Window tint estimate

[73chgrSE]

I'm thinking about tint on my '73. What should I look for in price and product. I know nothing about the process other than the do it yourself stuff from walmart. How much would you expect to pay for this service?

[JR]

I work for an Auto Trim Design, so I'll take this one.

Stay away from the walmart tint. It's junk. Half as thin as real tint. Even if it were put on 100 percent correctly, it would only last a year. It is usually this stuff when you see faded purple tint  on older cars. Or not even older cars sometimes, we retinted an 07 Accord that had this stuff on it last month.

Your best bet is to have it professionally done. For a newer 2 door sedan, average price here in Alabama is $165 bucks. The tint shop will probably charge more because it's an older car. They are usually harder to work with. Mostly because of the dirt that builds up in window seals over the years. Anyone can tint a car with enough paitence, but a first timer will never get a quality job that a pro can do.

I don't know what state youre in, but tint laws vary from state to state. Everywhere in the south, 32 percent is what is allowed all the way around a car. Except for the front windshield(NO tint there but a 6 inch strip). California will let you have almost anything around every glass, but no tint on the front two roll ups. I've got a chart at work I can look at and find your state.

When you do get it done, don't roll down the windows for 2 or 3 days, and NEVER clean the tint with anything containing ammonia. Ammonia fades it and turns it purple.

Hope this helps. I'd say go for it. I love tinted windows. They make it soo much cooler inside the car, and it looks cool. I'll try to get a before and after pic here of my windows.

[JR]

And here is the after. The side glass is legal 32 percent charcoal, and the rear glass is illegal 20 percent tint.