mobiledynamics

What quality of a job were you expecting for less than buck and a half for a full job ? It's like a red flag on the job price already I get pricing is regional and this may not be inline with you local Rhe info below is what my market rate is I believe fronts or windshield from my shop is $125 or $150. It runs about $550-$750'ish for a all around..depending on which film The potential cost for a redo could have been far worse. Is the dashboard on yours wrapped in leather Are the door cards full leather Door cards can be replaced Easily Dashes.....I would't want to keep mine if my dash ever had to come out for a repair. Potential squeaks/rattles down the road Stem, water, chems to remove residual glue adhesive, potential scratch marks from knives cleaning glass or even just marring/scratchs on the A Pillar trim, etc...long laundry list goes on....

Ouch Hemi-. I'd be already concerned on the 1st redo , as steam or just angle of approach to remove residual glue on leather dash would be a huge concern for me. Sounds like you're on your 4th film in the front.

Got it re: the road chemicals comment. Funny you mention that. I don't believe the masses understand and it's more just detailing nerds. Even some detailing nerds may not get it. This stuff is --porous--. While it does make maintenance easier, it is very important to maintain some sort of product on it regardless...

for those that see PPF after 1 year, 2 year, etc The self healing in PPF afaik, is a top coat. Akin, to clear coat, as once the topcoat of the self heal is diminished, it's just *ppf* With summer underway, super sticky summer rubber that kicks back everything on the lower door panels What is the effect of rock chips on self heal on PPF over the long term. Will it just look peppered after 2-3 years depending obviously on time/mielage and how much debris in thrown at in (strictly asking on the self heal ppf). The older ppf just looks (salt and peppered ish). Or sofar, from you pro's have seen, the self heal still looks pretty good in this aspect...

No disagreement on -what the market will support, hence I stated it may be regional. You make a good point - that they want to remain competitive. Suppose I was looking at it wrong. All 4 of the top shops I would trust with a - knife to score- are inline with each other own terms of the output of their work. The issue with with the other installer who prices himself in the same league as them in which he's a a lower grade shop......don't get me started as the things *customers* don't see. This shop being discussed has a boatload of high end supercars with all sorts with wraps in his marketing pics. I literally watch a tech d doing a cutoff (grinder cutting metal aka, hot metal sparks and all that comes with cutting off metal) in the same open workspace with cars parked no less than 3 feet apart in direct vicinity of the shop. I was blown away and unfortunately for every customer car that was in their that wasn't aware of the environment their car was in.

As a consumer, dare I ask. I'm well aware Xpel does a dealer region lock or only so many dealers per X miles.... This is what I found slight interesting and can anyone confirm. Is there a MAP or more like a universal -set price- Xpel dealers can charge per coverage, whether it be full front/full wrap , etc .... Pricing is regional. Aka, one pricing can be totally different than a different state What I found slightly coincidental, is the less than handful of Xpel installers I would use, their pricing seemed -all the same. Aka, some shops where I know could charge more was charging the same as a -average- ppf installer

Interesting you mention shatter resistance. I'm waiting for the day to happen - our PANO sunroof - more than a few owners has had them shatter. I'm not sure if the variable is just too large glass (flex), or maybe from conditioned space into a much hotter space, or simply it was road debris ....but it is strange that more than a handful when I read shattered sunroofs on -all platforms-... Anyhow, I did our Sunroof in 50%. Mainly to get a bit of glare down, and some heat with the known variable the it can get somewhat more -heat soaked- but the 50% spec did have a lower performance and did let some heat past the film. Anyhow, the pro is if the sunroof shatters, the film should hold it...which would mean less or minimizing damage to the interior . I guess it doesn't matter cause in my readings on those with shattered sunroofs (often still under warranty and less than 10K on the clusters, etc). 85% is always road debris or the like, and the 15% base dealers cover it under warranty

Just having one of those pondering moments. If SUB comes factory dyed glass - fairly dark (easily 20%) Is there any benefit tinting the Back or the sides of the Rear C/D Pillar Glass ? High Performance tint doesn't really do anything for a parked car / heat soaked. It does show it's benefits when the car is moving, as it can -shed- the heat soaked on the glass. Would you say when doing a SUV, just doing -all glass- is pretty common or the Rear Windows being discussed, whole part of -all glass-, is there real world benefits to this ?

RTB - 1st time ever having a windshield tinted (previous cars has comfort film) in the pane. Xpel Ceramic - even in late summer install going into early-mid fall, kinda wanna say it took like 2 - almost 3 months and the haze I was seeing disappeared on it's own. I was thinking it was LAH, but I guess maybe it takes that long to dry out . I did not notice this haze on the side glass but then again, I'm not driving looking out the side windows.

Rear glass comes factory dyed. It has XR Plus 70% on it In looking at the IR specs... 92 vs 97% etc, not much of a differential of 5% Riddle me this Sitting in the backseat - I raised up the rear window shade. I did feel a difference in -less- heat with the window shade. The window shade is not solid but is semi perforated ? Is it due to an extra -layer- past the window. It wasn't on my radar as it does reduce the -feel of heat- from the sun shining on the window. Here I was thinking the IR 92% was a pretty decent spec in itself but the rear shade does add (less heat feel) for sure. I'm sure someone on TD has a better technical answer for my WIKI

Hi DATL - I was actually referring the opposite. Aka, people from the outside being able to see the driver - for driver acknowledgment, whether I am waving my hand to tell them I'm stopped at this stop sign, I see you , it is safe to cross.... My only issue with the 70% that was on my radar , was I think even though it was installed around Sept or August (fairly warm weather), I felt like the film was not *clear* or just very pronounced LAH always but I suppose it was moisture because eventually it did clear it.

The front WS of current car is tinted in Xpel 70%. Mainly due to reduce heat. However, it doesn't do much for glare. Considering getting the front WS tinted at 55 or even 45 (variables of interior color, light coming in from the sides, etc) For those that do this for a living, what's your take on *exterior* visibility at 55% front WS tint..... While I'm shooting for glare reduction, it's somewhat a consideration of pedestrian and ability to make eye/hand contact if you want to wave them off or acknowledge you see them, etc....

How yearly are your inspections. 1st time I had WS tinted. I'd say do - over. Remove tint. Reinstall minus sticker Either reuse old sticker or get new sticker New sticker goes onto clear vinyl. I put both inspect/reg on the clear vinyl and the vinyl sticks to the tint just fine. it's adhered 99% There is a very small -minituia- on the corner of the vinyl that is curved from the edges. I think it's just due to vinyl bring cut flush with sticker (vinyl sticker heavier due to sticker). If I added a slightly clear border to the sticker extending the vinyl, maybe it might stick better to less weight

On a SUV, when u have it loaded up, and you know when something/somethings will touch the back glass (if tinted), I often throw a mover towels ontop as I have definately replaced rear tint in this due to it getting scratched.... Which got me thinking or over -thinking. Movers towel while not hard is not exactly soft... Do I need to throw a *soft* microfiber towel on it so if it rubs against the back glass, it won't scratch the tint.

Installer installer installer... Film aside, IME, the key is the installer @ the end of the day

It's the wife's new ride. I don't drive it often but between the OP and now, have driven it a few in -sunlight conditions- LAH aside, have not been able to pick up the -splotches- I spoke about. Unless for some weird reason, is it possible it took 4.5 months (install around mid Aug and I observed it on dec 29) for potentially excess water to dry out ?

Will circle back when I can catch it. Not sure if the camera will capture the haze but hopefully...

1st car that I've had Windshield tinted. Xpel plus 70% Previous cars have had film between the glass - comfort film, etc. I'm not sure if this is low angle haze or is it -adhesive- splotches I am seeing .....if anyone can shed some light I know I see LAH when the sun is causing it However, in the middle of the windshield, there are times where the WS is clear, but this particular area just doesn't look clear and a bit -splotchy- to me. I have not given much thought think it was LAH but this unclarity is driving me to the forum to ask Presuming it is not LAH at the moment I see this clouding splotchy area in the middle of the WS, but directly in front of me or in front of the passenger side , it looks clear, is this cloudish-splotchy LAH or could it be adhesive from the film. All my other tint experiences has been with -darker tint-, so since the 70% is fairly -clear-, I am not sure if what I see is LAH, adhesive or just something else.

I believe I may end up removing the WS tint. However, I'm the one that does wash it 🤔 So I know how clean things are - which is on the OCD detailing regimene... So I know the interior is clean, any (off gassing) etc that is on your interior glass is clean, etc.... Anyhow, the LAH is annoying. Clean interior WS. Standard Residual dirt on the exterior just from driving. Wiper clean the windows. Looking out the front, it is not optically clear but there are splotches looking out. While it's not a pattern like I would see wearing polarized glasses and seeing the rainbowsish diamond pattern, the -milky- glass like Tintguy980 posted is quite annoying BTW, in winter, when sometimes things are uber bright snow to -white snow everywhere-, does LAH appear different even when the sun is at a higher angle. Just wondering I suppose

Thx, Never did think much about the dots until 1st windshield tint myself..... I was thinking like all tint, film goes from edge to edge. Where there are plastic *mirror.camera trim housings*, it stop to the edge of the plastic. Tinter made a big -double U- as it he stopped around the matrix portion of the rearview mirror/front camera . Same goes with about 1/2" inch of dot matrix running along the entire top of the WS. I was just thinking he did not want to fuss with the dot matrix....not thinking it was SOP to just stop film on these areas in general

Tint Consumer Here.....re: black border that Dynamic ATL mentioned So the border/dots/matrix around the mirror/cameras in cars... Is that a auto universal standard to basically say (film stops a these borders) And for cars with the quarter pane, rears with the same dot matrix. Mind I ask...what is the function of this.

I like the look of pic 1 - without the bright color accent but that's subjective. Option B is just lay new vinyl stripes ontop with a mm on each side past the OE stripe - to cover it. The vinyl is 5X thinner than the PPF, so it won't be as noticeable fwiw...

Sorry to HiJack this thread but since the subject title is appropriate, what is the -best/correct- film to use if one is to tint a windshield these days. In the other thread, it seems to be that most high performance films will show LAH. Is metallic film the correct material to use - my previous car with Film in the Laminate (presume metallic) never has exhibited LAH

Just thinking outloud for the next time I observe the LAH - seems like polarized glasses is right now the main issue that makes it more pronounced. For the next test, going to see if the LAH is different with a set of eyes behind 2 different materials - Plastic Polarized Lenses vs, Glass Polarized Lenses

I don't have the answer but interested in to hear the responses.... And pretty ahhhhmazing you actually was able to capture the LAH - clarity or lack of, on camera....u know how some things don't translate over when taking a pic