Hey Guys,

After my recent break-in and replacing the door glass, I made an appointment to have my windows tinted tuesday afternoon. The car is Silver.

I don't want the car pitch black, nor do I want it hard to see out of at night. So, I'm faced with this choice.

Option a: 20% tint on rear window, 35% tint on all side windows. - what the tinter suggested for a "medium" overall tint.

option b: 20% tint on rear window, 20% on rear doors, 35% on front doors.

option c: (which i think may be too dark at night) 20% on all windows.

If it was your car which would you do (or not do) and why. Pics would be great as well.

Thanks Again,

George

 

I'm going to bump this thread. I'm going to tint my windows as well, but don't know what will look good with my silver S-type. I think too dark is waaaay too pimpish. Does anyone have some pics of a silver Jag with their tint so we can have a look?

Thanks!
Rob

 

Best to check on the laws in your area too. I used to get pulled over all the time in California...

 

Yeah, check out my XJR - https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=37466

 

For what its worth here is my STR its Lunar Grey

and its Tinted at 20%
and no flash used.

 

Yes, be careful with state laws. Different states different laws. Some cops can be impossible on a stop. They can impound your car if the tint exceeds state law; or, one stupid cop gave a guy the option to scrape the tint off during the stop. Very few states allow 20%. I think AZ and maybe FL, maybe NM too??

 

I live in NJ - Actually there is NO tint allowed on the front windows, so percentages are basically meaningless. For the most part, they leave you alone unless they want an excuse to pull you over. My X-type was tinted for 2 yrs, got pulled over ONCE for tint, and was let go with a warning. Once more for something else, and that officer didn't mention the tints. There is no impounding or other peel it or anything its a 54.00 ticket...

You can also get a physician to sign off that you need it for medical reasons and then it becomes legal. You get some card from DMV or something saying you are allowed to have it.

NJ used to be a pain cause you would fail inspection for tint, but they are doing away with vehicle inspections starting July 1st - Since we are an EPA federal clean air act state, we will still have to pass emissions - OBDII test, no codes and readiness monitors set, and you're good to go, regardless of what u have on the car.

George

 

So, I got the car tinted today. I decided to do what the tinter suggested:

35% On all the side windows and 20% on the back window. He did a remarkable job and I was very impressed with his attention to detail. All the tint was computer cut by a plotter and software and was 100% accurate. It was amazing to watch the guy take a flat piece of tint and carefully mold it to the back window using a dryer sheet and a heat gun.

I'm very happy with the overall look, and happy with the visibility at night. I'm going to park the car in the garage for the next couple days and let it dry before I roll down a window. I'll drive my X-type in the meantime.

Here's a pic of how the car came out, and interestingly enough as I was about to leave, another guy showed up with his S-Type to inquire about getting it tinted. We ended up chatting for a while and I took a pic of the two cars together.

 

looks good

 

Mine is 20% all the way around, and love it! Keeps the car nice and cool when its hot outside, and keeps people from starring in while driving.....

 

I did my mine with 20% all the way around, I'll get pics up shortly.

 

20% is the way to go. Cops can see you in broad day so they should leave you alone. At night you're in stealth mode.

Remember though. Tints are an insta-excuse to be pulled over at ANY GIVEN time FOR ANY REASON.... make sure your registration, insurance, and license, are on point at all times, and positively NO drinking and driving.

 

Here in IL tints are finally legal to an extent......I dont get too much attention due to the fact it is a Jaguar and it is off the cop radar

 

No riding dirty for me lol...

I didn't want to go THAT dark with the car all around, hoping to not draw as much attention to it from the powers that be. There are some towns in Jersey that just have nothing better to do... And they have gotten to the point where even the gold family member PBA cards aren't a guaranteed pass anymore....

Overall I'm happy with the way it looks...

George

 

Andro, I just got my windows tinted by a reputable tinter and I'm dissapointed in the rear window dot matrix. I'm hoping it gets better over the next couple of days, but was curious how your rear window edges look. Did you tinter cut it short, or did he shave down the matrix? Riski yours looks perfect in the pics... how'd you pull it off?

 

20% all around. Have not run into a pull over...yet. (Miami)

 

20% on sides and rear; last week whilst driving the car, wife got ticketed for tinted drivers and passenger fronts.

Some of the rear door tints had been damaged by previous owners (scratches, dings and haze) so I removed all film this weekend and will upgrade with new tints once I settle on a local guy to install and the fix-it is written off.

 

I was having a look at window tinting on the internet and found this site which gives the different tint regs for each state...

http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/

and for the UK...

http://www.sctints.co.uk/qas_thelaw.php

 

Mine has the typical dot matrix edge. He computer cut the tint, so it was the right size, and didn't want to wetsand the edges because he was afraid that it would ruin the defroster lines. It is what it is. I've seen 2 ways to fix the problem....

1) Black vynil on the dots. This leaves a slightly visible seam on the tint where the tint meets the vinyl, but it looks better than the tint over the dots. My tinter offered to a black vynil border on the exterior of the window, claiming it was the best solution. but I was skeptical of the look of it. Depending on how the tint dries I may end up doing this, as it is removeable if I don't like the look.

2) And I only saw this done ONCE, on an older Camaro with the hatch removed and upside down on a work bench. The tinter use a glue stick (one of those ones kids use in a craft class) and applied the glue over the tint, and believe it or not it took away the dot matrix effect, and made the window look black to the edge.

George

 

Hi,
I have a 2001 XJ8 Vanden Plas. It is champagne coloured and I don't think a darker tint would look very good. I saw a mercedes with a very light mirror/silver tint. Basically you could still see in, but only from a certain angle. It was private, but didn't really have much of a tinted look.
I was thinking of checking this option out. I would guess that it would be like a 65% silver/mirror tint?
Has anyone done this or have pics? Any suggestions...i'm a bit nervous about the look.
Cheers.