Can I tint my own windows?

[71T Targa]

Or maybe the better question is should I? I want to have the car windows tinted, and an wondering if this is something that I can DIY. Anyone have any experience with this?

[911Freak]

The following applys only to the Targa rear window:

If you're referring to tinting your Targa..let me share me .02...

I tried this as I had successfully tinted my other cars..BUT when it got to the rear Targa window it was a PITA! I didn't want to settle for a crappy job, so after working on it for several hours without success (the curve of the glass and defrost lines make it very difficult) I went to the pro's..
Then guy told me Targa's rear window is one of the most challenging, so upon his advice, we pulled the rear window out. Once out it took 7 pieces of tint, 7! just on that one rear glass, to get a perfect finish... And while I was in there etc. etc. etc.

So my best advise is spend the money and have a Pro do the rear, at least that will save you hours, frustration and result in a quality product that lasts a long time instead of pealing like so many Targa tint jobs I've seen....

Of course if you have a coupe go for it! I tinted several cars and the windows in my home..not with the same product though : )

IMHO

[96740]

I've tinted a few cars. I would just let your local tint shop do it. It's not worth it.

[71T Targa]

There is no way I would try my Targa window. I have heard for the Targa you need several 'strips' each joined at the the defrost lines.

This would be in the VW.

[Hugh R]

Have you ever watched it being done? Its definitely a skill on any car to make it look good. I had my 08 Camry done a few weeks ago, and it was definitely worth the $140 that I paid. Lifetime guarantee to boot.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You can but it's generally not worth the trouble.

If you have the glass out of the car, I'd recommend doing it yourself, otherwise let someone else screw with it.

[speeder]

I'm pretty good at tinting and still I only DIY on my work PU trucks and vans. Any half-way nice car I take to the tint shop. I have an excellent tint guy in the SF valley that does it while you wait for a fair price and the work is flawless. Best ~$140 I ever spend on a car. I cannot live w/o high quality tint on a vehicle now that I'm used to it, feels like I'm a friggin' ant under a magnifying glass w/o it in L.A.

What the others said about the targa rear window; it's one of the most challenging car windows to tint ever made. Drives the pros batty. You would have zero chance of doing a good job. On any Porsche you want a flawless job, so take it to a good shop. There is nothing that looks worse than a bad tint job, and few things look better than a flawless one on a nice car, IMO.

(FWIW, the only vehicle that I would not tint would be something very collectible that I wanted 100% original, like maybe an early 911S. At any rate, it's a reversible mod).

[Hugh R]

I had an interesting thing happen with my 08 Camry when I had it tinted. The antennas all three of them (AM, FM and Sat) are on the inside of the rear glass as in paint, like the defroster. The reception went to crap. It turns out the new mylar tint has chrome in it and it really ruins the reception. I had to have the rear redone with an older style, cheaper tint that doesn't have metal in the tint.

[speeder]

They really should have asked you about that. When I brought my friend's '08 MB E63 to my guy, he said that they could not use metallic tint because of the Nav reception.

[Joeaksa]

The guy who did my targa rear window spend over 2 hours on it, and he does it for a living. No way in hell would I try to do one.

[Normy]

I have illegally dark front windows on my 928. They are 85% all around. I walked into the shop, and simply told them that the car was going to be shipped out of the country.

Tinting multiple curves takes a bit of experience....

My theory is "go for it". If you screw it up, peel it off, clean it, and then take it to a professional. Why not try it yourself?

N

[Oh Haha]

We had the 528's rear and back windows tinted by a local Ziebart for $200. Well worth it because they did a great job. Spend the dough and have it done. if I decide to tint the 911's, they will get the job.

[71T Targa]

Sounds like it's about what I expected. I'll take it to the shop.

So, a related question. I'd like to have the rear and back seat windows fairly dark, but does that mean I need to do something lighter on the front windows? Or should I just leave those?

And how dark is dark? I know the laws vary from state to state, but what is typical? I'm not talking limo dark...

[TerryH]

http://www.iwfa.com/iwfa/Law_Chart/State%20Law%20Chart%207-19-07.pdf

[71T Targa]

Great info, thanks Terry.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by phred68

Sounds like it's about what I expected. I'll take it to the shop.

So, a related question. I'd like to have the rear and back seat windows fairly dark, but does that mean I need to do something lighter on the front windows? Or should I just leave those?

And how dark is dark? I know the laws vary from state to state, but what is typical? I'm not talking limo dark...

What vehicle are you tinting? The law in MN. is that you can tint the front door windows only 50% in addition to whatever came from factory, from the B pillar back it's as dark as you want in every state. In a few SW states like NM and AZ., you can do all windows very dark if not mistaken. At any rate, the front door laws are routinely ignored just about everywhere. CA. is *no tint film on front doors*, period, and more than 50% of the cars on the road have all-around tint jobs, including every car I've owned for many years. Never been stopped for it, or had it mentioned by police when stopped for other reasons.

Normy has the numbers backwards, his tint would be 15% not 85%, the number refers to how much light is allowed to be transmitted. Limo tint is 5% and you cannot see into the vehicle in broad daylight. You can still see out just fine. I usually go with 35% on side windows and sometimes 20% on rear. Most people agree that it looks cheesy to have two completely different tints on side windows, it obviously looks cleaner when it's all uniform. The rear can be a little darker and it's not noticeable, plus that darkens the look of the other tint because less light is inside car. The rear light is the biggest source of UVs and heat in most vehicles. In states with serious sun like CA. and the SW USA, it makes a HUGE difference in the condition of your interior after a couple years, not to mention comfort and security. The exception to my uniformity rule was my Volvo V-70R, where I went with 20% behind the B pillar and 35% on front doors, it was not noticeable IMO on black/black car. The darker your interior, the more effective any given tint grade will be in darkening interior. Here's a picture of that car, which was an absolute magnifying glass before I tinted it:



And here is my current 996, which was ran in MN. with this tint for years before I bought it w/o any problem, (and now in CA. driven daily):



EDIT: oops, just noticed that the front windows are down in Volvo pic. It was hardly noticeable, though. (Difference in tint from F/R doors). The 996 looks darker than in is in that pic due to shading. You can see in it fine when walking past it parked in daylight, but my black computer bag disappears on the floor w/ black interior and tint. That alone is reason to do it.

[BReyes]

It is something you can DIY. You learn the skill, just like any other. It is mastery of cutting with a blade(razor or olfa type) and ability/patience in cleaning the glass. Having a perfectly clean garage to work in also is a must. Not to mention applying it cleanly.

A 911 has many cuts (glass) that require an expert's touch or at least someone who has done it before, plus as stated if its a targa only an expert can make the neccesary cuts (so that the film conforms to the shape of the glass) or heat shrink it (done on the outside of the glass and then applied inside.)

At least I would say you should practice on a friends car first Kidding!

Regards,

[Chocaholic]

The guys who did my Targa did it with one piece of film. Not sure I understand why 7 were needed (above). He'd never done a Targa before and when I picked it up he told me he'll never do one again either.

It's cheap enough to have it done by the pros. Unless you've just got time on your hands with nothing else to do, I'd take it in, spend just a few bucks and get it done right.