Spring around the corner? Tint question

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I'll be going with the 35, but if there is any factory tint in the glass then it is illegal. And so you know, in CT, no matter what you have on your window it is illegal unless you actually go to DMV and have it inspected. If you pass their inspection, they give you a sticker, and then it is legal. You can find all the laws on it on line if you google "CT titles" tints are covered in the 14-80 section. ;)
 
I'll be going with the 35, but if there is any factory tint in the glass then it is illegal. And so you know, in CT, no matter what you have on your window it is illegal unless you actually go to DMV and have it inspected. If you pass their inspection, they give you a sticker, and then it is legal. You can find all the laws on it on line if you google "CT titles" tints are covered in the 14-80 section. ;)

I did double check the law. It is funny that nothing has changed at all in it in the 20 years that I have been driving. I was going to go 35% all around too, but as you pointed out, my shop told me that putting 35% over the stock "solar tint" puts the number closer to 30% and technically would not be legal anyway or pass, so they said they could put a 40% film to arrive me at 35%. I think that will be too light to bother paying for it. I am really stuck on this decision.
 
I'll be going with the 35, but if there is any factory tint in the glass then it is illegal. And so you know, in CT, no matter what you have on your window it is illegal unless you actually go to DMV and have it inspected. If you pass their inspection, they give you a sticker, and then it is legal. You can find all the laws on it on line if you google "CT titles" tints are covered in the 14-80 section. ;)

Upon further research, it is actually 14-99 where the tint is listed. And that needing an inspection sticker thing is new to me. :shrug:

I called a different shop today that said they could put 38% on to end me at 35%. They scuff the dot matrix and said its 50-50 with it sticking or just tint til the bottom of it. They too do not use vinyl. Neither of the shops I called mentioned the inspections stickers being needed.

This is becoming a bigger head ache than I ever remember tint being and am starting to think I am better off leaving them un-tinted and using the cash for something else.....especially being in my mid 30's and not wanting to deal with hassles or a "ghetto" look...
 
To be honest your really not going to be able to tell a difference between the 38 and 35. As far as the "ghetto" look goes, i don't think tint is ghetto at all and it actually has advantages to it besides the looks.
 
To be honest your really not going to be able to tell a difference between the 38 and 35. As far as the "ghetto" look goes, i don't think tint is ghetto at all and it actually has advantages to it besides the looks.

I know it does and I was thinking the same about how much different will it really be. What I meant by "ghetto" was so dark you couldn't see in at all...ANYTHING... EVER. Around here there are cars that are so dark, the glass looks painted rather than tinted.

It is really sunny here and I had to go run some errands and I decided to really pay attention to the vehicles around me. Unless you go with like 5%, you can see through 20%-35% during the day. There is no way I am going to go dark enough to stay dark in the sun, so I am thinking I will have the shop do the % that ends at 35% and move on. I may just have them stop the tint below the matrix rather than taking a 50-50 shot on it sticking, but I do have one more local shop to call tomorrow and see what they have to say.
 
I'm in Woodbridge, Ct...right around the corner from you. I have 5% on all my vehicles, trucks, Mustang, 00 Camaro and *knock on wood* never got pulled over for the windows...got pulled over many times and never bothered about how dark they are. If you decide to do them there is a guy in stratford that has been doing it for close to 20yrs if not longer and also a Mustang driver (00 Saleen) I very highly recommend him. Great guy and unbelieveable quality (and price). When you roll your windows down you wont even see a line like most shops. I can PM you his number if you like.

And the film will purple from the cleaners you use and not from the age of the tint. Do not use any window cleaners with amonia...use tint safe cleaner only.
 
I'm in Woodbridge, Ct...right around the corner from you. I have 5% on all my vehicles, trucks, Mustang, 00 Camaro and *knock on wood* never got pulled over for the windows...got pulled over many times and never bothered about how dark they are. If you decide to do them there is a guy in stratford that has been doing it for close to 20yrs if not longer and also a Mustang driver (00 Saleen) I very highly recommend him. Great guy and unbelieveable quality (and price). When you roll your windows down you wont even see a line like most shops. I can PM you his number if you like.

And the film will purple from the cleaners you use and not from the age of the tint. Do not use any window cleaners with amonia...use tint safe cleaner only.

I did know about the ammonia thing....

Please PM me the number. I called one shop here in town and one in Monroe, both of which I have used before, but neither left me overly confident that they could handle the dot matrix properly. I drove my truck with 20% tonight and realized just how much I love tint. Even if I go 35%, it will be better than nothing...I think at this point I am waaaaayyyyy over-thinking this.
Thanks in advance for the number.
 
Well, I decided to see an old classmate of mine that has a shop now about what he could do...long story short, I am now tinted with 40% film which meters at about 35%. I think it is perfect. Dark enough to be tinted, but not too dark to attract the wrong attention. I stopped in just to talk and they had an open slot for yesterday afternoon so I left the car and here we are. They cut the tint just below the dot matrix. I may just leave it that way or do something vinyl related. Not sure yet, but glad I got it done. Once I have a chance to clean up the car I will post pics.
 
Upon further research, it is actually 14-99 where the tint is listed. And that needing an inspection sticker thing is new to me. :shrug:

I called a different shop today that said they could put 38% on to end me at 35%. They scuff the dot matrix and said its 50-50 with it sticking or just tint til the bottom of it. They too do not use vinyl. Neither of the shops I called mentioned the inspections stickers being needed.

This is becoming a bigger head ache than I ever remember tint being and am starting to think I am better off leaving them un-tinted and using the cash for something else.....especially being in my mid 30's and not wanting to deal with hassles or a "ghetto" look...

My bad it is 14-99(g)g

(g) Any person owning a vehicle having a window which has been tinted or darkened with any tinted material after factory delivery, shall present such vehicle to the Department of Motor Vehicles, by July 1, 1996, to receive a sticker for any tinted or darkened window to indicate such tinting or darkening is in compliance with this section. Any person operating a motor vehicle, on or after July 1, 1996, in violation of this subsection shall be deemed to have committed an infraction.
 
Well, I decided to see an old classmate of mine that has a shop now about what he could do...long story short, I am now tinted with 40% film which meters at about 35%. I think it is perfect. Dark enough to be tinted, but not too dark to attract the wrong attention. I stopped in just to talk and they had an open slot for yesterday afternoon so I left the car and here we are. They cut the tint just below the dot matrix. I may just leave it that way or do something vinyl related. Not sure yet, but glad I got it done. Once I have a chance to clean up the car I will post pics.

Can you please post a pic of this? I had my rear window tinted and the guy sanded down the dot matrix, but didn't do a good enough job. He swore after 30 days it would have adhered better but I was too pissed off to go back to him. If It doesn't look bad I might just trim the tint off of the dot matrix depending on how it looks. Thanks!
 
My bad it is 14-99(g)g

(g) Any person owning a vehicle having a window which has been tinted or darkened with any tinted material after factory delivery, shall present such vehicle to the Department of Motor Vehicles, by July 1, 1996, to receive a sticker for any tinted or darkened window to indicate such tinting or darkening is in compliance with this section. Any person operating a motor vehicle, on or after July 1, 1996, in violation of this subsection shall be deemed to have committed an infraction.

I saw that, but have never really heard of it being enforced and I have been pulled over many a time since 1996 and when and if tint was mentioned it was only the darkness, not the lack of a sticker. I hope that trend continues!
 
Can you please post a pic of this? I had my rear window tinted and the guy sanded down the dot matrix, but didn't do a good enough job. He swore after 30 days it would have adhered better but I was too pissed off to go back to him. If It doesn't look bad I might just trim the tint off of the dot matrix depending on how it looks. Thanks!

This is the only one I currently have. I actually am having the place add the vinyl strip today as I am not crazy about the clear at the top. I put on vinyl myself yesterday and it really filled in the dot matrix well (looked like the right and left edges of the window) but I cannot trim well and it was all crooked. Since I know the guy at the shop, he agreed to help me do it over and trim correctly.

BTW sorry for the dirty car!
 

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This is the only one I currently have. I actually am having the place add the vinyl strip today as I am not crazy about the clear at the top. I put on vinyl myself yesterday and it really filled in the dot matrix well (looked like the right and left edges of the window) but I cannot trim well and it was all crooked. Since I know the guy at the shop, he agreed to help me do it over and trim correctly.

BTW sorry for the dirty car!

Looks good man, but I agree with you, it looks kinda unfinished without the dot matrix being tinted. I'm going to Tint Works in Hamden this weekend to buy a sheet of tint to redo my side windows. The tint I got last time from another place was complete garbage and turned purple in less than 2 years. Tint Works sells Advantage Non-fade tint for $3.50/linear foot, so for $35 for the side windows I can't complain. The rear was done at a shop and looks decent, but I'll probably have it redone with 20% some time in the near future.

Post pics when you get the vinyl on please!
 
Looks good man, but I agree with you, it looks kinda unfinished without the dot matrix being tinted. I'm going to Tint Works in Hamden this weekend to buy a sheet of tint to redo my side windows. The tint I got last time from another place was complete garbage and turned purple in less than 2 years. Tint Works sells Advantage Non-fade tint for $3.50/linear foot, so for $35 for the side windows I can't complain. The rear was done at a shop and looks decent, but I'll probably have it redone with 20% some time in the near future.

Post pics when you get the vinyl on please!

I will post pics once the vinyl is on. I was supposed to have it done tonight, but a back up in the shop caused me to have to wait. I hope to get it done on Saturday.
 
After a long and crazy day, I am home with the vinyl done on the car. I think it looks great. It blends the top matrix area with the black that runs up and down the edges of the window. There was a BMW with the tint glued over the matrix being pulled out as I was going in. It looked decent, better than cutting it below the matrix or regular tinting over the matrix IMO, and obviously it may change as it dries; but it still had a bit of an uneven look in comparison to the vinyl's uniform appearance.

Even with the light tint, i think this was the way to go. I will try to post a pic tomorrow.
 
Well, after much delay, I finally have a picture with my rear window done with the vinyl. My stang has been put into DD duty since my Explorer has been incapacitated for the past 3 weeks due to needing and alternator, tranny rebuild (that they still have not gotten right and that's where it is) and the heater blend door failing on the one day I did have it in the 3 weeks!!!! Anyway, here is a pic of the car clean with the tint / vinyl done.

tint with vinyl.jpg