Tinting a 2007 Malibu

Hi

I am looking to get my 2007 Malibu tinted. I called up a shop (a place called Solar Eclipse, I did a search and I can't tell if they are a chain or if multiple shops around the country use the same name) and they have Madico Charcoal for $160 and the 3M Color Stable for $---. Now I have been doing a lot of research. It seems that 3M isn't generally well favored on this site? Neither is the Madico Charcoal since it is a 3 year warranty film (which I don't want. only lifetime warranty for me)

Is $--- a decent price for a decent film? Also, they say they do NO computer cutting, only by hand. That is good, isn't it? The strange thing is that in an e-mail that I sent them asking if they were running any specials at any time, they answered:


How could that 3M be $---? I know someone that got FormulaOne Pinnacle ceramic tint for $---. Is that just a raised price to make their "deal" look good?

My main goal here is to get a quality tint obviously, but I also plan on keeping this car for as long as it runs.

Thanks for any help.

Is there no edit button or did I just not see it?

Anyway, I just wanted to add that my Malibu is black. It gets pretty hot in there here in Georgia. Yesterday afternoon my cars temp indicated it was 106F outside. So in addition to longevity, my other concerns for tint are heat rejection and privacy (in that order). I was looking to get 35% tint since the tint law here is 32% all around.

Hard to say if a price is good when every market is different, the best thing to do if you are concerned is call around, and check out various people's shops. Some people pay more to go to me than places a few blocks away so they can watch TV and sleep on my couch in the lobby to get away from their wives.

New users need 10 posts before they may edit or PM other users. Nothing personal, it's for security, the spammers are getting pretty bad these days.

Also we don't really discus prices here.

Sorry about posting the prices then. Though could anyone tell me a range that the 3M Colorstable films might run? BTW, I like you avatar.

Also, are these 04-07 Malibu's troublesome to tint? I have read on here that some cars requires ripping out seals and felt and even removing door panels? The thought of anyone doing that (except for me) scares me.

Any well experienced tinter will be well adept at removing rear decks and door panels, just steer clear of lowball hacks and you shouldn't have any issues.

the 07 is the old style right? If so, so are CAKE the roll down seals pull out in 10 seconds for all 4, and the back deck has no light or anything in the way. The new ones (08+?) are a tad tricky in the bottom BG corners, but still no biggie as long as you have a bulldozer/similar.

Okay, I have been reading a lot about this 3M ColorStable and I am getting scared. Some threads in particular:

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php?sh...stable&st=0

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php?sh...stable&st=0

Granted the threads are from 2003. Has opinion of this tint changed any? The comments about bad heat rejection and bad glue scare me the most.

I just want the best for my car (How do you think this will look with some 35%?):

If you want the best for your car and you plan on having it a long time go with an infrared film like huper optik ceramic or lyntek wincos. Spend the money and you'll have a lasting high heat rejection film. But always check out a shops work before you dole out a lot of cash on a ceramic film.

Huper Optik Inquiry Form

you don't have to get the really expensive films to protect your car. just about any film will block 99%+ of the UV rays, which are the main factor in the sun hurting your car. But these days, really that still is a marginal issue with new cars, since nowadays all plastics and materials in your car are UV stable, unlike in the past.

heres Global QDP 30 on a fusion. It'll give you an idea of what 30-35% will look like

Now don't get me wrong, I want the best for my car but ceramic and wincos would blow my budget. heh, it would probably cost me 2 paychecks to pay for it. This shop I am looking at does offer Huper and Wincos along with the 3M and Madico.

really if your trying to stick to a budget, I think madicos charcool is a decent film I have no experience with madico, but know that 3M from the shop by me has been having issues for years.

Maybe call around and find another shop that offers other film types?

IMO I'd stay away from the 3M CS. How about a metalized film? with Georgias climate I would go with Llumar ATR or something similar.

The shop doesn't carry the the Charcool unfortunately, only the Charcoal. I guess I'll start looking around at other shops. I would get a metalized film but my radio antenna is in the back glass.

I'm going to call another place tomorrow on pricing. Their ad shows they have Llumar tint. What is a high quality tint made my LLumar that is non-metallic (or won't mess up the antenna?)

You could still get metalized film. It may mess up the AM reception. Possibly. If you don't feel comfortable then you can ask for Llumar ATX. Or if you just want a good color stable film they make one called ATC.

ATX will be pricey though.

check and see if there are any SolarGard/Global shops in your area. Both make relatively inexpensive lifetime dyed films, so you won't have any issues with reception

Just called this place and they carry LLumar ATC and Suntek Carbon, both for $175.

personally I don't use either of those films. However, being that your in GA, Carbon can fade(as shown in several threads on here) in the hot sun areas.

Unless you find a SolarGard/Global dealer I can't be much help unfortunately

hmm, that just doesn't seem to be a popular brand around here. I'll have to try calling some more places around here.

There are so many brands and it seems everyone says there is something wrong with them all. I appreciate your help Scotty, btw.

The only Solargard dealer I could find is a mobile tinter, which I don't like (I don't know how you guys view mobile tinting, but it seems to me that there is a greater chance for contamination and sloppy work being 100 degrees now). Besides, I sent an e-mail just to see what they charged and it came back as a daemon...

So basically I am back to the original 2 shops...

The one that has Madico Charcoal (fades and has 3 year warranty) and 3M CS (soft and leaves impressions at top, bad heat rejection, hard to use)

and the other shop that carries Llumar ATC (searches on this board show this to be bad at heat rejection) and Suntek Carbon (fades)

Did I cover all my bases correctly in that?

Figured I'd share this. UV accounts for a small portion of what the sun is composed of and what we feel.

Ultraviolet C or (UVC) range, which spans a range of 100 to 280 nm. The term ultraviolet refers to the fact that the radiation is at higher frequency than violet light (and, hence also invisible to the human eye). Owing to absorption by the atmosphere very little reaches the Earth's surface (Lithosphere). This spectrum of radiation has germicidal properties, and is used in germicidal lamps.
Ultraviolet B or (UVB) range spans 280 to 315 nm. It is also greatly absorbed by the atmosphere, and along with UVC is responsible for the photochemical reaction leading to the production of the Ozone layer.
Ultraviolet A or (UVA) spans 315 to 400 nm. It has been traditionally held as less damaging to the DNA, and hence used in tanning and PUVA therapy for psoriasis.
Visible range or light spans 400 to 700 nm. As the name suggests, it is this range that is visible to the naked eye.
Infrared range that spans 700 nm to 106 nm [1 (mm)]. It is largely responsible for the warmth or heat that the sunlight carries. It is also divided into three types on the basis of wavelength:
Infrared-A: 700 nm to 1,400 nm
Infrared-B: 1,400 nm to 3,000 nm
Infrared-C: 3,000 nm to 1 mm.

I just dont like hearing it blocks 99% of UV that causes fading.

Well thats not totally accurate.

What causes fading?
CauseUV Light 40%
Visible Light 25%
Infrared Light 25%
Other Factors* 10%
Total Exposure 100%

Here is a Malibu done in LLumar ATC35.

Wow, those newer Malibus are sharp looking. If I had waited a month I could have gotten one. But then again not for the $14,000 new price I paid for mine.

Afew questions about the Llumar:
Is the Llumar ATC a good quality?
Have any people come back with problems with it?
How is it's performance with heat resistance?
Does it show as a true black (or gray) color or slightly green like some other films?

On a separate note, no one makes film in 32% right? Why would the law have a 32% limit?

there is nothing wrong with a mobile tinter. I'm 100% mobile in fact, I don't have a shop and do mid 5 figures a year.

I can't comment on the ATC since I don't use it. Shades should be able to help.

as for the 32%, its because your stock glass is ~85% give or take, and if you put a 35% film on it, it will meter ~32+- a little bit. Hence, the law is 32 NET film+glass

Thanks.

Is there anyone that has used Llumar ATC that can help me out?

I've used ATC and Carbon, i think suntek carbon looks better than the atc but both are good looking films and i don't think you'd go wrong with either one...

Is the Llumar ATC a good quality?
LLumar ATC is an excellent window film.

Have any people come back with problems with it?
No

How is it's performance with heat resistance?
ATC35
38% Visible Light Transmition
35% Total Solar Energy Rejection
08% Visible Light Reflection
99% Ultraviolet Light Rejection

Does it show as a true black (or gray) color or slightly green like some other films?
ATC window film comes in either charcoal or bronze.

Thanks. Pending some further questions from the shop, I'll get the Llumar ATC.

I never knew this could be so difficult. I called the place again, asking if they computer or handcut, back window in one piece, etc. I just wanted to confirm that they have LLumar ATC, which I was told last week they do, this guy says all they carry is the Suntek Carbon. So I said, "Really?" and then he seemed to get rude and defensive saying "So can tell me the difference between the two?" in a rude tone of voice. That along with the fact that if you try to send an e-mail asking them a question, which other shops have been fine doing, they just respond by writing "Call --------xxxx" So this place has been a major turnoff for me.

Sorry, end of rant.

So now I have to go try and find another place...

It amazes me how 90% of the places I have called offer Suntek Carbon. One outright told me he carries it because it is cheaper than everything else.

I tried calling that place in the above post again, hoping that I was just talking to an uninformed employee. It clearly states in their ad in the phonebook that they carry Llumar. In fact, it is the only brand name listed on there. I call again and I get someone different than yesterday. He tells me they don't have it in stock right now, but should be receiving some next Tuesday. I say thank you and hang up. I then realize I forgot to ask where they are located (the phonebook offers 3 different phone #'s with different cities listed above each that are all with 15 miles of each other). So I call back again to verify if they are different or the same location and the guy picks up from yesterday. I ask "where are you located?" and then he says "Are you the guy who keeps calling about the Malibu (I have only talked to this guy once). I said, "yes...". Then there is a pause and then he says [name of city here] and hangs up on me.

Is this how any of you would treat a customer? I am just trying to make heads or tails of this place, and was really hoping for a positive experience, yet that didn't happen. If any of you ever talked to me, you could I'm a very calm, polite person, even to this guy.

So now I don't know what to do here. They are the only shop that offers Llumar (maybe?) but frankly I don't want them to have my money.

I realize this a forum for the tinters on the business end of things here, but as a customer, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

How about talking to the dealership that You bought the car from? Maybe they can point You in the right direction. Aside from that....ask friends where they got theirs done at?

thats a very good idea.

The dealership I bought it from was a Bill Heard dealer...so they don't exist anymore. lol

And the few friends that have tint was either in another state before they moved here (Florida) or they didn't remember...

Sorry to hear your having such a tuff time.

Try this link out.
http://www.llumar.com/en/DealerLocatorNort...ica.aspx?rid=US

Drive down to Pensacola FL and I will hook you up.

Thats what I'm screamin......go to the beaches while Your there....best in Florida....

See that's two for Drive to FL and let us show you how a car should be tinted.

heh, I use to live in Florida (Ft. Lauderdale). If I still had any relatives down there I would take a trip.

Thanks for that link Simpson.

Still nothing done so far as I have been working a bit.

I still find it odd that no one carries anything but Suntek Carbon. With such varying prices. I have benn quoted from $175-$300 for the Carbon. Is it not as bad as I have read? I kind of had my heart set on Llumar but it seems that unless I travel a bit, I won't get it. And I have no problem traveling an hour or more to get this, but my only worry is that if I have to make another trip there, it would be much easier for me to stay local.

So get the carbon, dayumn The guy that told you he only buys it cause it's the cheapest is full of poo , it's far from the cheapest films out there. This is a friends car done almost 3 yrs ago now in carbon 35%, still looks as good as the day i tinted it.

films are one of those things where everyone has their own opinion. Me? I wouldn't use it, since 1. its expensive for what it is, you can get a dyed lifetime film a LOT cheaper, and 2. after that fading thread about it, I don't trust its quality.

If its all they install around you, go for it. Just make sure you get the warranty card for it.

You should get what you want. I for one will order what ever film the customer wants if its special order then it cost extra.

What state do you live in? I wonder if it doesn't fade for some people because they live in Northern state where there isn't always such intense sun and heat.

MY GOD man! It's not rocket science. Go to a reputable film dealer and get a non metallic tint with a manufacturers lifetime warranty. END OF STORY

Word....

Hot and humid as chit here, get it done already or don't do it at all...

out of those i would go with llumar ATR 35% cause it will block out more heat than ATC. you will lose your AM reception though.

and about 3M, ive been using it for years and havent had any issues except on certain cars that are problematic models anyway like beetles and corvettes. it is harder to work with than most films. some just cant get used to working with it. it performs good too.