Tinting film

[johny transit]

Hi All,
Ive done a few tint jobs on my vehicles over the years, usually buying the stuff from a high street shop - the one time I didn't, I ended up with some inferior, thicker stuff. Can anybody recommend a good brand of film to look out for or anywhere cheap online? I've seen quite a few places on the web, all claiming top quality but some almost too cheap. Gotta tint those side windows limo black before I cut the holes for 'em!
Thanks,

[snowballer]

If your ever down south try a place called trago mills,use theirs all the time dead easy to apply.....

[dirtydog]

I bought some cheap stuff off ebay recently. Fitted it to the rear windows of the girlfriends Sauzuki Alto to keep the sun off the baby. It went on ok but did rip fairly easily has to do one of the windows twice cos it ripped first time round. Have got some light smoke to go on the front windows of the van so will see how that goes.

I think they also do a tint film they class as ultra black or something and it's darker than limo black

i'll see if i cna find a link

[johny transit]

thanks, I really wanted to know a brand to look for - not sure what I bought in shops in the past but was always good. All the stuff on ebay looks well cheapo. I found quite a few online places that look better. I see the Max Power stuff around quite a bit - it's not cheap though but wondered if it was any good at least.

[dirtydog]

Ah right, sorry misunderstood.

When I had my Focus tinted professoinaly i think he used 3m film

[bigmastif]

suntek solartek johnsons TBH mate there is no point looking for a brand

1 there all trade brands
2 you aint gonna be buying enuff to look for a brand
3 professional films piss all over the cheap Chinese sh*t that eBay and halfrauds offer

if your looking to buy then either go to a pro firm and buy enuff of em to cut to fit your windows,
or get it done professional every company worth there salt offer a lifetime guarantee and if they don't there film is sh*t simple, i work with a tinting firm and have been in the business for years doing office, conservatory and vehicle windows, try some local firms mate, most tinters these days are struggling due to 1 thing or another so you should get a deal

[johny transit]

Thanks for the info! Yep I found an old box called "Solar Window film" type VR which I used ages ago and it was complete rubish. I have had much much better results with stuff from high street shops, (it's always nice and thin and strong, flexes and sticks well without tearing and doesn't have a funny colour to it) but hoped to find a good equivalent online (saving on the £'s as ever!). I'm sure whatever I get won't be up to pro standards though.
While I'm on the subject - it seems rather confusing about the amount of light you have to let in on the front side windows, it's 30% tint or 70% light transmission isn't it? Or the other way around? Some films seem to be referred to by what they let through, others by what they block! I normally use "dark smoke" for front sides, I don't know what % it is though, but I was never pulled for it in all the years I have had it on vehicles (prolly the last ten - twelve years plus). It seems to look ok on the large window area of the transit cab.
I want to use limo on the sld windows - Max power do one called Le mans, I wonder if that is the same? Funny how nothing ever seems straight forward anymore
Great to have a pro tinter on here! (But I'm gonna have a crack at it myself as usual - even though I do have to take the windows out to make a good job of it!).

[pwheeldon]

Hi, I've bought some of the cheapo stuff from eBay. This is just for the back windows in the rear doors so nobody can see in. I am hoping that it will at least be half decent. I ordered it a couple of days ago, and all being well will have it fitted by or over the weekend. I'll post to let you know what it is like.

[oldmadbiker]

i also want to fit tinted film to my side sliding windows but everyone i ask say id be
better off getting a pro to do it for me as its really hard to do a good job.
ive been quoted £80 for both windows.
any advice on fitting would be great.
also does it make a differance to ease of fitting weather i get the cheap stuff or is the expensive one easier to fit.
thanks...

[AlanN]

I tried to fit the film to the side windows, it came out OK, just OK, but I am going to remove the window and take it apart when the van is painted...

[bigmastif]

it seems rather confusing about the amount of light you have to let in on the front side windows,

anything past the B pillar is legal, 99 % of vehicle glass in this day and age has the maximum tint in the glass already so by rights anything you put on is illegal, we don't fit anything from the B pillar forward as a rule of thumb cos the cops and vosa can shut you down for doing it, so best way imo is to not fit tints to any of your front windows cos as soon as they pull the tint man out your getting points and a fine

[snowballer]

Hi i done a few over over the years my advice would be, first cut window tint to rough size,then wet the outside of window place tint on in reverse to how you apply inside then sharp stanley cut your template spot on,no fiddling about inside trimming then.Then go inside van not so windy in there Get a piece of celltape on the corner of both sides this helps pull apart two pieces,then wet window really soak that mother!!Get someone to help pull top to middle down apply to window lightly smooth when happy with position soak again if needed more water easier to move,pull off remainder,finally smooth centre out to edges gently does it then bobs your uncle job done................

[WINDSCREENGUY]

suntek

[johny transit]

Well in the end I decided to order some Max Power stuff - if only for the fact that at least it is a brand you see around a lot, thus if any good I could use it in future and if no good avoid. However, the stuff the shop have actually sent is "Urban X Solar window film" and I am not best pleased as I really want to get on. On examination this stuff appears thicker than the small offcut of good stuff I had from a shop, but not quite as thick as the rubish stuff I had off ebay. I don't think it's a quality film at all, does not look as even when you scrutinise it so undecided wether to use or return it.
On a similar note, I have noticed that the side windows I intend to fit, have a slight compound curve on them, which is what makes applying the film tricky for us amatuers (bizzarely the glass that slides is compound curved, not seemingly the fixed bit, according to my straight edge anyway). So, having seen the use of a heat gun on high setting I am wondering wether to try a bit of heat shrinking (shrinking to the outside with backing still on, before fitting to inside, as per the pros). What are the chances of cracking the glass with heat? On the really excellent video I saw of this, the guy managed not to melt the film, or the window rubber, or peel the paintwork, or crack the glass (he was working with windows in situ), it looked easy enough but then it always does when you see the pros.

[johny transit]

So here are the windows tinted in Urban X solar film (whhich was pretty crap). As you can see by no means perfect but acceptable, at least they can go in now. I used the heat gun on the first section which showed promise, until it packed up, so non the wiser there really.



Now to fit 'em...