Home Applied Window Tint

[starboy869]

Hi,

I'm going to be replacing the back hatch door for my Civic. My windows are tinted and that hatch I got from the yard isn't.

I was thinking about buying some home applied window tint. I know some of that stuff is good and some looks like complete sh!t.

Anyone here have exp. with the home stuff?
Should I just spend the $$ and get it done by a professional?

 

[asmallsol]

All of my freinds tryed to go the cheap way and use that crap on there car. All I can say, I still laugh at there car from time to time. It is so easy to get little air bubble in them. Also, getting it perfect on every part of the door is a pretty good challange. One kid I know used a squeege to get the air bubble out when installing. It looke allright but he still had a little line in it. I would say either leave it alone or go to a pro.

 

[liquid00meth]

dude, it only costs like 100$ to have your windows tinted properly. I don't see why you would want to do otherwise. Home-applied tint almost ALWAYS looks like asshole. and if it doesn't at first, it will soon.

 

[vpSPOONsol]

yea, for my sol, i tried tinting it myself, spent like $40 bucks on film cuz i kept messing up(back window is a btich)....my conclusion...leave it to the expert, cuz if it was soo easy to do at home, they wouldn't be in buisness....

 

[sportlinecrx]

Originally posted by starboy869@May 12 2003, 09:13 PM
Hi,

I'm going to be replacing the back hatch door for my Civic. My windows are tinted and that hatch I got from the yard isn't.

I was thinking about buying some home applied window tint. I know some of that stuff is good and some looks like complete sh!t.

Anyone here have exp. with the home stuff?
Should I just spend the $$ and get it done by a professional?

definitely get a shop to do it. it takes ALOT of skill. i apply vinyl for a living and i have tinted my car's windows in the past. it is almost impossible for an inexperienced person to get it on half decent on the first , or even second try. there are things they don't tell you in the instructions making it virtually impossible for anyone to do a good job. for one thing, the tools that come with the tint, and the ones they sell for tinting your windows are CRAP.

 

[starboy869]

Hi,

I think a professional would do a lot better job than I can. I'm thinking about going to darker shade anyway's.

Anyone know of a good place to deal with in Toronto/London area?

 

[zueke]

I've heard that by spraying a mild soap solution on the window, the putting down the tint without drying off the soapy solution gives you ample time to take a squeegee and get all the air bubbles out. I looked at a guy's car he did it on and I didn't notice any marks or airbubbles. He said the squeegee got most of the water out, but the rest took some time to dry.

I'd get it professionally done tho, that way you have a lifetime guarentee on the tint from fading.

 

[sportlinecrx]

Originally posted by zueke@May 13 2003, 06:15 PM
I've heard that by spraying a mild soap solution on the window, the putting down the tint without drying off the soapy solution gives you ample time to take a squeegee and get all the air bubbles out. I looked at a guy's car he did it on and I didn't notice any marks or airbubbles. He said the squeegee got most of the water out, but the rest took some time to dry.

id be willing to bet that 1) it wasnt his first attempt, or 2) his windows were relatively flat. if the windows have only a slight curve, its actually pretty easy to do...but if there is any kind of a compound curve, it can be a nightmare for a first timer. unfortunately most, if not all honda windows have some degree of compound curve to them. the only ones that dont would be the old 84-87 models.

 

[zueke]

Originally posted by rixXxceboy@May 14 2003, 04:13 AM
id be willing to bet that 1) it wasnt his first attempt, or 2) his windows were relatively flat. if the windows have only a slight curve, its actually pretty easy to do...but if there is any kind of a compound curve, it can be a nightmare for a first timer. unfortunately most, if not all honda windows have some degree of compound curve to them. the only ones that dont would be the old 84-87 models.

He drives an early 90's accord... But he said it was his first time, but that he just had watched a couple people before do it... So maybe insider info..? I also know a guy who did some really ghey (read: wanna be show car) tint job on an explorer. It was his first time too, and he said after 2 attempts he got it down. His only mistake in that was leaving a huge crack in the tint where he had to mesh 2 pieces together.

I seriously have no idea how hard it is. Like I said, I would go to a shop and have them do it so I had a warranty.

 

[DarkHand]

Originally posted by rixXxceboy@May 14 2003, 03:13 AM
the only ones that dont would be the old 84-87 models.

And it looks damn good.

 

[sportlinecrx]

Originally posted by zueke+May 14 2003, 09:25 PM-->

rixXxceboy

@May 14 2003, 04:13 AM
id be willing to bet that 1) it wasnt his first attempt, or 2) his windows were relatively flat. if the windows have only a slight curve, its actually pretty easy to do...but if there is any kind of a compound curve, it can be a nightmare for a first timer. unfortunately most, if not all honda windows have some degree of compound curve to them. the only ones that dont would be the old 84-87 models.

He drives an early 90's accord... But he said it was his first time, but that he just had watched a couple people before do it... So maybe insider info..? I also know a guy who did some really ghey (read: wanna be show car) tint job on an explorer. It was his first time too, and he said after 2 attempts he got it down. His only mistake in that was leaving a huge crack in the tint where he had to mesh 2 pieces together.

I seriously have no idea how hard it is. Like I said, I would go to a shop and have them do it so I had a warranty.

hmm. thats cool. took me three tries before i finally got something half decent on my rex. then i tinted my mom's car and my sister's too. anyway, yea, i think with some good tips from someone experienced, one could do a decent job the first time around.