FormulaOne Nano Ceramic Window Tint Films

If you look at the huper optik wesite, it looks like their numbers are better even for their lighter(legal) ceramic films. Here is a link to their automotive page.

http://www.huperoptikusa.com/pdf_docs/HOUS...ODUCT_RECAP.pdf

 

I had the FormulaOne window tint installed a little over a week ago. I did all glass except the windshield and lower hatchback panel; Med dark driver and passenger windows and the rest dark.

From the rear, the lower hatch panel looks just like the upper panel. In the rearview mirror it has the normal sepia-like tint and is a shade or so lighter than the upper panel.

Installers are trained and certified by the film manufacturer.

 

Damn you CA people and your abundance of Tint installers

I check the formula one page, there is one installer near me, and they don't do Pinnacle. The next closest installer is hours away

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ray Moore\";p=\"83011)</div>

Hey Ray, I also got Huper Optik tint all over my Prius - including the windshield (60% VLT to cover a 100% area) but excluding the rear lower pane. I am a lil' disappointed at its ability to block out infrared rays (ie: heat). It sure sounds impressive on paper. Yesterday we got a heat wave (85F) and when I entered my Prius, it felt as hot as any untinted car. What is your opinion/experience on its heat-blocking ability? Or is my expectation too unrealistically high?

Also, my HO tint has this slight green color tone to it. I rather it be grey or blue. Does yours look a lil' greenish too?

Thanks.

Edward

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Areometer\";p=\"83154)</div>

My local FormulaOne dealer is downtown, and gave me a $245 guesstimate for the darkest I'm allowed to have, so I'll be down there tomorrow hoping it lives up to my expectations. That's about what Mr. Tint wanted for 'best' 3M tinting...

 

infrared radiation

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Areometer\";p=\"83154)</div>

Hey Ray, I also got Huper Optik tint all over my Prius - including the windshield (60% VLT to cover a 100% area) but excluding the rear lower pane. I am a lil' disappointed at its ability to block out infrared rays (ie: heat). It sure sounds impressive on paper. Yesterday we got a heat wave (85F) and when I entered my Prius, it felt as hot as any untinted car. What is your opinion/experience on its heat-blocking ability? Or is my expectation too unrealistically high?

Also, my HO tint has this slight green color tone to it. I rather it be grey or blue. Does yours look a lil' greenish too?

Thanks.

Edward[/b][/quote]

You actually asked Ray this question.....but I thought I'd join in. I think the heat buildup in a car is caused by infrared radiation which passes through the window going in, but cannot pass back out because it's of a wavelength that gets reflected back into the car by the glass; a kind of greenhouse effect, actually. The only way I can think of to keep this from happening is to shade the windows on the outside, with an opaque shade.
If visible light is passing through the glass, infrared radiation will build up inside. Window tinting may help, but only to the extent of it's opacity; the darker and more opaque, the better it will shield the car from heat buildup. Somewhere along the way this desire to reduce heat via opacity, comes in conflict with the understandable desire to see out.
Glass also stops ultraviolet radiation. Ever wonder why your arm doesn't get sunburned on summer days if you drive with the window up? Why your self tinting glasses (which react to ultraviolet) don't work in the car?
My gut feeling is that window tinting does more for appearance than for the other claims made for it. It does look cool. I wonder, though, what it looks like after it gets scratched.
Bob

 

Re: infrared radiation

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen\";p=\"83170)</div>

Thanks for your input. From what I read, the beauty of this next gen. ceramic-based Huper Optik tint is supposedly to block UV & IR without impairing visible light transmission as much as with other old-tech tint like those limo tint. Apparently, maybe my expectation is too high or maybe this is all a marketing gimmick. I don't know. I wish other HO users would share their experience with me.

Oh yeah, you mean those transition or photochromatic glasses that change from transparent to a dark tint, right?

BTW, I have HO 40% VLT all over the car & 60% in the windshield. Like I mentioned before, rear lower pane is not tinted.

 

It's that rear lower pane that's killing you.

Ok I'm kidding. The tint will help while the car is parked but only a little. If you are in the sun long enough, the heat that does get past the film will heat up the car. The painted areas are, of course, unaffected by the tint job and much of the build up comes from there.

The value of the tint is in it's ability to reduce the buildup of heat on the surfaces in the car while in operation. The most important surface to consider is your skin. The air temperature in the car can be 70 degrees but if the sun is shining on your skin, you will feel hot. The huge reduction in heat gain that you get with the film will allow you to feel comfortable with less air conditioning and in my car, prior to getting the tint, the rear passengers simply couldn't get enough cool air to be comfortable.

There are metallic tints that are just as effective at blocking uv and ir but they are more apt to cause rf interference and are more reflective. A really good tint doesn't broadcast that it is on the car by being mirror-like. The Huper is also less problematic when viewed through polarized lenses.

I find the color to be a green shade of gray and the colors of the landscape viewed through it are pleasing to me. Tints that are reddish or purplish are the ones that bother me. I hope you like it overall as it is way too expensive a product if you aren't as satisfied as I am.

I'm working on a waiver to allow the tint on the front windshield. I already got some 60 Florida but I need the waiver to get it installed and inspected. I have the doctor's letter. In TX the inspection sticker and license renewal are adhered to the windshield so it would not be easy to get an inspection sticker with an illegal tint.

Wish me luck. Best of luck to you as well.

 

Hey Ray, what you say makes sense. I believe that if HO doesn’t please me, no tint will. My expectations are just too unrealistic. Here in MA, the inspection sticker adheres to the windshield too. The tint technician cut out a square for it. When I renew the sticker this Nov, most likely they will make me remove the tint. Well, wish that he would overlook that somehow. Good luck to you w/ the waiver! Thanks for your reply.

 

The $245 quote stood, but didn't include the windshield. I might start using the shade I bought, but it's a hassle with the parking tag hanging from the rearview. I'll have to check around to see if people started out like this and found the windshield needed to be done later.

Pinnacle 35 is the darkest they could legally install. Looks fairly dark from the outside, but nothing is obscured when viewed from inside. I can't tell if they treated the lower back window, since it's too dark inside to see in and when I look back I can't tell if it's darker than it used to be. They did get all the small windows. Nice...

 

Did you notice any changes to the paint after the treatment? Does it look glossier and can you tell there is some sort of clear coat on it?

As for the tints, how is the clarity? Do you notice any loss of clarity from before?

I am looking to get tints soon -- do you mind sharing what price you paid?

Thanks!

 

I was told today that in SC, the windshield can't be tinted. So for the $245 (plus tax) I spent, I got a pretty good deal on the Pinnacle 35.

I was told not to roll the windows down for 48 hours, but nothing about a longer cure to worry about. Must be we're warmer or something...

 

My first post here .
I too am looking to have my prius tinted. After checking out the specs,
Im going with the Huper. Perusing the Us patents for ceramic films, it seems
that Hupers parent company holds the patent for Ceramic coated films.
They were first to the market and use a sputter coat of titanium nitride.

I tried calling the parent company of formula one to get info about there product , since I couldnt find anything online about the composition of there
products. They were not very forthcoming with there info. What I have found out is that in addition a ceramic component, there is also a Dye in the formula one material. How can this material be called nano-ceramic when it contains something other than ceramic? I do know that everytime I wash my jeans, the dyes fade a little bit. Sure I dont notice it until a bunch of washings, but its still noticeable.

Some things about values for tint I have noticed. Forget Uv ratings, they all pretty much block 99% or better. If they didnt , the film itself would deteriorate when exposed to sunlite.
If you blocked all of the IR from the sun, about 45% of the suns energy
would still be transmitted in the visible spectrum.

I do notice that the Huper 30% stops about 60% of the solar energy, more efficient than the darker formula one 15%.

The Huper film samples I have are about twice as thick as the formula one materials. The installer said that this is why the costs are a little higher, it takes longer to install, and also to cure.
As far as the 500$ and below costs, I was quoted 650 in the NYC area.
I had to wait a while to get my prius, and I plan on keeping it for awhile.
650$ figured out over 6 years isnt really a lot considering how much
Im saving on gas with my Prius

I will post some pics when I get my car done next month ...

 

thanks for the links there marv.
I looked at that tintdude site, THEY sure have some crazy people over there !

Im just into heat rejection, so it looks like the huper wins hands down for me.

. You say you have Formula one, but you posted a llumar
warranty card ? Is it the same company ?

We decided to have Solar gard tru grey put on our 04 acura tl, which is basically the same car as the accord. No probs with the nav system there. Hondas have the Gps antenna located on the roof.

One other thing, I my quest to uncover what these films are made of,
I uncovered on thing. The parent company that makes the Formula one
material, Solutia, filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Im not really sure how long this company will be around .