Removing windows....

[goodtohave]

I was checking out the newbie area and I saw that a guy in the UK removes windows to tint them...I have been at this for over 10 years and I have heard of people who do this but I thought it was an urban legend (like the woman who walks out covered in peanut butter calling her dogs name to find out it's a surprise party ...but I digress). I used to tint for glass shops and if I had a single window to tint that was being replaced I would install it first. Partly because when I lay a window on a table the dust is worse flat and secondly because it's so easy to scratch installing. I have removed glass on cars with rubber moulding windows like old VW's but that's about it. Who does this....I am curious.

[Guest S and S]

I wouldnt take them out!!! Some do but I think that is way to much for me!!

[Guest Johnny5104]

hey I have this tool that'll break the window real easy....I'll put you guys out of business!

[Guest Braud Spectrum]

I take the pop outs off the older extended cabs that have the hardware that goes thru the glass. Don't see many of those any more. Got the black all the way around so you don't have to. Have a little wood jig I built to hold those pop outs up on an angle. Even some flat glass I use that jig for the same reason as you goodtohave. Too much trash when they're laying flat. But I wouldn't take any other glass out just to tint it.

I might take the hydraulic arms off a hatch if it goes thru the glass, too. And once in a while those idiotic wipers on the hatch.

[GusTheTinter]

@ BS

[goodtohave]

Yeah I always take out the screws and stuff on 1/4 windows...like the rears on Caravans. The pins and screws are fun on old Lumina vans...wipers and motors on the 92 ish Civic hatchbacks and CRV's. If the moulding is felt and I think it will leave lots of fluff sometimes I remove the moulding...like B5 Passats (92ish body). Beats removing glass...

[Guest Braud Spectrum]

Those older Honda hatchbacks had a quarter that had those hateful C looking clips on it's hardware instead of a screw. Had to squeeze the hardware and the glass and ease that clip back on there with a pair of needlenose pliers without buggering up the just tinted window. And then the clip would jump off spring loaded and be gone who knows where. Had a bag of those stashed just in case ...we called those C things Jesus clips.... "Oh Jesus! Wher'd it go ?" ... Man, I despised those!

[Guest Litespeeds]

There is a shop in the Bay Area that actually removes glass from the car and tints them off the car. That is kind of a selling technique as they tell the customers that they get the film all the way inside the edges. They also tell them that they bake the film onto the glass.

If I were the customer, I wouldn't fall for that as I would not want anyone to remove my glass, unless it was broken, and risk the chance of damaging the factory seals. What if they reinstalled the glass and it gets a leak or you hear wind noise? Is that worth spending double the amount of money to get the tint all the way into no man's land that you will never see?

As for baking the film, a friend of mine told me that they leave the tinted glass on boxes out in the sun. Baking my rear end.

They also keep the cars over night and sometimes a couple of days.

From what I hear, they are very successful. They do alot of dealership work as well as retail. What gets me is people fall for that

I guess there is a market for everyone and they are definitely targeting the higher end where people believe that you can get a better tint job if you remove the glass.

[Guest Chicks Tinting]

I do remove some......... truck rear windows with rubber gaskets. An d pop outs on older cars. Because the dirt is so excessive you cant get it clean enough and you will see daylight...BUT I have a trick tool..... I want to put it in the tip of the week...( so I can get one of those nifty medals) .. I have a glass holder ( woods Powr-Grip ) used by glass installers set into a bench vice. It can hold a full Size pick up truck rear glass exposing the entire edge the glass is up not laying down . so its just like being in the car. nice flow down........ I will get a pic and post it for you guys. You can only purchace it from CR Lawrence Inc.

[Guest Big_John]

LOL, jesus clips, I like that one.

I have net guys that would take some windows out such as on Jeep Cherokees and such, But I have to agree, tinting an uninstalled panel is hell. But then you know those crazy brits.