boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I know I want to tint the real question I have is how hard is it to tint or should I spring for a pro? Also anyone got pics of thier legys with difrent % of tint to help me choose what % to do on mine. I dont want to big of a cop magnet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho subaru Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 That's funny, I just stripped all the tint off my forester today so I could redo it. It was in pretty bad shape from the PO. Plus I think they did it themselves and didn't know how to do the back glass, so they left the back with no tint. It looked kinda funny only having all the side windows done. Doing tint is not really that hard..... On flat windows, such as all the side windows. The crux of tinting is the back glass if it is curved, and cleanliness. I've only ever had two windows done professionally, and that's only because I needed it done in a hurry, and didn't have time to order the tint and do it before a trip. I have only used one precut kit from eBay, it was ok, tint was really good, but it was cut to leave the 90's gap around the edge. I have another companies kit for the forester, and they have assured me it covers the entire window with no 90's gap. I'll find out in the next couple days. If you've never done tint before, try and find someone who has to help. If that isn't an option, I'm always a proponent of telling people they can probably do things themselves if they are patient and can understand the process of what they are trying to accomplish. I think people are more capable than they think. All that being said, being your first tint job, if you spend $25 on a precut kit, you might end up with a $25 tint job. But you'll gain invaluable experience for the next time. If you don't have the time or patience, I've seen some tint shops say they will do 5 windows for $149, whole car for $199. I've done enough to say that I'm now doing about a $125 tint job, not professional yet, but close. I have not been able to master the cleanliness aspect yet, I think it is perfectly clean, then after the tint is on, little flecks I missed show up. But to me, well worth the savings for the experience, and savings, even though it might only be 80% perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Any ideas on how dark to go? Im a little new to tint And for this job probly gunna use what ever tint walmart or pepboys has lol but I think ill be able to figure it out and atleast ill have room to work on my black glass on my wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo413 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I have tinted a few of my older cars when I was younger, but now it's one thing I would rather pay someone to do! I like the shop I go to they use formula1 tint and it's all computer cut to fit ur windows perfectly with out any blades on ur windows. They charge 200 for my car but I think it's worth the price over my time n frustration Im at 15% tint on my car, 06 LGT but u can at least see the grade of tint http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/27/vubuqusu.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 There are a few things you are going to want to consider: 1. State tint laws. Looks like you live in PA. Also looks like PA completely and totally sucks with regards to their tint law. It's a 70% limit all-around. The percentages are actually the opposite of what a lot of people initially think - it's the measure of how much light it lets in, NOT how much light it blocks. So a 70% tint will be a very light tint, since most of the light is still allowed in. 20% tint, on the other hand, will be very dark. If you go beyond your state's laws, you have to be mindful of the fact that (a) you might have trouble passing inspection, and (b) you are more likely to be pulled over, at which point you will get a ticket unless you can provide a doctor's note giving you a reason for the darker tint (sensitive eyes, for example.) Of course, the cop will need to have a tint meter on hand to give you a ticket, but they do have those. 2. Looks. IMHO, the best tint is dark, but not completely black (commonly referred to as limo tint.) On my car, I only tinted the rear windows. This was initially because in NJ, the state law was no tint on the front, and a limit of 20% on the rears, so that's what I did. I like the 20% because it's dark, but you can still see through it a bit. Unless it's a bright sunny day, and the sun is shining in through the front windows, lighting up the whole car, you can't really tell what is inside. Forget about looking in at night. On the flip side, it isn't so dark that the windows end up looking like black pieces of plastic. I hate that look. On anything other than a black car, it looks weird - makes it look like a toy car with black plastic for the windows. Even on black cars, I don't think limo tint looks good most of the time. Also, IMHO, stick with black/gray colors. Don't be tempted to do the purple tint, or the highly reflective, chrome-looking tint. That stuff looks terrible. 3. OUTWARD VISIBILITY. This is something I learned when I got the tint added to my car. 20% tint makes it DAMNED NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to see anything out of the back of the car at night. It's a nice, passive method of reducing the glare of headlights of other cars behind you, but it makes it a PITA when you're trying to back down the driveway of someone's house that you've never been to before. I'm a good driver, but I've come very close to hitting things in those sorts of situations because I simply couldn't see due to the tint. I ended up adding some brighter LED bulbs for my reverse lights, which helped, but it's just something to keep in mind. If you opt for limo tint, I'm assuming you might as well just forget looking out the back window at night. For this reason, I ended up being glad I didn't tint the front windows. I would eventually like to tint them, but I think I'll only do 50% at most because I think anything more than that at night would be too detrimental to my vision.) Other Information: Applying tint to the door glass on these cars is much easier than most other cars due to the frameless design. The rest of the car might be more challenging. Honestly, it isn't terribly expensive to have a local shop do it for you, and they will do a better, and it will typically come with a lifetime warranty, which is worth it. That means a few years down the road if bubbles develop, or you don't use TINT-SAFE WINDOW CLEANER (my dad didn't on his car) which will fade the tint, you can go back and they will replace it. It only cost me $2xx to have it done on my car. The other benefit is the heat reduction. Especially in my case, where I have an older car with weaker A/C, the open form-factor of the wagon, and a black LEATHER interior, that was really the perfect storm for a summer crock-pot. It used to be almost impossible for the A/C on the car to keep up on a hot, sunny summer day. After the tint was installed... on a hot, sunny summer day, I was able to drive back home with the air in vent mode. It makes THAT much of a difference. That alone is worth the $200. PA only allows 70% though, so that sucks, lol. Anyway, here are a few random photos of my car in different lighting conditions so you can see what the 20% tint looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 I like the 20% on our wagons thats probly what ill end up doing. In pa u can fail inspection for tint, and even if u could, ill just say its nice working in the field but cops do wory me and im gunna just rely on cops thinking im some old lady lol gotta love the wagons low profile when thier close to stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Yeah. When I moved to Virginia, my tint became illegal, since in VA the limit is 35%. But in my 7 years of being there, I never had an issue. The dealership told me it wasn't part of the inspection process, and I never got in trouble with the cops (though I was pulled over twice for other things, they never mentioned the tint.) Though my theory for that is that my front windows aren't tinted, which makes it a lot less conspicuous than when the car is tinted black all-around. Hopefully that works here in Illinois too, since the limit is 35% here as well... Even if it is part of the inspection process, it's just a matter of knowing the right people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Not sure when ima do my tint it will be soon tho, maby next paycheck. But yea ive drivin really illegal cars and little to no problems. And I mean car that should have been impounded just for being that messed up lol. Oh and congrats andgood luck with ur new transit job hope u like ur new state. Never got around to sayin that so im a little late to that party lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Haha, thanks! We shall see! My last day of introductory training is Monday, and then I start shadowing the folks I'll be working with. My shift is 5 AM to 1 PM though, which kind of sucks, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho subaru Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Stang has good points. I have 20% all the way around on my wagon, at night, it is dark as a well diggers a$$! I can't see behind me, and I have to roll my window down to use my mirror. I'm probably going to peel it and put 35%. Most people do 20% behind the driver and 35% on the front sides. Also, as stang mentioned, our door windows are frameless, that makes them so easy. If you decide to do it yourself, watch this video on shaping the rear window. https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9SGjFxTGWMALlH7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBycTlydWI1BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDOA--?p=how+to+form+back+window+tint&vid=c8bb6bcb277df48ad9fdd743217266db&l=28%3A55&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608050589074850222%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dib2k0JbDSRE&tit=Window+Tinting+-+How+To+Tint+Curved+Back+Glass+Professionally+with+3M+Film&c=7&sigr=11acnes5i&sigt=12av52r4h&age=0&fr=yfp-hrtab-901&tt=b And this one on reverse rolling the tint, it makes installation so much easier. https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo9SGjFxTGWMAM1H7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBzZnZtb2xyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMTM-?p=how+to+form+back+window+tint&vid=d75090b8f78680f9d4cf3681c54d02e8&l=3%3A56&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608041097204075409%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkDReIjvlVMw&tit=How+To+Reverse+Roll+A+Back+Window+When+Window+Tinting&c=12&sigr=11a36o4h2&sigt=11ln9e4ac&age=0&fr=yfp-hrtab-901&tt=b Then do random searches for tint installation videos and watch until your either ready to do it yourself, or to have someone else do it:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho subaru Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Here's my wagon with 20% http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/Idahorec/97%20Legacy%20Wagon/FBA5FE34-A449-4F64-937D-1B13195C442C_zpshkz2itr8.jpg Here's my forester, I think it was 35% http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/Idahorec/97%20Legacy%20Wagon/32B5E327-6BB0-40AF-AA03-AD693AF05681_zpsjqhwk3zu.jpg And my forester after I got done with it today http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj605/Idahorec/97%20Legacy%20Wagon/D7753D78-88C5-4549-BF9D-5FB97D8B3ABF_zpswniu4tgi.jpg I took it on a grocery run after I was done, It felt like I was driving in fishbowl! I hope the weather is good tomorrow so I can put the new shields on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 That 20 is lookin really good.... and I think ill try it myself im decent at figuring stuff out lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PorkchopSandwiches Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Go to a pro tint shop. You can tint yourself and have it look good for a little while but you're screwed when it goes bad. Any good shop will have a lifetime warranty Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PorkchopSandwiches Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Also, this is probably 5% in the back and the fronts are 20%. Very good for privacy but it sucks when you're trying to park at night. I bought it this way, otherwise I wouldn't have gone so dark. http://i.imgur.com/ILentoW.jpg On my Volvo I had 35% in the front and 18% on the rest. This was done by a pro shop with carbon based tint. It was a lot nicer than what's on my Subaru. http://i.imgur.com/WcwwH6e.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 that 5% looks really nice on the black wagon but yeah thats to dark for daily driving lol ive pretty much decided on 20% but ill way the cost between doing it myself and going to a shop, i like the idea of a shop but if its way to much money ill probly give it a shot myself or atleast do my door windows and let them do the super hard ones in the back to save some money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zues Marine Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 im getting like $220 estimates everywhere that i look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal71919 Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 I paid $300 for my Wagon and my wife's Forester. Nation wide, lifetime warranty. Mine is 15% all the way around. http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn151/cal71919/95%20Legacy%20lsi%20wagon/20140426_145403_zpsszxnyesy.jpg' alt='20140426_145403_zpsszxnyesy.jpg'> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zues Marine Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Does it never rain where you guys are? I cant imagine nighttime rainy driving with anything less than 35%! Y'all cray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PorkchopSandwiches Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 These didn't even help :/ It would be cool to find some slim LED fogs and mount them under the rear bumper wired as backup lights. A couple coats of lens smoke would make them not stand out but still functional. http://www.carid.com/images/sylvania/car-bulbs/33383-2.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stang70Fastback Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 These didn't even help :/ It would be cool to find some slim LED fogs and mount them under the rear bumper wired as backup lights. A couple coats of lens smoke would make them not stand out but still functional. That was my goal, eventually, was a rear-facing set of PIAA lights or something. The LED bulbs I have in there are some left-over crappy ones from a long time ago. They make things a bit better, but not by much. What I really wanted to do was put a set of these in there: http://www.vleds.com/v3-triton.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 Ima try and get a quote tomarro over the phone or stop in at thier other shop if I have time after my new employee orientation tomarrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp71ss Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I'm glad someone out there likes what we make here! We are making the colors last longer than they used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boattlebot Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 No colors here just black, cops leave black alone mostly outhere color attracts them like a moth to a street lamp tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp71ss Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 You would be surprised at the colors that go into black! I was mainly referring to fading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 These didn't even help :/ It would be cool to find some slim LED fogs and mount them under the rear bumper wired as backup lights. A couple coats of lens smoke would make them not stand out but still functional. I was actually just thinking of this with these, [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FOLH8UA/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FOLH8UA/[/ame] which are what I'm running on the front for running lights, but are bright enough that I can drive at night with them on. but with my back up camera I don't really need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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