I am leaning towards yes, but would like to hear what others think about it. Here is a picture of the car as it sits now. So, yay or nay???
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/Inspiribomb/Thunderbird/TCSpring2007.jpg
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/Inspiribomb/Thunderbird/TCSpring2007.jpg)
Well, I just realized the windows already look tinted in that picture. Anyway, let me know what you think.
I vote yes, but not to dark
I vote Yes :D. I'd go middle of the road though. Something like 20% But as alot of disclaimers say "Check with local laws before installing" :D
John
I'm with 1badBird on this one, defiantly tint, but within limits of the law.
It should have been done at the factory!
I say go within the law. But if you can no barker than 20% I have 5% on my back sides and rear. It is hard to see when backing up at night in a really dim place. Also I hardly ever use the night version of my rear view mirror.
I was thinking 50%, which is the legal limit here in MN.
i would at least go 35%
Now is that the light let in or light not let in. This is were I get confused
I think the number shows the amount of light allowed to pass through. 35% for instance means that it allows 35% and blocks 65%.
I would look into Madico Black Onyx 41%. I have it on four of my cars soon to be five. I've had it on three of them since 2003 and it still looks brand new. It is a very tasteful darkening of the windows for these cars in their mostly stock form. Go to my cardomain (http://www.cardomain.com/id/Cougars2go) and look at Before, After, the white 87, and the Acura. They all have this film.
Your law is the only problem though with that. Not sure how strict they are where you are or if there are a lot of people with 35% or lower that they would rather hassle.
This is my 88 TC. Not sure what the % is, since the windows were done before I bought it. As previously said, too dark makes it real tough to see backing up at night.
Does anyone know how dark you can order factory tinted glass these days? I realize that it's for the safety of police officers, but tint laws really get my girdle. I mean, a cop can make you strip aftermarket tint right there on the spot, but what can they do to factory glass? It's just another way to try and keep the 'Rodders down! Can I get an amen? Lol, j/k. Seriously tho, I like the look of dark tint with the chrome/mirrored look on the bottom.
*edit* Actually, that's kind of a py pic to show the tint. I'll try to get a better pic tomorrow, if interested.
Here in Cal city, we're allowed 15% on the 2 front door glass. Nothing darker. Well, except if your either a cop or drug dealer :( Otherwise you can go as dark as you like on the remaining windows. Also, the higher the %, the darker the tint. For example: 50% is Limo tint (waaayyy too dark) 15% you can hardly see that there is anything on there.
John
P.S. If in doubt, you can always go to your friendly Walmart, chain parts store and look at the different %'s. Don't buy it, but it will give you an idea what the %'s are in person.
2.5%
Thats the darkest I could find without painting the inside of the window.
If you go too dark you can't see out at night as I have found out.
http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r170/slamedcat/sideview.jpg)
Alittle off subject, but why do you have one snowflake and one 10 hole?
The car is just sitting for now since it needs a trans so I put on tires are rims that just hold air.
Good enough for me, I just got alittle curious. I had 2 ARE's, a white 8 hole, and a steel wheel on mine when she came home so I can't talk much
I know that most tint i have seen is the opposite. The percentage is how much light is allowed through. 2.5% is the darkest and 50%(around here) is the lightest.
Actually, that depends on what you're looking at.
The VLT percentage goes the opposite way; the lower the percentage, the darker the tint.
I get frustrated with the local auto parts stores. The only window tint they carry is either 35% VLT (legal limit) or darker. WHY? I'm sure they would sell more tint if they stocked higher VLT percentages. For example, I would want nothing darker than 45% for my '86, but I've never been able to find it locally.
You don't have a TAP Plastics nearby, but stores like them have around 8 different shades of tint film, anywhere from 90%, 75%, down to almost opaque.
15% is good on the doors. but its hard to use the mirrors. i drive with my windows down do to lack of A/C and cracked in the winter cause i hate turning the electronic CC down when im driving so mirrors arent a problem. In MO we can have 35% 0n the doors put im not sure if we have laws on the side an rears. everyone i know does 5% on those anyways
At least 35%, I would go 20%. Do not tint the top of your windshield. I have yet to see anyone tint the top of them right. You can legally tint the top 4 or 5" and no one does it right and it looks tacky.
I have 20% on my Escape and it is perfect! On my Sonoma there is at least 15% if not 2% and its so dark. 2% is Limo Tint, it is almost as dark as spray paint. 20% is the darkest I would go on most windows, my Cougar is getting 35%.
This site may help in making your decision. (I can't actually post the URL because I haven't made five previous posts.)
tintcenter
I had Solar Guard Titanium installed in 1988, a couple of months after buying my Turbo Coupe in Florida. No regrets.
GM
I would say go for it. Your car looks clean, more than likely not overly loud and without booming stereo...all of which just give them a reason to pull you over. Here is some pics of my car with 35% on all sides and 20% on the rear. I would have gone darker, but figured that I would be pushing it.
Jim
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/thundr306/87%20turbo%20coupe/DSC02178.jpg)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a242/thundr306/87%20turbo%20coupe/DSC01943.jpg)
Llumar makes a 40% too. ATR and ATX I think. You may want to look into those as possible candidates.
again little off subject but where did u get those sweet rims? or are those cobra r's??? and by the way i have 2.5 on mine and here in vegas still noot dark enough....
I know in Florida there was no tint law.. Actually you got a discount on insurance if you had it.
a buddy of mine always said that b/c the no tint law in florida, you could get any % and if you get pulled over (here in ga which the legal limit is 35%) you could get away with it by showing them the florida recipt. i have NO clue if he's right, but im sure he's done it (his dodge stealth had REALLY dark tint.)
so i was wondering, could anyone get some shots from inside the car looking at the mirrors? also, before n after, did the ambient temp inside the car drop significantly after the tint was installed? im interested b/c i dont have an A/C and i have to jump in let the windows down and stand outside for a min or so or i spotainiously break a sweat.
Pretty sure it wouldn’t fly in Washington here. (florida recipt)
There not really going to give a hoot where you bought the tint or the car for that matter. It's what level is it. I have heard of people getting ticketed for Factory Tint and then I have seen others get away with “black, can’t see through it, how in the world do they even drive that thing” dark tint for years. It boils down to don’t give them a reason. Once you have been ticketed if you want to fight it in court (But your honor it’s factory tint!) the burden of proof is yours. Person I knew could not “prove” with Photographs that it was a factory level within allowed limits of the law so the ticket stuck.
The tintcenter site lists the automotive window film laws for all 50 states. What isn't mentioned there is that most states allow a vehicle visiting from another state to be operated within the tint law of the state where the vehicle is registered.
The site also has specifications for most major brands/lines of film that include transmittance, rejection, and reflection percentages, and another section that discusses the various technologies (dyed, deposited, and sputtered films).
(Again, I cannot post the link to the tintcenter site, but it has http in the front and dot com in the rear.)
GM
i was just sayin a rumor mostly of what i had heard from friends. lots of people talk out thier asses, you know how they are.
but still adding a dark tint, will it bring the int temp down after sitting in the sun for 4 streight hours? like a big difference, or barely one at all?
A 50% rejection of solar energy in the infrared range should make it feel closer to 2 hours instead of 4, but it's still nothing like shaded parking.
I can feel a significant difference on my arm when the sun is coming in through the window versus coming in through the window opening with the window down.
The tint need not be dark in the visible light range to achieve significant reduction of infrared and/or ultraviolet rays. Check out the V-Kool commercial automotive product line, derived from NASA and military applications.
Within a product line, the heat reduction is directly proportional to the visible darkness, but it's not linear, and the proportion varies between product lines.
GM