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Cost of tinting

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by harajuka, Sep 22, 2009.

  1. Pohaku

    Pohaku Member

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    With the rocker panels and rear bumper, that sounds in the ball park for paint protection film. You might see what they would charge to add the backs of the mirrors and all the door edges to the package.

    In Minnesota, tint can't be greater than 50% (and of course, nothing on the windshield), so it's hardly worth doing.
     
  2. going red baby!

    going red baby! still a n00b

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    $225 for Madico Wincos ceramic on all windows
    $85 for windshield - hardly any tint, got it for heat reduction and UV protection of dash
    _______________

    $310 total


    Now they didn't do the little piece under the spoiler, they said they don't do that because it's plastic. Is that normal? I don't like the difference in color looking through the rearview mirror.
     
  3. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    I paid $99 for all 8 windows.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    The tint alone should have cost more than that. You either had is applied by a crackhead in need of money or got low quality tint with no warranty or all of the above. LOL

    Seriously though. Your post is a bit misleading as most quality tint shops will charge a minimum of $180-$320 to do all the windows in a Prius. At a nominal shop rate of between $65-$85/hr there is no way they could have tinted all of your windows and made a profit unless they work from home and used cheap tint. :)
     
  5. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    You can call me a lire all you want. I paid $99 for all the windows and it has a life time warranty. This shop has a few locations in the Cleveland area.

    I was a little shocked you posted there is no way I could have had it done at that price so I drove to the place and took picture of their ad for tinting an entire car for $99. Here are the pics.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I never called you a liar. I said your post is misleading. Meaning other Prius owners should not expect to pay $99 for quality tint on 8 windows. It is just not normal unless you live in a very low income demographic. Re-read my post. I'll apologize if it came across rude but I want other readers to be aware that your price is not what most people pay or what most quality shops charge. :)
     
  7. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    I disagree. I feel that if someone cares about saving money and they shop around they can find a place to do a tint job for $99.

    This place is less then 2 miles from my house. Look at the picture of my Prius a few posts up. Does it look like I live in a low income demographic area?
     
  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I've been modifying cars since 1991 and I've worked at a stereo/tint shop since 1994. I'm just giving my opinion based on my experience in the industry. Granted I'm based in California which has a high cost of living associated with it but I stated that areas with low cost of living would likely be cheaper. If you want to act defensively that is perfectly ok with me. :)

    As for the location of the shop, yes it does look like it is a low income or low rent area. The location of your house is irrelevant. ;)
     
  9. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    Get off your high horse.

    The thread is asking what people paid for their tint job. I post I paid $99. That is 100% the truth.

    You called me a liar and claimed I was posing misleading information. ‘there is no way they could have tinted all of your windows’

    I took a little offence to your statement and posted pictures of the place that did it.

    Then you claim ‘you live in a very low income demographic’ this place is very close to my house.

    Stick to the topic and quit calling people liars and making claims they live in poverty. Do you do this all the time to people in the forum???
     
  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    You should brush up on your reading skills. That is all I have to say.
     
  11. ggcc

    ggcc Member

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    $190.00 With Carbon... lifetime tinting . All except windshield (front).

    Love it.
    -Kids seat in the back with auto shade (by tinting).
    -Kids seat in the back, not easy to see from outside.
    -Harder to see anything I put in the back seats or floor or in the trunk.
    -Car looks newer because most old cars are not tinting....
     
  12. rstark18

    rstark18 Member

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    $275 for 3M Crystalline 50 on all windows except front and under spoiler.
     
  13. priusblogg

    priusblogg New Member

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    Re: Cost of tinting $130 WHOLE CAR

    $130 whole car, top of the line tint at Whittier Tint in Whittier Ca. They have a Laser machine that pre cuts the tint to the model. Installed and on the street in 45 minutes.
     
  14. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    Re: Cost of tinting $130 WHOLE CAR

    priusblogg be carefull, I took a beating from F8L for posting that I paid $99 for a tint job.

    The guy that did mine had a device like a plotter that cut all the plastic film to spec also.

    F8L claimed I must have paid a 'crackhead in need of money' and I must live in a 'low income or low rent area'

    Then he posted that I could not read after I posted his exact comments like I did above in quotes 'his words'.
     
  15. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Re: Cost of tinting $130 WHOLE CAR

    Apparently you still can't read..... and you don't know when to take things to PMs like I tried to do. Tsk tsk tsk
     
  16. Judgeless

    Judgeless Senior Member

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    Re: Cost of tinting $130 WHOLE CAR

    I can read. I have a BSEE (Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering) from Ohio State. I work with motor control similar to what is used on the Prius. Not putting pre cut plastic film on glass. This type of work can be done by anyone making minimum wage.

    In your PM you had the same arrogant attitude you do posting about people that did not pay $160 or more for a tint job. Get off your high horse.
     
  17. james123

    james123 New Member

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    3M seems to offer several brands so be sure to research the brand you choose. And don't cheap-out by hiring the cheapest installer to save a buck. You'll be looking at their workmanship every time you drive your car. air conditioner compressor
     
    quantumy likes this.
  18. Hy-Bird

    Hy-Bird Junior Member

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    I was planning to get my done with ceramic too but why they don't tint the window below spoiler? Did they tint the small triangle window?
     
  19. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Generally speaking that little window is pretty well tinted from the factory and adding more tint would reduce rear visibility. I would definitely tint the little triangle windows. They look much nicer that way.
     
  20. going red baby!

    going red baby! still a n00b

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    I got all (including windshield) my windows, except the little one under the spoiler, done for $310 with ceramic.

    I didn't like the difference in color looking out the back so I went back to get the little one done too, they charged me $20 for that. They did it, and I like it a lot more from the outside. It matches the hatch better in darkness now and it's harder to look in. But I think they didn't use the same film because it's more bronze than the hatch window now. I assumed the guy knew what I got either by memory or having looked it up and I didn't ask, as I should have. I have to call them to find out but I'm sure that's what happened because when I got home and pulled my receipt out for the original tinting the "rating percentage" of the little window doesn't match any of the ones on my original tint receipt.

    If it were the same color tint I would be loving it. As it is I have the same problem I did before - two different tints looking out the back window.