pbalentine

Personally I would run and tell them never to call you back again.  Never saw any results from them other than the money they charge for this and for that.  There are all kinds of hidden fees that don't really add up to helping you in any way.  Took me forever to get rid of them and they kept trying to charge me after I told them to pound sand.   

Good questions here.
 
If a given mid grade film (materials) cost x, the ceramic can be close to 2x. If an installer bungles a piece of film the margins start to fall pretty quick. 
 
Ceramics in general are a much tougher product to install. These films are rigid and unforgiving and take alot more care in installing. They also tend to show any imperfections alot more clearly and can't be rushed.
 
The softer mid grade films are much more pliable, go in quicker and aren't as finicky.
 
When someone pays the premium for a top grade film they expect a top grade install which takes more time and often more materials to get it right. Service before and after the sale is also more demanding. People want and deserve a good explanation as to why 2x is reasonable. These things all add up to more time/ attention to detail. That's what you are paying for in the end.
 
I think you're on the right track looking at the xpel and would add 3m crystalline to your list. If you're not a brand junkie Global makes an excellent ceramic. It's usually carried by independent installers that don't want to play the corporate game. I've personally used it for years without any issues.

The panels on Hyundai & Kia come off easily. I remove all of them. Most new ones you can pull the top seal by removing one screw behind the handle. Most vehicles now I get the window down flush it and hard card the sides and top with a towel. 

The panels on Hyundai & Kia come off easily. I remove all of them. Most new ones you can pull the top seal by removing one screw behind the handle. Most vehicles now I get the window down flush it and hard card the sides and top with a towel. 

If I know the gaskets are going to be a problem for whatever reason, I'll take the door panel off and run the film well below where the edge may interact with the flap.

Pull the panel. Glass cleaner and a hard card wrapped microfiber for the edge seals.
 
I'm happy that your not satisfied and want it better. We need more of this attitude in the industry.

All the effort of a post and you could of contacted the shop?? Just call the shop as they are the only ones that can help. 

So I went and got CR90 on the windshield and CR70 everywhere else.
When I went into the shop I noticed something called 3M Ceramic IR film but didn't ask about it and regret that. Since my goal was to keep my interior as cool as possible and protect it from the sun since it sits outside 100% of the time should I have gone with 3M Ceramic IR film?
When I went to pickup the car from the shop yesterday it still felt like an oven inside, mind you the temperature got to 100 degrees that day.
Here is how it looks.

 

For your stated purpose almost any film from a quality manufacturer will accomplish what you're after which is blocking the UV that's going to fade/break down your interior materials. Crystalline is a great film that offers higher IR rejection, but it certainly comes at a premium. As far as the light refraction with the rear window goes it's unavoidable unless you want to remove your defroster grid, that said some films are better than others in that department but there are a number of variables that come into play.

All the effort of a post and you could of contacted the shop?? Just call the shop as they are the only ones that can help. 

Going out on my own after 13years and I was struggling finding a logo so I drew this up and had it scaled and digitized. I’m over the moon with how it came out. 

Before removal, mark outside edge, so you can match that extreme micro edge gap. 

What would be a ballpark estimate on this crane 

That's the norm from the early 80's and is how I was doing them when first getting in the industry. As the edges migrated closer to the edge, I would migrate as well. Today, no shaving accept an occasional frameless, but the gap is <1/32.
 
WFT looks old enough to know them days.

Don't worry @WearTheFoxHat, you'll get better with time.  

Before removal, mark outside edge, so you can match that extreme micro edge gap. 

My daily is 20 on the fronts, 35 over factory in the rear, 80 on the 'shield with a 5 brow. Wife's ride has 35 on the fronts, 20 over factory in the rear with 80 on the shield with 5 brow as well. My nice/weekend/going out car has 35 all around and nothing on the shield. Edited to add, they're all done in ceramic all the way around minus the brows.

I believe on the Ram 20+  theystopped
covering the computer module on the drivers side under the dash to the far left. You’ll want to cover that. Also, put two soak ropes and dont use the mini rope. Its too small and fits loose. 

I believe on the Ram 20+  theystopped
covering the computer module on the drivers side under the dash to the far left. You’ll want to cover that. Also, put two soak ropes and dont use the mini rope. Its too small and fits loose. 

Probably too much slip and it shifted. 

Maybe he was hungry? I swear can’t tint good at all if Im hungry. 

Maybe he was hungry? I swear can’t tint good at all if Im hungry. 

Don’t lay too much of the film on the glass before sliding into position. 

I've been using a 6' plastic folding table standing up vertically with one set of legs out to support it and a second 4' table to set my gear on. No glass to break, light weight and I don't worry about some genius hurting themselves on it. Cutting on it can be tricky but does the job and easy to move around the cars.