AZ Rich

most cars here have tinted windows because of the brutal heat.

I would like to here from other 993 owners and get some opinions regarding tinting.

Is it worth it? Does it make a noticeable difference in interior temperature?

I will probably ask the local Porsche dealer which installer they recommend. (I would like to take it to someone who does a lot of Porsche's)

(and yes, I did a search)

BTW, I told a friend that I wanted to tint the windows, and he replied "Why would you want to do that? Isn't part of the fun of driving a Porsche is having people be able to see who is driving the car?"


Many thanks

David in LA

semi related question...does anyone know if there is a way to tint the rear plastic window in a cab? Or is the only option replacing it with a pre-tinted plastic one? I've thought about tinting the windows on my 98 cab but I think it would look strange to do only the fronts and have the back window remain clear.

thanks!

GratefulJED

Yes to all!! All of my cars get tint, except the plastic back cab window - definately no need to go to a Porsche dealer - be sure to get 3M metal or whatever is the BEST - cause you only want to do it once. It lowers the temp AND keeps those folks from looking in on you, but of course if you prefer people looking in on you...Added plus is that it gives an awesome stealth look!

amfp

I had it done on a previous coupe and it worked great. That car was black/black and it did reduce the temperture and interior/rug fading. Only downside was I found it more difficult to see from back glass in the evening. So needed would used side mirrors more.

Sachin Misra

Just had mine done. All windows. It does keep the temps down, and you are not blasting AC as much during the day. Plus I think it makes the car look cooler (pun intended).

Kristoffer

As a Florida resident let me say NO NO NO NO NO & NO!!!!! Some cars you tint IE Escalade, large Mercedes sedans (rice burners) etc.. But P-car was not made to be tinted!! Of-course we all want to be seen in the car but IMO tint cheapens it. Just keep your AC in good working order, park in a garage or in the shade when ever possible. When I bought my car the first thing I did was remove all of the tints!!

Pete Lech

I didn't tint the windows in the 993, but all my other cars have it. If I drove the 993 every day, I would tint the windows, but either light or medium. The limo tint is for Escalades. The tint definitely helps reduce the interior temperatures, plus blocks the UV that fades the interior. I always call local high end new car dealers and ask who they use to do their cars as a way to find the best local installers.

Brett - 1996 C4

I bought my car used from Scottsdale Porsche and it has light tinting (not that I need it up here in Seattle).

You might ask them who does tinting for their customers. The tinting job on my car is impeccable.

Brett

fish993

Hi guys as a manufacturer rep of solar films, (tint) You need to go with a light all metallized film. No not 3m, they don't even make their own, my company does all their metalizing. If you are in Arizona go with a film called Quantum. It is all metal, will never fade, no dye in the product and you do not have to go dark to get heat and uv protection. Its not my territory or I would tell you who to go to. The film is made by Solar Gard. Thanks Tom

Chris W. - '96 Targa

As another Florida resident, let me both agree and disagree with Kristoffer. First the disagreement: tint is a good thing, even on p-cars, for all the reasons others have cited -- cooler interior, less glare, looks better (caveat by the next paragraph).

I agree with Kristoffer on the Escalade/Mercedes/rice burner comment, but only as applies to the really dark stuff. Here in Florida the darkest tint you can legally apply to front side windows is 20% light transmission. The "limo tint" gets as dark as 5%. That looks really cheap on everything except limos, in my opinion.

My Targa is tinted with film made by a company called Llumar (no affiliation other than a happy customer). Because my Targa has a factory tinted glass top which apparently *cannot* have film applied to it because of its construction, I didn't want the door glass, rear windows etc. to be darker than the top. Turns out the 35% light transmission film matches the top *perfectly*. So, it's not limo tint by any stretch, so I avoid the car looking cheap, but still get the benefits of tinted windows.

A lot of the premium films/installers offer lifetime warranty against bubbles, peeling, etc. Also, be sure you ask for a one-piece film for the rear window to avoid an ugly line mid-way where they put two pieces together. For the better shops this won't be a problem at all.

Good luck!



-Chris

Pete Lech

FYI, I have the light tint metalized film on my BMW. It severely weakened the AM radio reception, as the antenna is in the back window, but I only use AM for traffic reports. FM is unaffected.

993 antennas are in in the windshield, which you won't tint anyway, but I mention it just in case you are doing another car. The tint looks as good 5 years later as when it was first installed.

Anir

Like Kristoffer and Pete, I have not yet tinted the 993, because of the concern that it would look pimpish. I DO still think about getting the 50 or 35 at times, because it would certainly help protect the full leather interior. I used to own a tinting business in college (early 1980's when it was still new), and Llumar and 3M were the best companies at that time.

Charlie C

I think that the metallized film would interfere with a V-1 radar detector as well as any other interior mounted unit.

Tech-Law

The metallized film will certainly impair the ability of any radar detector.

Cuppie

Never done this on a Porker, doesn't look right, but all my dog carrying cars have it!

It DOES keep the temp down, means that ppl don't come up to the car to annoy the hound (it happens, believe me!), makes the interior more secure from the fact that ppl can't see luggage or what is in car and also has the added benefit of cutting headlamp glare from behind at night.

Companies in UK will generally not fit tint to windscreen or fit 'limousine tint' -my choice) to front driver and pax windows.

Driving a car without tint now makes me feel vulnerable, like a goldfish in a bowl!!

Mel