Window Tint Advice

The only illegal thing I'd ever consider is HID fogs, for Prius or any other future cars. Not into messing with intakes or exhausts.

Suspension upgrades, lowering, rims, interior upgrades, tints, and other cosmetics, it's all legal to some extent.

 

Yeah, but to make it into something really cool like bino's car requires multiple violations, as the vast majority of JDM parts aren't US DOT-approved.

 

^Yeah I do like me some a Bino's car.

 

35% all around it's the law in the land of Lincoln.

 

In regards your Automall Tint Specialist experience:

1) Do you remember how much Automall quoted you out the door for the entire install including material?

2) What was the turnaround time? Did you hang around and wait in the lobby?

3) What made you decide that it was worth tinting the front windows? As you already know that's a big no no here in cali but is the 50 grade almost undetectable?

4) Do you think the "hazy grey" appearance will go away over time and if not, will it bug you later? Is the haze due to the tint or the installer?

5) Did you have to tint the back lower strip, the strip between the tail lights that was tinted by factory or was it an even match?

6) What made you choose the Huper Optik ceramic over the Llumar ceramic tint? Mostly for heat rejection? I've had Llumar ceramic in all my cars and would like to know the difference.

I checked with Automall website and they look like a very professional group. I'm still deciding if I should go with them or another reputable installer near Pleasanton.

 

It's already dried out so that's just how HO looks, some grey/carbon color. If you want blacker ceramic tint, get F1 Pinnacle instead. Check out this comparison (although I think here the HO is reflecting the blue sky so it looks blue rather than hazy grey/carbon).

 

Thank you for the heads up on the comparison shots. My other vehicle is a Toyota Sienna with factory tint and excellent privacy, without any hazing or any weird reflective coat. I'll bring my $$$ in to the lucky installer who can get me the exact match as my factory Sienna tint. I'll be leaning towards the F1 Pinnacle or just stick with the Llumar ceramic if there is indeed any hint of reflective blue in the HO. So far the best thing going for the HO is its superb heat rejection. I'm sure the F1 is comparable.

 

I really like the Carbon XP they installed at AutoMall. The Critic got scared out of it because it is a "dyed" film and some turds on the internet thought it looked pink and green. No problems here though. Plus I'd rather have good looking dye than a gray haze, no offense.

If you want a black film that is the one I suggest. It is some black s**t.

 

Keep in mind that the factory glass is already tinted green so all tints are going to have a greenish hue to some extent, even if the film itself is black. Also privacy glass on SUVs look black because it's tinted black in the glass; no film is used.

Yes, dyed black is the way to go to achieve the blackest look. Some shops don't like to carry dyed films though.

 

I did mine during my lunch hour at work and stayed there to watch them do it. Greg did the side windows. Sidney did the hatch and 2 rear portholes.

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+1. 50% tint + the 70% stock window = a little darker than you might expect. I think F8L also has 50% on his front windows, and I can definitely tell it's tinted.

 

Actually my front windows are 70% and the rear stuff is 5%. I had 35% but after two tickets I said to hell with it. lol

You can tell my fronts are tinted but it is pretty light.

 

There are so many dark front window tint violators in California that 50% film (or rather 35% aggregate) looks pretty much stock. I had 35% aggregate in a previous car for 10 years and never got cited for tinting the front side windows despite being pulled over for not having a front license plate (twice) and speeding.

Also, 50% film can look lighter or darker depending on the color of your interior and whether you black out the rear windows.

 

I can't afford to tint my front windows. I look at my car in the parking lot and think, even though there's nothing illegal about it, it is a cop magnet. The blacked out emblems and gunmetal rims just don't help me out.

 

A Prius is hardly a cop magnet and yours doesn't look that modded.

 

I'm going to go with my gut feeling/tight budget and go with the Llumar ceramic with the installer that I trust. I think I can talk him into getting me a returning customer loyalty discount, although it is summer time so I will have to improve my social engineering skills.

Also, the exterior of my car is black and I think the overall look will go best with a darker tint then the HO I see in the critic's picture. I have a cousin who has HO on his jet black bimmer and I think its a 30 or 40 and he wanted it darker. In the critic's case, he has a winter grey exterior so in my opinion the HO "neutral grey" looks really good on his car. I am sure he is already enjoying the added heat reduction of the HO.

 

Context, bro. In SoCal every other person's car is modded so yeah, I wouldn't stand out much there. But when I look at a line up of cars, mine is almost always the most rogue looking.

Prius isn't a cop magnet but put an Asian dude in his 20s w/ long hair and a backwards cap, and tell me cops will 100% ignore me. Again, context.