DynamicATL

3M is the only brand used in the USA for automotive. V-Kool was popular but is hardly found anymore, especially in automotive. I've never heard of Midas/Lamina and only know Blaupunkt for car audio, but it hasn't been popular here in decades. I would compare the specs between 3M and V-Kool to see what you think offers the best performance for the price. Crystalline is brownish at the 20/40 shades, in case you don't like that.

It is just a spam account, AI generated based on how it is phrased.

Here you go... https://www.amazon.com/WindowTint-Opaquer-Pen-Small/dp/B00LLKM92U/

The "more widely known by consumers" brand? You already know the answer to that.

Just depends if you want a lower cost with a less known brand or pay more for a brand that is more widely known by consumers. Both films come from the same manufacturer. Quality is not an issue either way.

As soon as I read Ford F350, I knew it was the rear view mirror. We broke one a few years ago. Even with the removal tool, it is a PITA. Now we do not remove any Ford rear view mirrors. Just slit the film to go around the base and seem them together on top.

No, 2023 is the new model. Type R has a big wing but not blocking the glass.

Autobahn I3 56 has a higher TSER (overall heat rejection) than XR Black or XR Plus. It also has a high IR rejection, but both films are metered at 1025nm so across the whole spectrum, those numbers could be very different. I would check out both films in person to see which looks better to you. If the Autobahn I3 looks better, it might be worth the price due to that and the performance. If the same level of appearance, the performance jump might not be enough for the price difference. Go with the shop that you feel gives you the best results since the difference in the films is not drastic. As for the LED lighting, it depends on your vehicle. Some OEM LED headlamps are great, like Acura, and other brands are garbage. My S63 and Tesla both have amazing LED headlamps that are much better than HID. However, I drove a Cadillac XTS rental, and I could barely tell they were on. I literally had to pull over and check. I also drove a Mercedes C Class that had good LED headlamps and a GLA Class that had horrible LED headlamps. So it varies from brand to brand and even between models. My CL63 that has factory HID has horrible light output, so I upgraded the bulbs to LED, which were about 30% brighter. We are also an automotive lighting store which is why I chimed in on this.

Basically, the technology that is blocking the heat is also creating the low-angle haze. Some films are worse than others, but they all have it. We've only had 2-3 customers complain about it in the last 10 years. So not a major issue at least for us.

They had some shops testing a new one in late 2022. I also believe they had a demo at a show, letting people see how easy it shrinks. My rep told me the heat rejection would be slightly higher with an easier shrink and a new scratch coating that would eventually be added to all Llumar films. It sounded like it was something that would just roll out without any big announcement. We don't do a lot of IRX anymore since we prefer the 3M Ceramic IR, which is why I wasn't sure.

Does Rayno require the customer to register the warranty instead of the installer? 3M requires the entire VIN and has an optional spot for the license plate which we don't fill out. It takes some getting used to since we do the last 6 for Llumar. Many extra trips to the back to get the full number. 🤣

@cpowell1687 Has the newer IRX rolled out yet? With the higher IR rejection and new scratch coating. Just wondering if this has been an issue with IRX or maybe in the newer product.

GR Corolla is the new hatchback from Toyota. Easy vehicle, no issues; it just has front quarter windows.

It will have to be redone, it will never stick down. Just find an Xpel dealer to have the one window replaced.

Slap whoever told you that.

Your stock glass has the same reflection, just less noticeable. As you make the glass darker, the reflection is more noticeable. No matter what shade you do, it will be more noticeable than stock. This has nothing to do with brand or type of film like Ceramic nor the vehicle. You have to either get used to it or go back to stock. Even stock, you may be more aware of it now.

We did our 1st today, pretty easy vehicle including the windshield and pano.

☝️

We've looked into it multiple times and even got some samples, but we always come to the same conclusion, not worth it. It might be an option if your vehicle has a very expensive windshield. Otherwise, it will cost you just as much or more than new glass to swap this out every year, not to mention the required maintenance. It would be a great product if a brand resisted wiper scratching and had superior optical clarity. IMO, it is more of a cash grab for the shop than actual value to the consumer.

It is most likely water still trapped between the glass/film causing this issue. It is distorting the light. Give it a solid month to fully dry out to see if goes away.

They might not like you either. 🤷‍♂️ Either way, the world keeps spinning.

I've personally never heard of Xpel having failures, and I am friends with a couple of shops that use it. I've had several rolls of Llumar come in with weird defects...just had one 3 weeks ago with linear marks. Then there was the 2017 issue, where several shades were 4-5% lighter than normal. So the 35% out of the box would meter 44% instead of the normal 38%. No problem, we made it through those couple of months. Fast forward 5 years, and we've had a few bubbled rear windows all from that batch. Llumar is great about getting everything swapped and covered, but the point is nobody is perfect. I also carry 3M, which I've had zero issues to date. Since Xpel comes from Garware, the same manufacturer as Global, I doubt there will be many issues in the future.

There is plenty of junk products made in the USA. I've never seen that printed on a product and thought, must be high quality. Premium products can come from any country, just depends on the build house that is making it.

Mustang glass is flatter, 944 is severely curved which requires more skill and patience to shape it to the glass resulting in a lot more work and time. Majority of shops would not be able to install it on that glass. The glass being in the vehicle or out of the vehicle does not matter besides it bring harder to install on any glass out of the vehicle. It is like you calling a cleaning service to get a quote for your home but don't want to tell them sqft and how many stories. It doesn't make any sense.

We need to know the vehicle so we know the difficulty of glass and charge accordingly especially older vehicles. You could have a 1988 Mustang or a 1988 Porsche 944 which takes twice as long and uses more film. No reason to be paranoid, just answer the questions. That way there are no surprises for you or the shop when you show up. Most shops won't tint glass outside of the vehicle since it is hard to secure the glass. We rarely get asked but when we do, it is a no thank you. Ceramic just helps to block heat. Some may last a little longer than base films but I would expect a same lifespan. The longest lasting film will be metalized.