Spring around the corner? Tint question

Well, this past weekend was a nice tease here in CT with the weather (70 on Fri). As it is now snowing outside, I guess I will have at least a couple more days to drive myself crazy thinking about mods.

So far this winter, I have added Steeda door sill plates and MGW knobs (on the way) to the interior and a sequential taillight kit as well. The final thing I have been tossing back and forth is getting my windows tinted. Now, before everyone starts in with "darker is better" , I cannot go illegal. Recently there have been some neighboring towns cracking down on this and I do not want the hassle.
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I have 20% all around on my Explorer, and have been lucky with it so far, but my Mustang attracts more attention and I do not want to add more. I am older now and the idea of having to worry about it is not worth it. (I had 3 layers of 20% on my car in HS, and was "warned" about it many times.)

So while the legality of the darker tint, the dot matrix, and the apparent risk of the front doors scratching the tint has left me leaning toward just leaving the car alone and saving the money for something else, I am also considering 35% all around.

I do not like the look of darker in the back (I tried this in the past too, but I was not crazy about the visual difference of the two) and going 20% or lower on the driver's and passenger door will be too dark for legal.

So if anyone has a pic of a 99-04 with 35% all around I would greatly appreciate it being posted. I searched but could not find one for sure.

Thanks, and hopefully the weather can straighten itself out now that it is officially spring!
 
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I can't help you with pics, but 35% is perfect all around IMO. You are quite lucky if that's legal...we may not have ANY inspections or emissions testing whatsoever in Minnesota, but yet we are limited to useless 50% tint, wtf.

Anything darker than 35% starts to look a little ghetto. I can't justify that, and don't mean to offend, and I've seen some cars that looked awesome with darker, but I don't know, for me, for no reason, 35% is prime.

Definitely do it, just make sure a good shop does it.
 
I can't help you with pics, but 35% is perfect all around IMO. You are quite lucky if that's legal...we may not have ANY inspections or emissions testing whatsoever in Minnesota, but yet we are limited to useless 50% tint, wtf.

Anything darker than 35% starts to look a little ghetto. I can't justify that, and don't mean to offend, and I've seen some cars that looked awesome with darker, but I don't know, for me, for no reason, 35% is prime.

Definitely do it, just make sure a good shop does it.

Yeah, MN is lame like that. I've been meaning to do 35-50% all around for a while now... The problem with MN is it's 50% including both the tint film AND the glass it's applied to. Therefore, using a 50% film may result in a 45% illegal tint... stupid MN :fuss:

I might just do 35% anyways and just say f-it. I only drive my car on nice days and the windows are always down cause I love the sound of my x w/ my flowpaths :D

OP, sorry I don't have any pics but I would like to see some pics of others cars.

EDIT: BTW Puma if you plan on getting your car tinted PM me and I'll give you the name of a really good tint guy that gives discounts to TCStangs forum members :nice:
 
Here's mine with 35% all the way around.

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It's that really old tint that has a purplish color to it. It definitely looks darker in these pictures than it does in person. To be honest, I'm really not happy with it. I don't like the purple color, and it's not dark enough for me. 20% is just right for me; it's nice and dark and ties the top and bottom of the car together, yet is not so dark that you can't see out of it. 35% is the legal amount around here, but LEOs don't normally have a problem with it unless you give them a reason to dislike you.
 
Here's mine with 35% all the way around.


It's that really old tint that has a purplish color to it. It definitely looks darker in these pictures than it does in person. To be honest, I'm really not happy with it. I don't like the purple color, and it's not dark enough for me. 20% is just right for me; it's nice and dark and ties the top and bottom of the car together, yet is not so dark that you can't see out of it. 35% is the legal amount around here, but LEOs don't normally have a problem with it unless you give them a reason to dislike you.

Good thing you said tint cause if you said springs I would have called your :bs: That thing almost looks like it should seperate between wheels and body! :p
 
I got my car tinted in Vegas when I lived there. Mine's 35%-20%-5%. But in Colorado where I live now the law is 27%-27%-27%. So I'm not too legal in the back but have never been harassed about it.









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Oh wait... wrong picture...





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(I don't have that sticker there any more)
 
It's that really old tint that has a purplish color to it. It definitely looks darker in these pictures than it does in person. To be honest, I'm really not happy with it. I don't like the purple color, and it's not dark enough for me. 20% is just right for me; it's nice and dark and ties the top and bottom of the car together, yet is not so dark that you can't see out of it. 35% is the legal amount around here, but LEOs don't normally have a problem with it unless you give them a reason to dislike you.[/QUOTE]

I am hopeful that mine won't be purple if I do it :D
I like 20% also, but on a car around here seems to attract attention. 20% is on my Explorer and I have had no issues, but I know of some that even on an SUV which is already about 20% in back, have been busted for 20% on front 2 doors and on a car it is even worse.
 
I got my car tinted in Vegas when I lived there. Mine's 35%-20%-5%. But in Colorado where I live now the law is 27%-27%-27%. So I'm not too legal in the back but have never been harassed about it.

24347_1237951028107_1209206042_3052.jpg





Oh wait... wrong picture...





LineUp.jpg




Wildfire09.jpg




212096972hSCEqj_ph.jpg


(I don't have that sticker there any more)

I have done 35% on front and either 20% or 5% on back in the past on some cars, but I am not crazy about the visual difference when you look at it. I think I would rather uniform all around on this one.
 
Its allmost 10 yo tint so it does have the puplish look in pics, but not really in person. And its only tinted up to the dot matrix, with 35% its not real noticable but with darker I think it would be.

You could always have a strip of vinly put over the matrix, ive seen that done and it looked good. Just talk to youre tint guy and see what he can do.
 
Its allmost 10 yo tint so it does have the puplish look in pics, but not really in person. And its only tinted up to the dot matrix, with 35% its not real noticable but with darker I think it would be.

You could always have a strip of vinly put over the matrix, ive seen that done and it looked good. Just talk to youre tint guy and see what he can do.

That is what I was thinking...either vinyl or nothing.

I do like the look of the 35% on your car. I just didn't want it to be "too light" and therefore a waste of money, but while still see through at times, it looks like it would enhance the look of the car nonetheless. In other words, I would say that is would be worth it based on your pics.