[tommy93]

First Off---I had no idea where to stick this thread. lol
anyway.

W i n d o w T i n t . . .
-The DIY that most guys fear and avoid...

Well, i want to tackle window tinting myself. I am aware it takes patience and practice, but i still would like to try the process out myself. I feel no need to drop $150-200, for something that i "can" be capable myself.

I have the general idea of the process i need, but id like to hear from a fellow MMer.
So, for anyone who has tinted windows before, can you please spread your knowledge, tips and tricks?

Also! I plan on buying a ROLL of %20 rather than precut tint, because some of my friends would also liked to be involved. (Plus precut is way more expensive than just buying a roll)
The tint i have in mind right now is [URL="http://www.windowtint.com/shop/Professional-High-Performance-20-VLT.html"[/URL]
Any thoughts on this website and this tint i have in mind?
Any other brands you guys reccomend?



Input Welcome!!!

[brody904]

I tried tinting my old cars window and ended up ripping the shit off and taking it somewhere. I can do most other crap but tinting can be very frustrating. Just a heads up.
IF you are doing it yourself then a roll is the way to go and 20% is perfect IMO. I'm probably going 15 when I have mine redone...

[XXGREGXX]

I tinted mine myself.. First time aroudn it's frusterating. But I've done many cars now and got better at it. It's just so flimsy and really easy to crease and mess up. I suggest doing it if you're patient and willing to try a couple times. Otherwise, take it to the pros.

[stang0246l]

yeah i tried it on my 94 stang. i tired on about 3-4 different occasions and sometimes would get close but could never get all the bubbles out. and if it doesnt come out perfect you wont be happy with it. one of my problems was i didnt know you cant roll down your windows after you apply the tint for 3-5 days. i ended up paying $100 for a shop to do it. was well worth it though with a lifetime warranty. good luck

[4.6DreameR]

Pre-cut is the way to go, its somewhat cheap and is dead on. I have tinted many cars/trucks with it. The only thing on our cars that I hate and would suggest taking to a pro to tint is the back window. I'm not the smallest guy and are cars aren't the roomiest. Those don't mix and I ended up scrapping tint several times.

[XXGREGXX]

Back window is tricky because of the defrosters and the dot matrix. Heat gun will be your friend.

[tommy93]

Originally Posted by brody904 I tried tinting my old cars window and ended up ripping the shit off and taking it somewhere. I can do most other crap but tinting can be very frustrating. Just a heads up. IF you are doing it yourself then a roll is the way to go and 20% is perfect IMO. I'm probably going 15 when I have mine redone...

i know itll be a little bit frustrating, but itll be well worth it in the end. Yea %20 is the tint i like the best. Its pretty dark, but not full on black like 5%

Originally Posted by XXGREGXX I tinted mine myself.. First time aroudn it's frusterating. But I've done many cars now and got better at it. It's just so flimsy and really easy to crease and mess up. I suggest doing it if you're patient and willing to try a couple times. Otherwise, take it to the pros.

Rolls are pretty cheap... at least the one im looking at right now, so if i screw up its not the end of the world.
Ive had a little practice with vinyl, which is "basically" the same type of process. Except i bet the window tint would be flimsier like you said.

Originally Posted by stang0246l yeah i tried it on my 94 stang. i tired on about 3-4 different occasions and sometimes would get close but could never get all the bubbles out. and if it doesnt come out perfect you wont be happy with it. one of my problems was i didnt know you cant roll down your windows after you apply the tint for 3-5 days. i ended up paying $100 for a shop to do it. was well worth it though with a lifetime warranty. good luck

Yea, the tint has to cure... lol, did the tint just rip itself off when you rolled the window down?

Originally Posted by 4.6DreameR Pre-cut is the way to go, its somewhat cheap and is dead on. I have tinted many cars/trucks with it. The only thing on our cars that I hate and would suggest taking to a pro to tint is the back window. I'm not the smallest guy and are cars aren't the roomiest. Those don't mix and I ended up scrapping tint several times.

I personally would like buying precut tint, but im also trying to do this with a roll, so i can learn and tint other cars as well.


I know it may seem a but humorous to some of you, but eventually after messing with tint on my car, and some of my buddies cars, id like to outsource myself and begin to tint others cars for some side money.
Being that Im still in high school with no job (because of no free time), tinting window would allow me to make a decent profit. I already tint tail lights for a little cash (bout to do like 3 sets this week too!) and if i add window tinting as well, ill be able to get some decent modding cash. hahah

[MikeJones]

unless the window being tinted is somewhat flat. you may have to do it in strips.
I did my truck myself. what you need to do is make a template out of newspaper. then go cut your tint to the template. then you'll need a credit card and some soapy water. I used some babysoap and water and spray fdown the window. then apply your pre cut tint and take your fucking time.

[XXGREGXX]

Credit card will scratch the tint though. Wrap a towel around the card and itll smooth out the tint andn soak up the water from the corners.

[stang0246l]

yeah it did just rip itself off. it was my first time foing it so i didnt know better so i just wanted to pass that on to you. i used a squeegie (probably spelled that wrong) you can get them cheap like $2. i did my back quarter windows my self though and they were pretty easy. never will try the rear window though. let us know how it goes for ya

[ZenMGT]

I've never put tint on, but I've removed tint alot - I prefer the steam method, quick and clean. That back glass looks like a nightmare to put on. I gladly paid someone to do it, after cramping up taking the old stuff off.

[Kohrs93]

I've been contemplating doing this for a while... everytime i see my car i can almost hear it say "Tint my windows please!"

I think I could do it if i took my time. Can the rear window be done all in one piece with the defroster lines running through it? I might tackle this soon, what tint would you guys recommend?

[02'TrueBlue]

My DIY Tinting Info:
First time, try anything to get the window just to stay on right..Get a feel for it, so you know for the second time what you'll have to do to get it perfect. Plan on taking that one right off unless you get lucky.
You will need:
2 Rolls of 20% tint (one sheet covers front and rear window of each side)
Get yourself putty/bondo squeegee looking things (got them in the back of autozone)
For sake of convenience I used the spray they offered near the tints, but I hear water/hairpsray/soap works too.
A friend makes inexperienced tinting wayyy easier.

Ok. so now that you have those things, read the instructions, and it'll say how to put it on THE OUTSIDE of the window first: basically you should unroll it from one side of the window to the other so you have enough room to play a bit then cut so it's a big rectangle. Next you'll spray the hell out of the front and back of the tint, window(just the surface you're working with, not both sides), and the squeegee, to avoid scratching the tint. Now you'll lay the tint on the window the way the instructions tell you to, and squeegee as much water that you can out so it starts sticking to the window. Once you have it on there pretty good, you can start razoring away at the excess tint so you have your own pre-cut shape. Pro's cut leaving an edge around the window for various reasons, but our windows are open and don't move with the trim above the door, so what I did was just take a razor and slide it around the whole perimeter of the window, then carefully cut the parts by the weather stripping. now that you have your shape, which is pretty much exactly what's going on your window permanently, this is where a friend really helps. you take 2 pieces of tape and attach them on the corners of the tint so that there's one on each side of the corner, then they meet. The purpose of this is so that you can pull the two pieces apart and get your actual tint. Next, repeat the spraying process but on the inside of the window, apply your tint the way you did to the outside but for real this time, and then razor away anything that might not fit right. Then enjoy your tint lol

EDIT: as an amateur, I didn't wanna attempt my back window because I only had access to strips that I'd have to match up, or the normal rolls which weren't big enough to do the back in one shot, so I had that done professionally.

[0949er]

how much are all those supplies? Because I got my whole car tinted for like $120

[02'TrueBlue]

it doesn't really pay except for the satisfaction of doing it yourself lol

[JK7208]

take it and pay to get it done. its not worth the time and aggrivation to try yourself.

[00redgt]

you can do all 5 windows for 23 dollars of ebay,already pre cut,thats what i do with all my vehicles,alot cheaper than the rolls and a hellva lot easier

[SlowSix]

Honestly...just take it to a pro.
I did the car myself twice. The front windows are easy, especially with precut tint. The back is damn near impossible. I had a pro do the back window and it looks awesome, put vinyl on the dot matrix and everything.
Thing is, the front windows are cheap tint and a bit of a different shade from the inside of the car than the pro stuff. Bothers me a bit.

I'm probably going to get the fronts redone at some point, theyre peeling alittle in the corners.

[FastRidesOnly.com]

i watched a pro do my tint once on my first car.. after that, i didnt like how the tint was so light. so i put another layer on top and it come out perfect.

i always get a atleast 1 dust spot inside the tint though.. so i'd recommend tinting in a nice clean garage.. as if u were about to paint a car. because the dust spots look like crap.

cutting the tint is pretty easy.. u just put the tint on, then hold the razor blade at an angle and slide the blade down the whole window.

i've only done flat windows.. i wanna do my back window this month.. hope it comes out right. the pro that did my back window once used a heat gun.. i'm gonna practice shrinking the tint with some old tint i have thats all bent up.

[XXGREGXX]

Trim on the outside of the window. HUGE tip there.