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To Tint or Not to Tint

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Old 03-09-2011, 05:14 PM
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laxaholic33
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Default To Tint or Not to Tint

Hey guys. I currently have no tint on any of my windows and im about to spend another brutal summer in south carolina. I have two major questions dealing with tinted windows

1. After the southern summer, i'll be moving *kow* to either hawaii or california...both which have more restrictive tint laws than south carolina...with cali being the most. If i got max tint in south carolina (27%) would it be easy..or even possible to reduce the tint. I plan to get it done from a tint guy who has great customer service reviews.

2. What does having tinted windows do for resale? I havent really been modding my pcar too much (spoken any), as it would cut into my emergency maintenance funds. I do plan to keep the car for another 2-4 years, so for the price of tinting i would get a good amount of value out of it, both comfort and aesthetics ...i'm just wondering if having tinted windows makes a pcar harder/easier to sell (if someone in most states wanted to buy a car with 27% it would be technically illegal..if i understand the law correctly)

Anyways if you guys have had any history/knowledge of this please let me know. Thanks!
Old 03-09-2011, 05:24 PM
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Paseb
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i dont think you should really bother about resell value if you have tint or non tint windows

also, its like 150$-200$ to install them and if you want to remove, you can do it yourself...
Old 03-09-2011, 05:30 PM
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mikey55
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I have searched and searched in vain, what I would like is some venetian blinds, slats that would keep out the back window sun and allow full visibility out the back. I found some on a German site but it was all in German and I failed to establish contact. Any help would be appreciated.

Probably too corny for this group, but none the less, I am looking.
Old 03-09-2011, 05:38 PM
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function12
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The installer is what you want to buy a tint job on. I have used the same guy for over 15 years. A little hole in the wall place the has been there at least 30 years. Yes 30 years!!. He does awesome work.
A good job will not effect resale it could help it. A bad tint job on the other hand.
Old 03-09-2011, 06:06 PM
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mpd425
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If you are moving to CA or HI find out the tint laws for those states and get it done according to their laws, then you don't have to remove it.
Old 03-10-2011, 10:39 AM
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rpm's S2
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When I bought my 996 I assumed that tint would be the way to go here in the hot, humid South. But as I don't love the look of the car with dark tint I decided to wait through one summer to see how necessary it was. I found that the 996 air conditioning is more than sufficient to keep the car downright cold on even the hottest days. So no tint for me.

Now... if I lived in the desert Southwest where 100 degree temperatures are common this decision might have gone the other way.
Old 03-10-2011, 12:18 PM
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Maniac28
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Here in hot and sunny CA the brilliant lawmakers have decided you can't tint the front windows. Depending on what city you are in they will pull you over, write you a ticket, and you will have to remove the tint and pay a fine.

You can have 20 armed gunmen in the back seat, because you can tint those windows all you want, but god forbid you put any tint on the fronts. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Old 03-10-2011, 01:06 PM
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francars
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Yeap, California laws are pretty strict. I had tints (fronts too) on my wifes E55. She got pulled over last year and we had to remove tints plus $25 fixing fine. Not too bad but the hassle...
My Avant has front tints as well and everytime I drive by or see a cop I roll down front windows... LOL
Old 03-10-2011, 01:10 PM
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Topaz330ci
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Tint it!

I tinted every single car that I have owned!
Old 03-10-2011, 01:35 PM
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Braden996
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Yep I love the way the tint looks. I got mine slightly darker than legal here in Ontario but cops never seem to notice/care. And tinting the fronts here in Ontario is no big deal either.
Old 03-10-2011, 02:09 PM
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Zurichgnome
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I think it has an impact on buyers. Anything that isn't stock does.

When I was looking for a used 2001-04 cab, I didn't bother to look at cars with tinted windows. Probably unfairly. But tint without context says the car was in a hot climate, which also means the top has likely taken a beating. And that translates into dollars.

I realize that from a cosmetic standpoint, you either like it or you don't. I tend to like the windows clear.
Old 03-10-2011, 02:13 PM
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RPMulli
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Tint it! Who likes to be stared at, plus the sun is bright.
Old 03-10-2011, 02:34 PM
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Barry Lenoble
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Hey,

My 2000 Cab came with tinted windows. Real dark. I tried to get used to it but I hated it at night. It took me an hour to remove it, so no big deal. Tint your windows if you like.

Barry
Old 03-10-2011, 03:54 PM
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kjchristopher
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I have a friend in the tint business. On all my cars, I've had him install clear tint that is absolutely amazing at keeping the heat out. The first car done was my RX8, which had extremely dark and illegal tint. The clear ceramic tint that replaced it worked even better.
Old 03-10-2011, 04:15 PM
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laxaholic33
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Thanks for the responses guys. Lots of different perspectives. If tint is that easy to remove i'll probably just enjoy the darkest i can get in SC for the summer and then figure it out later when a problem arises from a move to the west. Plan on getting it done at a good tint shop. A family that i am friends with have had 6 or 7 cars tinted there and every car looks great...they've just never taken any off before.


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