Old bug...I'm in need of help

I ahve in my shop an old VW beetle...I have taken the rear and side windows out to tint them.

Now, the sides are done - but the back glasss has me beat.

I just can't seem to do it in one piece.

I have tried with powder twice and then the soap method. It seemed to lay down better with the soap but the top corners just seem impossible. . I have tried with suntek dyed film and Llumar ATR...

I have tried pulling the film whilst shrinking, all the tricks I know but I still end up either over shrinking it or with fingers that will never go down.

i dont know if many of you have done these in one piece but I seem to be able to do most BG's, I did a civic hatch this week no problem- but this biatch...It ain't having any of it . When I flip the glass on it's back to mount it - it really is like a banana.

Another problem is that it does'nt have any heated rear window elements - so I cant piece it ( not that I would know how to piece it).

I'm in need of inspiration and your top tips.

Naughty

Take it slow... work one quarter section for a bit, stop, move to another allowing a cool down of where you were just working. Do this for the entire window... a bit at a time, moving to another area, doing some and moving to another. Letting the film cool for a bit before shrinking more will give more control over the rate of shrink in the material.

I attempted one of these a couple of years back with an all metal film and after three or four tries I handed the heat gun off to the shop owner and said it was his turn. Never did see it get done.

Tough one that's for sure. Best of luck...

well , if metint struggles...I feel like I'm in good company.

Naughty-there quite a few old bugs around our part of the country-i always WET shrink the back on old bugs! You might give it a try! ss

i use wax,and push all the fingers to the center of the glass as much as possible,sometimes i even push the limits of the film and go at forty five degree angles,i shrink really fast with the gun really close to the film so it shrinks fast and cools fast.fast or slow allowing it to cool is the only way,bring it all to the center from the start and cut into the meat of the finger and youll get it,it took me two years to get that simple concept down.

I will be no help at all, can't do it

Mr P can, only out of the car. Thinks he is God

I did our 72 bug last summer it took me 2 tries to do it in 1 piece ,I did do it out of the car the second time.you definatly need to go slow and take your time

I agree with tintdesignz, I've done quite a few older bugs, and some new ones from mexico, old body style. wet shrinking os the way to go. they are nowhere near the biotch the new beetles are

I agree. Wetshrink makes it a bit easier to lift and rewet, so you can manouver problem fingers around easier. I find a good reggae CD and some beer belp also!

I have done a new beetle and this seems a lot toughter...the curves are more compound due to the smaller glass .

Oh...by the way...I've still not done it!!

Yeah, the compactness of the old bug is kinda like a cricket ball eh? keep at it, you will prevail!!!
P.S. Thanks for the tip on Bojo tools, that should be tip of the year in my book!!

wet shrink it. period.

werd...force them fingers to ahrink where you want

keep your cool old boy and take ya time.......try heating the fingers slowly as in not heting them all the way to the top....bit by bit!
bet u wish u never started it!!..

good luck matey! let me know how u got on

to ninjatinter



I cant remember what my tip was...was it hooking you up with the Bojo Tools??


To Cool



Big friggin time...

Naughty

Yeah, you had a post on the porsche section. I revived the thread to thank you but you diddn't catch it. I have always wanted something like them just couldn't find them. Thanks again

Shall I send You some of my guyZ to tint it? We have great Xperience in old buggZ
There is other wayZ:
1. buy not curved two piece splitted back glass and install instead
2. buy and install ovalwindow
3. Or...make it convertible like we did...No glass - no problem

I went to see fellow member tint wizard and I am glad to report that it is now done in one piece. It took him a couple of goes but he got it down...all credit to him...I'd still be there now if I was still persisting.

Thanks Wiz

I am hear to help if i can ,it also helps me in what we can do

that's what friends are for

what method di he use...i was going to say to try and wet shrink it or dry but do 1/2 then lift it and re lay it and do the other 1/2 ...ive wet shrunk them before...before i dry shrank..

Hi Tintman

I did the window with powder dry and used metal film first then used Suntek carbon second time round, that got it down and the glass was out on the table to shrink it

so i guess this is gonna suck for me then... sooo... how do i get the side glass out? I've never tinted a bug before, but i've got an old one to try... it looks like a PITA.

Most are just a standard rubber gasket not to bad to get in and out. If you pull the back out than the sides will be easy Or you could get lucky and have the ones that pop open and vent just unscrew them.


I have a 69 and the back glass is on the shelf. I thought about tinting it one day and pulled it off the shelf and VERY quickly put it back up GOOD LUCK

oh boy. looks to me like im gonna have to tell this bug to go away. lol. i dont know if iwanna deal with it if im gonna want to break it. my g/f's dad would be pissed...

dont be scared!