Window Tint

Yeah, not an Explorer, but also drive one, so why not ask for help? '94 Mustang GT I bought recently has window tint all scruffed from rubbing the inside rubber gasket.

Just got back from O'Reilly Auto Parts, where a bewildering number of tints was available. Store Mgr. little help, said they had explanatory booklet at rack, but it was missing.

At least 6 different box-types/brands, each having 35% transmission, 20%, and 5%. One had 2.5%. No indication of tint color, or quality, or scratch resistance, etc. Priced from $9.99 to $19.99. Mgr. suggested trying Gilafilms.com. Found only propaganda.

Can anyone help? imp

 

[CDW6212R]

I suggest pricing your local area, do it yourself tint doesn't work out well usually.

I've watched a friend put tint on once, plus pros a few times. I think the stuff you can buy isn't nearly as good as the best brands shops use. From what I've heard the chance of do it yourself tinting not having problems is slim. I'd say only do it if you were selling the car and really really needed to save money.

I've paid to have it done a few times. The pricing is high but sometimes you can find a more reasonable shop. I think shops do a very good job, other than being slopping with care of your car, and they might ruin the defrost lines if they are too rough. My Lincoln needs a new rear glass because they ruined the defroster, every line, while removing the old tint. I've removed tint once, and the back glass was hell. I hurt/nicked two lines with a razor blade, and repaired them. The shop I mentioned went at it hard with a plastic squeegee, obviously way too hard.

I'd call $150 a decent price for a full car, I think for two windows and sunroof of my Mercury, was around $100 in 2004. I now have my windshields done, with the lightest tint, about 90%(light transmission). You cannot see it, and it stops UV rays from damaging the dash.

The typical back glass will be around 50%, some 35%, so decide if it's light or dark and guess it's 50 or 35. I'm planning to do my SUV's with the light/90% on the existing tint, and match that on the fronts(hopefully 35 will do it).

 

[imp]

@CDW6212R
Thanks for the nice explanations! I always learn something. One, the defrost conductors on rear window: never thought about that. And, since most Explorers I've ever seen came from the factory with tinted glass, I never thought about placing aftermarket tint over that. Or the windshield, slightly.

Actually, doing the work is not new to me. I did my '93 Cobra. Opened up the inner door panels to allow access below the inner wipe at bottom of window opening. It was a drawn-out affair, of course, but results were quite satisfactory. Only thing which displeased me, greatly, was we had moved from AZ to MO, which requires an annual vehicle inspection. First thing the inspector guy did was proceed to RIP OFF my nice tint! Tint was illegal in MO! Really pissed me off. Few years later, they rescinded the law.

I'd like to find out more about the technical aspects, like tint thickness and scratch resistance. Currently, with light reflected in a certain way, I can hardly see clearly out of my windows, especially driver's side. imp

 

[CDW6212R]

I've owned two cars that the tint was going bad or eventually did. An 85 Mark VII had purple tint when I got it, and it was hard to see out at all times. I removed that and it took a good 5 hours, most on the rear window. The other was a 95 Crown Vic that I still own. I think the police dept likely had it done, but the back window is bubbling some.

It sounds like you can do it. I would spend some time online to research what tints are the best you can buy, and then what is their scratch resistance, life expectancy etc. Then you'll have the information to decide if the cost is worth it. These days everything is out there and possible, but at what cost and time to find it, do it etc. Have fun with that, I've got a wrecked 94 GT I need to get rid of, funny stuff.

 

[imp]

@CDW6212R " I've got a wrecked 94 GT I need to get rid of,...."
Is that a solicitation? I'm game! What might it have that I might want to stockpile? I read up that in '94, the GT model actually had stiffer springing than the Cobra. I had a '93 Cobra, and that one was definitely not sprung as harshly as this '94 GT. I don't mind it a bit though, just took a little getting back in the groove, feeling I'm driving a real car again! imp

 

[CDW6212R]

I bought it 15+ years ago by way of the body man who was doing my first Explorer. He had most of the parts to fix it, other than the radiator support. It needed a slight frame pull since the roof dipped slightly, and he basically never touched it. I didn't have time or money to go through normal shops etc, so it's just set. It did have a few things swiped while at the guys shop though, the distributor, coil, fuses, MAF etc. It was a good deal back then, now it's just in the way. I've had too many other projects and it's been too far down the list. I'm still covered up with things, my father died last month and I'm into the estate issues now. I'd like to get the car moved to an alignment shop I go to, and hope they'd be reasonable and also slow to fix the frame(give me more space(it's in my garage)). I've browsed Craigslist and seen plenty of Cobra hoods and other sources for things. I have a friend who got a 95 Cobra 302 engine in a trade, so I think I could get the intake from it. Things just take a long time given normal life issues.

 

[toypaseo]

When I had my Paseo re-tinted, I stripped the tint from the sides myself. I was considering removing the tint from the back window myself. I discussed it with my tint guy, and he suggested that he do the removal. He was more worried about if I did the removal, what adhesive might be left on the window. Good reason for me, plus removal was only $50

 

[toypaseo]

Yeah, not an Explorer, but also drive one, so why not ask for help? '94 Mustang GT I bought recently has window tint all scruffed from rubbing the inside rubber gasket.

That might be something you have to live with, or else have the unsightly non-tinted gap along the edge of the window...

 

[toypaseo]

Also, if you really want to tint it yourself, consider buying the tint from a tint shop that has lifetime warranty tint. Even though it might not be warrantied if you buy some and do it yourself, you'll still get a quality tint film.

They will also be able to tell you what percent tint is allowable per state law.

 

[MONMIX]

My explore had 35% on the two fronts and 5% over top of the factory tint on the rears. You could not see a dang thing inside the back !!!!
Click on "My Explorer" below for photos.

But yes, have it professionally done. Sometimes the DIY savings is so minimal and the results are so extraordinary that it just is not worth it.

 

[imp]

That might be something you have to live with, or else have the unsightly non-tinted gap along the edge of the window...

@toypaseo
Don't quite understand. I have no such gaps in tint anywhere, but have vertical scarfs from top to bottom from tint rubbing on the inner gasket. Can barely see through this result. imp

 

[toypaseo]

Oh, I misunderstood where the rubber was scuffing

I thought the rubber was the along the top edge of the door.

I had a friend with a VW Type III fastback. The tint shop he used warned about the rubber scraping the tint. They suggested just trimming the rubber with razor blade so it did not rub. Worked fine. Cut was super accurate, and not all wavy.

I have also heard about removal of the rubber that would scrape, and replacing it with some sort of felt backed rubber weatherstripping / gasket / belt moulding / window sweeps / whatever the correct term is...

 

[toypaseo]

http://www.tintprotector.com/ford/index.htm

 

[CDW6212R]

It could be a good time to replace the window felts, new material doesn't damage the tint much at all.

 

[imp]

http://www.tintprotector.com/ford/index.htm

@toypaseo
Nice! Thanks. The real problem with the S-95 design over the Fox body is that the glass has no frame around it, so they squeeze rubber guides tight on either side to "stiffen" the glass position ensuring water seal at top and back, and maybe prevent window rattle. Felt would be a help, but not limit movement as effectively. Through-tinted glass would be a better thing! imp

 

[CDW6212R]

My Lincoln Mark VII has obsolete window felts, and some people have used a common product from Lowe's or Home Depot to replace it, something that is self adhesive to stick to the old base material, and it has a similar shape and function.

Finding the old OEM parts can often be tough to do. I mention it because you don't want the glass to be untouched. Old weather stripping allows more water in the door, and that kills the lock actuators eventually. Those window felts are precious, major items for rebuilds and long term ownership.