Mazda3 Questions

October 5, 2005

Before I start in... I'm no tint guru, so forgive me if I come off extremely novice.

I've decided to tint my Mazda3 using a pre-cut tint kit from tintkits.com. I know... most of you will probably snear at this post a bit and tell me I should have a professional do it. And normally I would, as I had a a pro do my Mazda6. However I'm kinda on a limited budget right now and have decided to give it a try. I figure if I screw it up I'll wait a couple months (or maybe next summer) until I have enough scratch to have it re-done. Besides, I'm pretty handy at the DIY type jobs, so as long as I have good instructions I almost always do a good job.

I've always heard that the cutting is the hard part, so I took that out of the equation by get the pre-cut kit. But my main concern at this point is the back window. Long way to go for it, but here's the main question: Is the curve on the back window of the Mazda3 severe enough that I will need a heat gun? I've heard (on this board and others) that the Mazda3 is extremely easy to tint, but I don't want to take anything for granted. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Also, any opinions on Solar Gard film? Kind of a null issue since I've already purchased it, but I figured I'd ask anyways.

Thanks.

Matt

blade · October 5, 2005

the back glass needs to be shrank. all film manufacturers make top of the line AND bottom of the barrel film. without knowing what SG film you got we can't tell whether it's decent or not.

October 5, 2005

Thanks for the reply Blade.

The shrinking makes me weary about doing it myself. I guess it's my fault for not doing more research before buying the film. I'm pretty confident that I can do all the other windows. But do you think a shop would have a problem doing the back for me with my film? My worry is that they won't want to use my film, but I want to make sure it will match the rest of my windows.

As for the kind of SG film I got, I have no idea. Tintkits.com appears to be a professional operation as they are plastered all over this and many other tinting sites. So I can only hope they sold me good quality film.

As I said before, should have done more research I suppose.

Exact-Oh · October 5, 2005

Yes, as Blade said, the back window must be shrunk. It is an easy one to shrink for those who have experience. I don't think there are too many shops out there that will install your film, but you might find one to do it without a warranty. I won't install any other film but mine, but like I said, you might find a place. Good luck. And, good luck on the sides. Let us know how it turns out.

Mr paladin · October 5, 2005

.
I've always heard that the cutting is the hard part,

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This is a myth created by people that sell precut film,as far as saving money just curious how much you paid for the precut film ? anyway good luck :lol2

Mdog · October 5, 2005

the madza 3 backglass is one of the easiest back windows on any car made. good luck trying it :lol2 if there ever was a car with a back window for a DIY this is it.

TintWizard · October 5, 2005

The only thing I would be careful wit his you say your on a budget , yet it'll cost you more next yr to strip off the stuff you bought/buying now and redo it rather than getting it done once and right now :lol2

I'll always wonder what it is about tint that makes a customer want to pay top price for a brand new car...and skimp out on the difference from pro to DIY on something as major of an alteration as window tint ...on an older car I can see it ...just not on a new car :lol2

TintWizard · October 5, 2005

I forgot to ask ..is it the sedan style or the sport ..if it's the sport hatch ..the shrink is a bit harder for a beginner.

Good luck though if your attemping it :beer

October 6, 2005

After 10% off, I paid about 80 bucks for the film. The best I could find in my area having a pro do it was $210. I've been contemplating my choice for about a month now. I had a pro do my Mazda6 and it came out awesome. Not to say that I think the job was so easy that I could do it myself. I just figured that it is a small car and have heard it's pretty easy. Plus I think this is something I would like to take a shot at for personal reasons just to see if I can do it. I'll start with the back window on Saturday and see how it goes. If I don't think the shrink turns out right I'll decide whether or not to proceed with the application. Like I said, if it doesn't work out I'll wait until next summer to have it done by a pro when funds are more plentiful :spit

Thanks for all the advice. I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

Matt

October 6, 2005

The only thing I would be careful wit his you say your on a budget , yet it'll cost you more next yr to strip off the stuff you bought/buying now and redo it rather than getting it done once and right now
I'll always wonder what it is about tint that makes a customer want to pay top price for a brand new car...and skimp out on the difference from pro to DIY on something as major of an alteration as window tint ...on an older car I can see it ...just not on a new car

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