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one thing you want to make sure to do, is to get all the bubbles and as much water out of the tint as you can, use a heat gun ...sparingly you dont want to burn through the tint. The cheaper the tint the less time it will last and when its on your window its ON YOUR WINDOW...think about that seriously..do you plan on owning the vehicle for a while? if so you might want to consider letting a pro do it because that cheap window tint turns purple and bubbles up with age...good tint has a lifetime warranty and keeps its shape and wont peel leaving you with a window full glue that you have to use heat and steam to get off costing twice as much if you want to do it professionally later on down the road.
Ehhhh, the tint shops get is generally higher quality (without knowing jack what you got).
The rear window is one place with the defroster lines I'd let a shop do it with quality tint just so it doesn't 'go purple' in 3-5 yrs.
I pull tint more than I pay to get it done but seems non-ammonia Windex was what they use to float it in place before squeegee time, about all I recall seeing installs when the bedliner shop I worked in was next shop over.
I'd let the shops provide film & do it for $200 or whatever, seems like finshed product would be longer lasting.
The rear window is one place with the defroster lines I'd let a shop do it with quality tint just so it doesn't 'go purple' in 3-5 yrs.
I pull tint more than I pay to get it done but seems non-ammonia Windex was what they use to float it in place before squeegee time, about all I recall seeing installs when the bedliner shop I worked in was next shop over.
I'd let the shops provide film & do it for $200 or whatever, seems like finshed product would be longer lasting.
- Thread starter
- #4
I really only need the back windows done to keep from cooking the baby.
Had our Corolla done professionally and it was $200 and done in one day with lifetime warranty.
Tint is a huge help in summer to keep interior cool, especially back seat which has no A/C
Here is what I bought:
eBay item number:
380669181432
All computer cut (trust it more than a human cutting)
Had our Corolla done professionally and it was $200 and done in one day with lifetime warranty.
Tint is a huge help in summer to keep interior cool, especially back seat which has no A/C
Here is what I bought:
eBay item number:
380669181432
All computer cut (trust it more than a human cutting)
I tried this route one day (several times) when I had nothing to do. The end result was crapola so I ripped it all off and ended up forking over $230 to have it all done professionally. It was a hard lesson learned for me - time is money - and I could have done something else more productive. Tinting is a skill that requires a good amount patience and practice.
Tip for the rear sliding windows is to remove the latches by unscrewing the clips from the inside.
Good luck!
If you just do the back side windows, then yeah - simple enough to pull & refresh down the line.
FWIW, the shops when I paid attention seemed to leave a inch or 2 of overhang, then razor bevel the rounded glass edge (there's a tip I suppose) - and let the trimmed down edges tuck into the channels.
They would have a guy outside heating glass to make the compound bends (not applicable for an 80 - but might help down the road)
I think you got all I know on that now.
FWIW, the shops when I paid attention seemed to leave a inch or 2 of overhang, then razor bevel the rounded glass edge (there's a tip I suppose) - and let the trimmed down edges tuck into the channels.
They would have a guy outside heating glass to make the compound bends (not applicable for an 80 - but might help down the road)
I think you got all I know on that now.
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It's probably the single most frustrating project I ever tried to do myself, and I'd never do it again!! I'll gladly pay $150-250 for someone else to do that for me when I need it, just so that I don't slit my wrists!! 
YouTube is your friend
- Thread starter
- #9
I had no idea it was Building a Ship in a Bottle hard.
I will no doubt fail, and the heat gun will prolly light the interior on fire and burn the car up.
**Reminds me of the 1st girl I asked to Prom.
Not only did she say No, but she screamed "Get away Creep" then Maced me.
September will make 9 yrs of Marriage
I will no doubt fail, and the heat gun will prolly light the interior on fire and burn the car up.
**Reminds me of the 1st girl I asked to Prom.
Not only did she say No, but she screamed "Get away Creep" then Maced me.
September will make 9 yrs of Marriage
Good one @Hornd - good story & built character.
She's a single mom fighting "baby weight" (as she rationalizes it) -now.
Probably lives on cheap wine & ice cream.
Pull the 80 out of the garage when you tint, no need to add a house fire to your next story
She's a single mom fighting "baby weight" (as she rationalizes it) -now.
Probably lives on cheap wine & ice cream.
Pull the 80 out of the garage when you tint, no need to add a house fire to your next story
I tinted the windows on my old 80 with quality precut tint. It was a huge PITA. The side windows are easy enough but the curve of the rear and front glass can be difficult. You just have to be very careful of dust and bugs. After fighting with the back hatch window for over an hour if finally creased and I ripped it out. Ended up going to a shop to have them put a piece on the rear hatch. Lesson learned.
Stupid newb question here...relating to 40 glass (or 80 rear sides). If I'm gonna have the side and rear glass (not the doors) out anyway to replace all the seals, is there anything wrong with tinting them from the comfort of inside my house instead of hunched over in the back of the truck working around the roll bar? I figure some trimming will still be necessary upon installation but maybe not much if I put the glass in the gasket before applying the tint. Thoughts?
- Thread starter
- #13
This would work great. I'd lay glass on a bath towel or something soft for application.
They say to wait 5 days before rolling window down, so not sure how you would install without putting window up?
I'd lay the glass outside in sun to let tint bake on.
- Thread starter
- #14
I tinted the window to my shop with Mirror and it turned out nice, but I removed glass and laid it on the bench. I think tint was $20
NEVER lay the glass on a towel unless
You want lint and crap under your tint.
@JohnVee window removal is how I have done all of my vehicles in the past, easier this way and as long as you meticulously clean the glass and especially the edges of the glass you should do fine. I have learned to keep a sacrificial piece of tint around. After thorough cleaning and towel drying you put the glass on its edge and spray it down with distilled water and used a hard squeegee to remove the water, then afterwards spray the adhesive side of a piece of tint and squeegee it over the window and slide it off one end while spraying the window and rolling on the good stuff. Then when you squeegee excess tint solution out of the good tint you have a perfect lint and dust free job. Heat is only needed for compound curvature windows and shouldn't be necessary for the rear @Hornd . I don't recall there being any dot matrix on the back glass either so you should be fine there. However getting a good quality tint to shrink over the defrost grid is a difficult job. Cheaper tint will be easier but not last
Nearly as long. I would suggest having a shop do the rear, you don't want to take the chance of messing it up. Mostly because cleaning it up may cost you the rear defrost and even some scratches in the factory metallic tint or glass. If you need tint that bad on the back and don't have the money or want to pay that kind of money, the static cling tints work pretty decent over a clean window.
- Thread starter
- #16
May I ask how your cleaning your glass? Microfiber and window cleaner?
Extra Fine steel wool & razors will clean all the glass perfectly, except DO NOT use the razor on the back glass or your defrost lines are done for.
I went pretty dark with 20% all around to help with summer heat in Socal. I even tinted my windshield with 70%. Works great and I can't really tell when driving that I tinted it except for the fact that direct sunlight is not as harsh.
@Hornd I clean my windows with an ammonia free foaming glass cleaner and white terry cloth. I clean each window a few times using a clean rag each time to ensure cleanliness. You'll know it's clean when your rag no longer picks up dirt. Then I spray it down with a spray bottle of distilled water while it's standing on its edge and uses tint squeegee to remove water. The final step before installing the tint I spray from the top down with the tint solution while it's on its edge and install some cheap sacrificial tint. Like mentioned. I'm anal and did the windows in my old Altima 5 times in one summer because of a few specks of hardly noticeable dirt before I started doing the sacrificial tint lol. Haven't be had dirt or lint since. I've tinted several cars since with great results. As for @2KCruiser Im not familiar with every states tint laws but windshields are a no no in Oregon. Seen it in other states though. Knock on wood, the only ticket I've ever had was for obstruction of windows for a car with too dark of tint up front. I was surprised the officer spotted the difference but He did and gunned my windows and fined me so I play it safe these days.
Pay the professionals!