DynamicATL

ASWF is most likely the issue, very poor quality. A/C thing is stupid af and typically should be 3 days to roll down your windows. Even then, you are most likely good in 1-2 days.

We don't since it would be a PITA plus the risk of defrosters. We've had a couple of customers wanting to go darker so we just double layered it instead.

I have no experience with it but reviews are mixed online from 2.3 out of 5 overall to 3.8, and 4.0.

They should be the same; Express is a distributor for Global. The "product" column on Express has different numbers, like 18 (Global is 20), but the VLT is 18 on both websites. All the VLTs match, so just some incorrect or outdated info, most likely on the Express website.

I've never owned a Ford but known several people with issues across different models. My American vehicle ownership is limited to my first truck which was a custom 1985 Chevy S10.

I think the longest I've kept a car is 4-5 years. My current AMG took me over 2 years to find since it is somewhat rare. I absolutely love the car but coming up on the 2 year mark and getting itchy.

8 hours ago, smookee408@yahoo.com said:

Can you elaborate? What exactly do you mean it cracked? Was it while squeegeeing or just closing the door? I tint a lot of these POS. Yes I said POS these are the lowest quality vehicles on the market. They cut a lot of corners to make these vehicles. 

They have had their issues for sure but most manufacturers do, Honda alone just recalled 1.2 million vehicles. Ford is the #1 selling truck but commonly referred to "Fix Or Repair Daily" and "Found On Road Daily" for a reason. I won't even get started on Dodge.

I would check out local sign shops since shipping on store signing could be pricey. They will also be able to take care of any door vinyl and possibly business cards. If you want the lowest price on business cards, VistaPrint.com will be it. If you want something fancier, we use SilkCards.com.

On 6/24/2023 at 11:15 PM, pbalentine said:

The customers suck too, bunch posers.

Hey hey hey 😠🤣

On 6/16/2023 at 10:11 AM, jnfs1121 said:

For your personal vehicle what is your double tint set up? 
Have you run into any issues with the defrosters on the back glass? (As stated in your post)

Looking to do this, would appreciate feedback! 
I believe 20% over 5% is what I’m looking at (1) instead of 5% over 5% (.25)

 

 

 

On 6/16/2023 at 10:19 AM, jnfs1121 said:

I believe you tried to help me on another forum on here - you mentioned you do different layer % to get the darkness you want and not the brown you mentioned. 
 

Maybe you’ll see this !

I’ll have to try and see where you guys are located - does your shop trim film to the edge of the glass line? 

I like to do a 15/20 on the rear windows to help block headlights. Up til now, I only did 3M Crystalline, which comes in a 20% but is very brown, so I would do 40% for the 1st layer and 50% for the 2nd layer. No issues with defrosters. We just don't want to risk damage while removing tint from Tesla Model 3s. So if a customer comes back wanting darker, we add a layer instead of replace.

Repeated now 1000x on the forum...big brand names do not allow their film to be sold. If you see any being sold on eBay or online, it is fake. Express is going to be as good as you get without being a tint shop.

Go with the shop you feel will give you the best installation/service. Both films are high-quality, and performance is on the same level. So either way, you can't lose. If you go with 3M CMIR 35%, have the shop confirm it will meter legal. Depending on the % of your stock glass, it could vary by 1-2%, which could be enough to meter too low. Personally, I love 3M CMIR as it is a great-looking film. Except for one, every vehicle in my family has it installed.

Window tint pricing is all over the place, depending on the film and how much the shop thinks their time is worth. A higher priced shop may mean they're paying their installers more, attracting better talent, but there is no guarantee. I know an Audio shop that has crazy prices, but installation quality is near flea market level. It might be worth it if you feel that shop will give you the best installation.

With that being said, why are you wanting to tint just the 2 front doors on a sedan? Doing a heat rejection film on just the front doors will not do much since heat will come through all other windows like normal. So you are paying a premium for virtually no change. I would rethink that.

3 hours ago, Tintbox said:

Morning. You'll need a 60" inch roll. Roof measurement is 41.8X41.8.

Thanks!

2 hours ago, mobiledynamics said:

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.

Daytime they will still be able to see you, nighttime they won't.

If you have any issues seeing at night with the 70, i would not recommend going lower. If no issues, you will most likely be fine with 50. I run 40 on mine and have zero issues with visibility. Here is a couple of videos I did on a previous vehicle. I don't have any night videos.

Sunny Day

Gloomy Day

2 hours ago, Tintbox said:

Yes. We used 18% for the roof.

Our 1st Rivian is coming up that wants to do the roof...do you remember what size roll was needed to cover it? Will a 40" do, or do you need a 60"?

A 36" roll is perfect for most rear windows and you can split it in half (18/18) for the side windows. If you want a little more room to be safe, go with a 40" roll.

As a fellow Tesla owner, I would have it removed and get a refund. If they let that job leave the shop, there is absolutely no hope for them. Personally, I would never go to a shop that uses a plotter since the chances of gaps are pretty high. Also, many plotter shops will use more inexperienced tinters since the plotters due all the cutting. This way, they save money by paying them less while profiting more from the customer. Do not get me wrong; there are good tint shops that use plotters. Some even resize the pattern to make it longer to trim the top edge for minimum gaps. There are just more bad shops than good ones, which can honestly be said about the whole tint industry.

To answer your questions...

1) BS. Many vehicles have frameless doors; this is not a Tesla thing or uncommon.

2) BS. Glass on newer vehicles will be very close to matching, if not identical. This is only an issue on older vehicles where some glass may have been replaced with aftermarket or the rubber seals have warped.

3) I've never seen a plotter have jagged cuts like that, but our personal experience with plotters is limited. I assume they need to replace the blade cause that doesn't make sense.

4) I do not understand shops that do not tint the full rear glass on the TM3. It is sad that shops actually do this. I assume they do not have a 60" plotter to cut a large enough piece for the whole glass. If you call a shop and they ask you if you want to do half the rear window, I would hang up.

The circled areas are raised film sections that need to be pushed back down. The DOT Matrix (black dots) are sitting on top of the glass pushing the film up and creating air pockets. It will never be perfect, but a credit card wrapped in a microfiber towel might do the job. Just don't push too hard to create an indention in the film.

Most of our customers go with 50% on the windshield to add a slight shade. If you want to add shade, switching to 50% might be worth it. I would ride more in your wife's car, especially at night, to see if you want that. I wouldn't waste money swapping to 70% since it would not be noticeable.

As stated, double layering is typically not advised. However, many tinters do it, including us in select situations. Since the 2nd layer will only last as long as the 1st, we would only double-layer our own film. We've had Tesla Model 3s that wanted to go darker, so we added a layer to the rear window instead of removing the film risking damage to the defrosters. I do it on most of my vehicles since I prefer 3M Crystalline but don't like the heavy brown of the 20%. So instead, I add a double-layer 40 and 50 to get the darkness I want. We've never had an issue of peeling or otherwise. As far as absorption, I would not worry about it. FormulaOne Stratos, for example, has two layers of Ceramic in it, resulting in a higher absorption than the rest of the lineup but no complaints.

There is a CPU or most likely the radio amp on that side of the trunk. The water can go through the hole and fry it. I would cover the hole if possible or open the liner of the trunk and stuff thick towels in there to be safe.

Both brands has had some failure issues in the past 5 years. I know people were talking about Black Pearl specifically on this forum back in 2018. However, it has been some time so maybe they got all that corrected. If I were to pick one brand over the other, it would be Madico. However, I would choose the shop that does the best work and puts the warranty in writing.

It is all cheaper quality film but UltraVision would be the best option with a Lifetime Warranty. If you ever need to replace it, the warranty does not cover labor. So you would be paying for the removal plus installation for the 2nd time. Most tint shops won't install film they do not carry so I would call around to ensure you have somewhere to take it. Lastly, UltraVision is a thicker film which takes longer to prep so if the shop messes up during installation due to inexperience, you would have to buy extra film. Not trying to talk you out of it, just want you know it is not as simple as buying it and having someone stick it.

If the film meters 35% or higher (most meter higher), then you should be right at 32%. No film that meters 35% out of the box will drop that low into the 20s. That formula does not equal real-world results. Have the shop cut a small piece of 35% and meter it on your glass. This is the only way to know.

1 hour ago, duweeee said:

Thank you for the pic DynamicATL!  Do you know if IRX has even less of a blue hue?

 

 

Here is a side-by-side.