would be great info to know if going to court.

You can tint up to 85% and still be legal.

Did they give you a $20 fix-it ticket. I decided that since it is a non-moving violation that I am just going to tint and risk them giving me a ticket for it.

 

[98eclipseRS]

ya they just gave me the 10$ fix it ticket here(san mateo county) don't know if it would be different in your area or not. the money isn't really what bothers me its the hassle that I have to go through in order to take it off get it signed off, then go pay the filing fees or whatever the #### they charge you for, and then either have to do it my self(which i usually do seeing that i have gotten the same ticket like 5 times now) or have a shop put it on. Either one takes time out of my day I could be doing something else.

 

[glimt]

woah woah hold on a minute are you telling me I can have my passnager and driver side windows tinted now in CA?? how dark am I allowed. I got a ticket for it yesterday which is bull and my tint isnt even that dark anymore. This would be great info to know if going to court.

You can tint up to 85% and still be legal.

Did they give you a $20 fix-it ticket. I decided that since it is a non-moving violation that I am just going to tint and risk them giving me a ticket for it.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Limo all the way around.

 

[glimt]

I went with 18% on the back, and 28% on the sides (backseat windows, and front seat windows).

I went to a very good shop. They assured me that the darker back window would look the same as the side windows once it was on. I hope they are right.

I will post pictures when I get it back.

I added a couple of photos to my gallery if you want to see how 18% on back and 28% sides turned out.

 

[GSXTBOY]

I live in MN and the limit is 50% here. Does anyone have any pictures of 50% tinting? I would like to be legal but have some sun protection.

 

[Attack Eagle]

I'm running 35% on sides, quarters, and hatch.

I thought about going 20% and I am glad I didn't

During the day it does get a bit hotter than if it were 20%, but at night it is hard enough to back it up, worse if you are not in a brightly lit parking lot. The other thing is that my 35% was a perfect match to the sunroof so all the windows (save the windshield) look the same

any way my 2 cents.

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a pic of my car from the back