To tint or not?....
 

I was going to post this in the Appearance section, but since it's FD specific I thought it would be appropriate here.

I have a MB 94 FD. It's really clean and I have been considering tinting the windows. I see many FD's without tinted windows, and a few with blacked out windows. I like the tint for heat reflection and privacy, but really want to keep it looking clean. My car will remain mostly OEM exterior.

I was thinking maybe 35%?...

It would remain legal and have a clean look. I am not concerned with inspections as I am in the USAF and register my car out of state, but it is less hassle from the police.

Opinions are welcome.....

This is what I am working with..... ;)

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...S/DSC00094.jpg

My vote is for tint:icon_tup:. I have 20% on my back window and 35% on the side windows and in my opnion it makes the car look so much better. The side windows are not to dark; easy to see out of at night. Also an added benefit, that i have noticed, is the glare from peoples headlights from behind you is reduced. The 20% on the back looks real good and it matches the factory tail light tint quite nicely. I think it was one of the best exterior mods i have done:). (not that i have done many others)

John

Def tint the rear & sides imo

mines tinted...view my album

I say tint. Go with a good company so it'll not turn purple in a short amount of time.

Def NO tint. My car had tinted windows when I got it and first thing I did was to remove them. Better vision for starters but more important is looks cleaner (especially on older cars). But if you must then get the lightest charcoal/gray tint you can.

Also, what i heard form a guy who sells window cleaning products to window tinters is that what also causes the purple coloring is ammona in the window cleaner. But i have no other evidence to back that up. However, I am sure that buying cheap tint doesnt help either.

John

I say tint it!

If you ever decide to remove the tints you run the risk of damaging your demister lines. That of course depends on the quality of the tint and how long it has been on the car. My other car was brand new and I had it tinted with quality tints and even then one line of the demister stopped working.

Get a quality tint job, but don't go crazy dark. I tinted my car the legal limit for dark, looks really good, keeps it cool, and helps keep the sun off the interior plastics.

I didn't do the strip at the top of the windshield - I don't think that looks good on an FD, and you typically end up with the tint line right in the middle of your field of vision.

Good, quality tint installed by a pro will treat you right.

Dale

I was thinking the same thing....but I do agree.. It does look much cleaner...and i have yet to be pulled over in Southern Cali... I feel like i'll get pulled over much more with tint..

That's what I was thinking... I'll look into 35% to 20%.

Thanks guys ;)

I went WAY too dark with my side windows....15% I believe it is....and all that does is make the inside of the windows a freakin' MIRROR at night!

Def tint the rear glass.

I was thinking of tinting my sides but then my friend told me the reason why he doesnt tint his C6 is because he wants people to see who's driving lol

Which sounds childish and corny but in a way, i kinda like that feeling too.

Cause when i see rare sports cars, i always like to know whos the owner. LIke an older guy, some young lucky punk or perhaps a hottie etc.

So yeah, thats why i havent tinted my sides as of yet.

If heat rejection is what you are after, you will get best results with ceramic tint film (superior to carbon, which for the most part is standard)

Also, you get maximum protection from 50% and lower (meaning that 50% & 5% offer the same amount of protection from UVA, UVB & heat)

To achieve maximum protection & heat rejection you will have to tint the windshield (ILLEGAL)

I personally plan on tinting my windshield with 50% (barely noticable if all other windows are tinted) & the rest of my windows @ 35%

The windshield is the biggest heat magnet, because the sun beats down on the nice big dash.

To me itsometimes feels like tinted windows fog up more compared to non-tinted, so you might want to research that before tinting the windscreen.

I personally like mine crystal clear on the 7, but I've been thinking about tenting mine as well...

tint 50% all around if you like clear windows.

You can hardly notice the change in shade, you get the same heat rejection & UV protection as "Limmo'd" out windows.

I like being able to back out of a dark driveway at night without having to stick my head out the window (which is a total pain in the ass with a FD)

I definitely know how you feel. I enjoy my clear windows. FD visibility is pretty limited as is. However, I also like the look of tinted windows and the added benefits of the heat reflection. I don't believe I'll go so far as to tint my windshield, but I can see myself going with something light.

I will look at a few more pics, but I am leaning towards 35% all around.

Thanks for the help guys. As usual, my rotary brother-en pull through ;)

35% is pretty dark, if you want clear(er) windows, check out 50%

Check the performance properties of carbon vs ceramic.

you will see MAJOR (10F - 15F) thermal difference between a car that has a complete tint (windshield tinted) Vs a car without a complete tint (windshield not tinted) during the Summer months.

My RX-7 has metallic-film tint (it's said to block heat better than regular tint), it is slightly reflective when viewed from outside the car. The windows look 'shiny' as opposed to 'black.' My brothers car (not an RX-7) has ceramic-film tint (it's said to block heat better than regular and metallic tint), the windows don't appear to be tinted but the car stays cooler. The ceramic-film tint is barely noticeable (from inside or outside), I'm thinking of installing some on the windshield of my RX-7 someday.

I had a really nice tint on my car but removed it because NJ is 0 tolerance on the front. Rears should definitely been tinted because lights can blind you coming off the rear view mirror.

id say, do it.

i dont think it was mentioned but its also joy to your plastic components that normally are exposed to direct sunlight via the windows/windshield. mine are all fading cracking from heat/sunlight. easy fix an you win 2 ways

also i dont think its legal to tint the windshield. at least here in pa..

Honestly, this is one of my concerns. My 94 has a PRISTINE interior. I was blown away with the condition of my dash and interior plastic when I purchased my car. The FD is garage kept, but will sit in the sun when I drive it to work occasionally.

I will do some research on the ceramic film.

Thanks again guys ;)

A good window tint and sunshade will do wonders for your interior and leather seats. Every used car I purchase has always been garage kept. My 94 Fd's interior is also prestine.