2002 Firebird

Any tips on the back window. Doing one for the first time this Friday. Thanks

look under tips of the week there is a whole step by step on that window


TOTW

Piece 'o cake

goes on without shrinking!

I shrink 'em all. Some go easier than others. Never done one w/o shrinking but several on here do.

Would love to see for my own eyes though. I'd rather do 2-eclipses over 1 firebird any day.

I don't know dude I think it was the 95 firebird that kicked my ass when it came out. But I used to install them without shrinking all the time including the older models. All that was required was a little shrinking up top afer the install.

I found out on this site there is two different glass manufaturers for that rear window one needs a hella shrink and the other doesn't.

I just lay the film on and decide right then whether it needs to be shrunk or not.

yea i have heard of ppl putting it WIthout Shrinkin out side and then a little shrink on the inside...... Never seen it done that way. But sure would love to see it. So protint all the models before 95 are done with out shrinkin out side, GUs method is for the ones after 95 models

I'm not saying that non of them needed to be shrunk. There was a time in 94 when I figured that not all of them needed to be shrunk.

I saw my brother in-law Joe in 85 install the rear window of an 84 camaro without defroster lines in one piece with no shrinking. We didn't even know about shrinking in 85.

Thanks for the tips. This guy really wants a one piece and still working out the kinks in my shrinking techniques. We'll give a try though.

Definity no problem

lay it out on the outside work as much of the fingers on the top to bottom You should only have 3-5 small fingers on the top of the glass. shrink them out and install like normal

try it

it works

i did one last Week It was Camaro though, Same thing right.
Ne way first i tried dry shrinking Bounce did'nt work, then i tried the gus's method. it worked.
I Wet the whole glass.
Lay the Film on Top.
Strated from the left Side.
Taking out the water.HOrizontally.
when iwas Done I saw three fingers on top.
I shrank em.
Then i prep the bg.
I Slap the film on it.
when it was time to squeege i took me 45 mins.
FIrst i was squeegeing it WRong. Becuase at the bottom film was not sticking.
then i squeeged it the way i did it out side. started from the left bottom to the right. then It was Easy. AND IWAs HAPPY.

Just did my first last night.

It was a 95 and didn't go nearly as smoothly as the TOTW suggested.

I did get 3 giant fingers and I tried to shrink them out and it didn't work. Finally I just ripped it off and threw it away and went with a dry shrink. Basically had to shrink the whole window. Took forever. Came out nicely though.

I guess I got the one that needed the hella shrink.

What I found odd was the drivers side window I shrank one finger. The passanger side window I shrank about 10 of them. /shrug

is this one similar to the 99 firebird? And if so should i use the TOW instructions for the 02? Thank U

yes-they are the same!

yulps i have ran into some that just go down like butter...key to stretching the bottom is to cut it very close to the black border...so you have less tint to try and manipulate....but i have ran into some that have had the bg replaced at one time or another and they have always seemed to be the ones that fight me...

but i am so i always win

if one is really fighting you and u live in a hot enviroment....get it layed out flat and use some masking tape to hold the film downa nd let it sit outside while your at lunch...that will help too

wow sounds like this one is going to be a hard one. Hope I dont get one with with a messed up glass. On the tip of the week after heating finger on low do u go over it with anything or just lift up and re wet. Also do you anchor it horizontal down the middle like normal for the wet shrink? Thank You all very much. You all probally just saved me hrs of time and frustration.

I haven't seen any comments on the brand of tint used. I'd really like to see somebody install 3M CS without shrinking it. Then i'll be a beliver. Hell i'll even peel my own tint off and do it again just for the hell of it.

I finally shrunk one in 1 piece. What helped me this time around was to only anchor (wet) the sides where it rolls down to the quarter panel, and don't anchor a horizontal line between. I think that helps to distribute the fingers between the top and bottom of the bg. Does neone glue the matrix on these?

i put a little rubbing alcohal in my mix on the back window i feel it help's lock the bottom better that just me

after 4 years, I hope he already got it.

ive used huper on alot of them the only place u need to shrink is at the dot matrix at the top there my b 3 fingers up there and that heat work is done on the inside
it's just like you 3m guys to blame the film when its realy the installer
if you know what your doing it doesnt matter what kind of film you use
you might be a hack if you dont know how to do a firebird or you need to be made a beleiver

*popping fingers*
where do i start....

1. my point of the post was, "I'd like to see somebody install without shrinking". You might say the glass has some curve to it.
You have to shrink your huper, so what is the difference?

2. Even non-3M users will say its hard to shrink, takes a while to get use to it, and some would rather use some other brand because its easier to work with.
If I blamed the film, don't you think i'd use another brand?

3. "if you know what u are doing it dosen't matter what film u use"
You can't be serious. Count how many veterin installers use gilla. idiot!

4. I don't know how to tint a firebird?
I just posted i shrunk one in one piece. Isn't that the hard part of the 3 window install?

ok really that if you dont want it done with a heat gun puts some elmer's at the dot matrix and it will stick ,firebird camaro's bubble chevys whatever no heat is needed if you work the film correctly
what im saying is no heat work should be done on the out side of these back window's .i also recomend not even locking these rear window down on the outside ,just trim them on the outside. dont make a easy back window hard take your time and listen .
as far as the gilla thing that is workable to ,just because i dont use it doesnt mean i dont know how to
a real pro can make any product work