SURVEY: HuperOptik or Formula One?

[Guest edster922]

Which of these films would you say is better? (Looks, longevity, heat performance, sharpness.)

There's one dealer here who'll do the Huper40 (no 30) for $400 cash, and one who'll do the F1 Pinnacle ceramic for $450.

Am trying to decide which one to go with---both are reputable and well-established dealers.

I did a search here but couldn't find any thread directly comparing these two ceramic films.

If there are other ceramic films on the market that I've left out, please insert.

thanks,

E.

[LB55]

do you have a car or suv?

[Guest Rama]

Look at the work they do as well as the film. Quality of install is every bit important as quality of product. I'm a HO dealer, like the product, feel it has excellent longevity, but there are others who like F1 as well. One product will probably outlast the other one, but will it really matter 20 years from now?

[Guest edster922]

do you have a car or suv?

[*]274747

It's an 04 Camry, 4 doors.

[Guest edster922]

Look at the work they do as well as the film.  Quality of install is every bit important as quality of product.  I'm a HO dealer, like the product, feel it has excellent longevity, but there are others who like F1 as well.  One product will probably outlast the other one, but will it really matter 20 years from now?

[*]274761

Well one thing did stand out: the F1 guy uses a computer to cut his tint which he swears is vastly superior to hand cutting, saying that with handcutting there's a risk of human error resulting in accidentally cutting into the window seal, etc. What do you guys think? Most of the tint shops I spoke to here do it by hand, including even the car dealerships which surprised me...wouldn't computer cutting be cheaper and faster?

The F1 guy also raised my eyebrows when he first claimed that HuperOptik does not offer a lifetime warranty. When I corrected him, he pretended that it was the first he'd ever heard of it. So just a wee bit fishy there...lying and bluffing do little to inspire trust or confidence.

The Huper guy was also a little fishy too: one day before I was supposed to take the car in to get it done, he calls me and said that his Huper distributer had advised him to avoid using Huper30 for a car with curved windows because the 30 is almost twice as thick as the 40 and so wouldn't stick as well.

I postponed the install, called the local Huper distributer and talked to their tech support guy who tried very hard not to contradict the dealer's claims but basically let slip that "it really depends on the skill of the installer."

So my feeling is that either the Huper dealer was out of stock on the 30 and didn't want to order a whole new roll of it (probably doesn't sell that much of it) or he really isn't very confident in his own ability to install a challenging film properly.

Unfortunately the only other guy in my city who does Huper is EVEN more blatantly shady, I wouldn't trust him to inflate my tires. When I came to his shop he pointed out to his own car as an example of Huper film---trouble was, his car had basically mirror-silver tint, LOL!!!

[Guest edster922]

Oh, and one other thing: the F1 dealer said he could do it in about 1-2 hours but the Huper guy said 4-5 hours! Most other tint shops I talked to were more in the 1-2 hour range.

Don't know if the Huper guy's 4-5 hours means:

1. He's extremely careful and perfectionistic, or

2. He's not terribly skilled/experienced so he's very slow, or

3. He just WANTS the customer to think #1

What do you all think?

[TintDude]

HO does take more time and skill to install but judging from what you've said they said, they both sound fishy, I'd shop around. You might do well just to get a good hybrid auto film like LLumar or solargard from an installer that isn't feeding you a line, the difference in performance between the two will not be dramatic, but slipshod intallations will be, particularly if the person installing HO doesn't know what they are doing.

At this point, I'd consider abandoning the quest for ceramic film and find a reputable tinter who doesn't insult your intelligence during the pitch.

Just my two cents.

[TINT]

in before the lock

[Guest Al-tint]

REAL tinters don't need a computer to cut a window pattern.

REAL tinters won't cut your gaskets.

REAL tinters won't tell you that coloured plastic will last a lifetime.

REAL tinters keep your car for a length of time as to make sure that

there will be no problems after it drives away.

REAL tinters are professionals. LOOK at their work FIRST. THEN

decide if you like what you see.

I am not here to knock your 4 dr Camry as we tint many for Toyota every week. ( Remove door panels, take out rear door quarter glass, one piece back, etc.)

REAL tinters will not have a problem with your car, it is not a Lambo.

[blade]

Yeah...they both sound fishy. I'd check around more and not be so concerned about a certain type of film. Their are plenty of decent choices out there.