2009 G8

Tinted my first G8 today. I have some tips for the panel pullers and some questions for next time.

The door panels have a T27 screw by the door handle, hidden phillips screws under the armrest and more phillips on the bottom of the panel. The rest of the panel pops off.

My question is how is everyone tinting the back glass? Do you Tint over the dots on the top or tint up to the bottom of them? I tinted over them, and so far it looks pretty good as long as it stays like it is. Has anyone tinted behind the third brake light at the top of the glass? I started too and then just cut it out. It has a trim line there already so you don't see any film edges.

Correction. It was a 08 instead of an 09. Hard to believe the 09 Vibe was out before the 08 G8. The torx by the door panel handle isn't a T27. It might be a T26 if you have one. I don't, but a T25 will work. Also There are several phillips screws around the bottom and side of the panel. They are different than the hidden ones under the armrest. The hidden one has a fatter head on it.

I also just did a G8. Pretty dam easy car. What i did with the third brake light, is i cut it out originally but couldnt stand the way it looked so i cut a peice of tint and slid it behind there and used the bull dozer to get the water out. WAY BETTER! I had the customer come back after a week or so so i can look at the dot matrix. it stayed down pretty good. Very happy with the end result.

There is no need to remove the whole door trim, just take out the screw from behind the door handle on the rear trim, pull the trim along the top edge away from the gasket and pull the seal upwards to remove. On the front door trim also remove the topmost front screw. Simple and quick. No chance of damaging the trim as long as care is taken.

yeah just popped them back after taking out the torx. couldnt get the third brake light off for the life of me. gave up, didnt want to break it. glad to hear that the reverse matrix came out good. the matrix travels around the brake light so glueing it would be a pain like the new 3 series coupe, also it would be a pain wiping the glue off of the 3rd brake light section with the cover still on.

I thiink the head liner must be dropped to detach the brakelight. this will be another GTO.. first year bang and gone the next.

i tend to disagree. haha. i want one... badddddddd. i think it iwll be like the GP... everyone will own one.

I'm still fighting the sides of the side windows. You have to slide them so far in there it causes trouble getting the bottom on without wrinkling everything up and picking up trash along the way. The best way i've found is to pull the whole backing off and setting the bottom and sides in first with the window barely cracked. Thanks to Max Power. I've been doing it like you said, not taking the whole panel off.

pics anyone

Nice looking job on the G8. Is that 3M color stable? What %? I have a G8 I am wanting to get tinted and want to get an idea of what it will look like.

Did my first one yesterday, sweet car. I tucked the rubbers and pulled them back up when i got done since they tucked so easy. Also the third brake light is attached to the headliner but if you pull a little hard on each side of the brake light you'll release two tabs on the headliner and give you about 3 inches of play to slide the bulldozer back there and not have to hack it off, looks much better not cut around and it'll pop right back in place. Didn't glue the dots and seemed to stick nicely without. Rear rollups shift out the last 4 inches down so make sure to compensate for that also.

yo micro thanks for the tip, did that just right now. pulling on the light made plenty of room. definitely want to tint it 2 piece and do the brakelight section first.

we did the car in atx 15 and over the light 30. i like to do the lights a couple shades lighter.

Be careful tucking the film behind the light, the first one I tucked I sliced my finger on the plastic cover. I was using an old school black/white and probably moving to fast. Im a little more careful now.

I almost did the same thing until I realized that it felt pretty sharp when I was pulling it down

Did one yesterday and it was a "Cake" car. Dots laid down nicely without glue. What a shame GM has destroyed Pontiac. I would love to tint more of these babies.

we built that car here in oz, but its known as the holden ve commodore.
not sure if you have the later version in the us where the front doors have a furry stopper tucked in just below the bottom edge of the glass on the outside edge (white with black fluff end clipped onto the inside door frame. it also presses hard against the glass) the holden dealer sent me heaps of vehicles because their tinter didnt know about it and had too many problems. can be tinted with it in place but easier to remove first.
i think it was some sort of after thought from the manufacturer but is easily removed and replaced when the tint is dry

oh and for the record, even though its a nice car its bullshit compared with anything else ive worked with. 3 hours is my best time and ive probably done at least 30

good advice micro! that helps alot!