Thinking about tints on the Subaru

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678) 05/26/2018 at 22:27 • Filed to: None

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As the weather gets warmer, I’m thinking about ways of dealing with this for my first Socal Summer. With the Miata, well it’s just top down and cook. But with the STi, I figure a professionally installed mild window tint with a heat rejection film would be a good idea. I can’t stand super dark tints (like in the photo above) and I would like to keep it legal and have the same tint on all windows. So that would put me at a 70% tint on all windows. I find tinting looks especially good on a white car and if I got the right film, it should substantially make a difference in interior Temps. Now I have to figure out what that would cost and how to find a reputable shop. Diy application seems tempting but I’d really rather it be done right.

California allows any window tinting apart from the windshield and front windows but I always think uneven tint looks incredibly dumb. Plus I like being able to actually see at night anyways. From quick googling, tinting usually runs $100-400 but I definitely want good film that will last and I want it done right. So it will probably end up at the higher end. I’m sure in July though, it will be well worth it if I end up driving up into the high desert where 115F+ is common.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/27/2018 at 12:54

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I had my V70 tinted with ceramic tint. It was incredibly expensive compared to the plain stuff but it makes a world of difference in heat. I paid something like $450. The car doesn’t get very hot compared to the outside temps, as long As I remember a windshield shade. I have 50% on the fronts and 35% everywhere else.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 05/30/2018 at 21:09

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I usually do either a 50% on the fronts and 35% elsewhere or 35% up front and 20%, always non-reflective. Even a standard film will drastically cut the heat buildup in the car. This is a job you want to pay someone who is good at to do. It isn’t hard per se, but there is a serious amount of skill in doing it well. It is really neat to watch it done by someone who is good at it.

I’ve got a guy who does it in Las Cruces and is booked weeks in advance who operates only on word of mouth. He has no website, isn’t in any directory, has no social media presence and has only a small sign on a nondescript shop door, and he is a wizard at what he does. It it turns out he mostly does tint for dealers in town and the other folks who know that he is the guy. With that in mind, you might ask a good dealer or custom shop in your area who they use for tinting. If you’re not doing anything fancy like ceramic or reflective, it ought to cost a few hundred dollars to tint and previously untinted car. If they have to remove old tint it becomes more expensive.