Window tinting for the frugal?

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 · 10 Apr 2009, 8:11 am

#706191

...well it's one way of putting it.

I have started looking around at cheap tinting solutions for tinting the windows on my bay camper. It seems to be a minefield out there. Especially eBay.

Then there are the laws on maximum tint and types of tint. So confusing!

Correct me if I am wrong, but the legal tint would only really apply to the windscreen and front windows? As there are a lot of vans and utes with blacked out / covered / non existent back windows.

What do people know about tinting? I know very little.

Is there a difference between reflective and dark tint regarding heat reflection? If there is, which is better and where do I obtain it?

My idea is to get the windscreen and front windows done by a pro, and I do the rest as they are far less critical, and will be darker.

Will the eBay stuff bubble and peel like cheap electrical tape?

Please tell me your experiences and knowledge! I want to turn down the heat on my solar oven 🙂

If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

sikdub Wolfsburg Wizard

571 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 10 Apr 2009, 8:48 am

#706200

well with regards to legality you cannot tint your windscreen. You can tint the top 100mm of it though. The side windows in the front must have a minimum 35% visibility and anything behind your ears is fair game.

eraser Fahrvergnugen

970 posts · joined Mar 2005 · 10 Apr 2009, 8:59 am

#706202

I wonder if you had a chop top where its window was about 100mm i wonder if that means you could tint the whole thing 😉

best just going for a drive to tintacar or somewhere like that and asking, they wont steer you wrong :P

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 10 Apr 2009, 4:04 pm

#706255

General_Failure wrote:...well it's one way of putting it.

I have started looking around at cheap tinting solutions for tinting the windows on my bay camper. It seems to be a minefield out there. Especially eBay.

Then there are the laws on maximum tint and types of tint. So confusing!

Correct me if I am wrong, but the legal tint would only really apply to the windscreen and front windows? As there are a lot of vans and utes with blacked out / covered / non existent back windows.

What do people know about tinting? I know very little.

Is there a difference between reflective and dark tint regarding heat reflection? If there is, which is better and where do I obtain it?

My idea is to get the windscreen and front windows done by a pro, and I do the rest as they are far less critical, and will be darker.

Will the eBay stuff bubble and peel like cheap electrical tape?

Please tell me your experiences and knowledge! I want to turn down the heat on my solar oven 🙂

Hi
I've used tint bought at auto shops over the past 20 odd years with no bubbling etc...
people musn't put it on properly, or something...
I see heaps of badly bubbling tint these days..

Our last 3 cars have been done professionally..
Most use scotch branded stuff...
some is metallic... Reflective -silver - tint I believe is illegal on a car... although I did see one in the country lately..

the two doors must be legal... but its hard to tell how dark the doors are because of the light coming thru the windscreen... My first professional tint was in fact illegal too dark... on the front doors.. I had the same tint all over the car..
the last two cars professionally done, still had the same tint all over the car... which does look good... and was legal.. it seemed the tinters only used the one tint..
but I have noticed some new cars with very light tint on the front doors...

25 years ago I did use an auto tint on a window in My house.. it was very very thin - its still there today..
no bubbles etc...

just follow the directions - Glass must be absolutely clean...
and it can be difficult to get all the very very small bubbles out at times.... these are bubbles so small that they are not noticed... You will know they are there.. lol

FLAT Glass is easily done...
Curved glass is just about impossible for the novice...

the new tints are heated somehow and shrunk onto the curved glass.. so this is very difficult... [impossible]?
with the old tints, the tint was put on curved glass in overlapping layers...

cheers

LEE

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 · 10 Apr 2009, 5:48 pm

#706266

Great info. Thanks heaps!

So I'll probably get some of the cheap ebay junk and have a crack at doing some of the sliding camper windows, and if I'm any good, do the front side ones with lighter stuff.

I actually considered the future project of removing those badly fitted windows and re welding metal sheets. It'd be a cavern camper 🙂 But I decided it's not the best idea. Thanks everyone.

If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

Buger Gary Seriously Crusin Dubber

159 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 11 Apr 2009, 11:55 pm

#706497

i had my beetle done by a profesional he told me to make sure the tint colour is in the tint not just dyed (cheaper) the dyed tint goes purple after a few years. After he told me i started to look about and noticed there are a lot of cars about with purple windows lmao.My bug has the more expensive tint but it still
dark grey 8 years later. 😵‍💫