highplains

Couple from the other day

^^love doing those. Ez pull sweeps and rubber seals.
 
Just finished this one.
15" HFM/HL/DC&E/Upper bumper covers..ceramic front doors.

Absolute blast from the past from the past on this one.  Pun intended. I really enjoyed working on this one.     
 
 

TrackHawk first thing this morning...sporty. They were even nice enough to leave the red key with it.

Well, I "was" finishing up this Cadillac Escalade windshield and right at the end trying to get just barely behind the stupid camera thing that sticks down off the rearview mirror.  (I did try to remove the set screw first and it seemed like it was glued to the mount so I cut around the matrix to get install done) 
 
 

Prayers going out to all of our Australian brethren whether you tint windows or not, WE ARE ALL PRAYING FOR YOU.  
 
The world of freedom as we know it is falling apart and the good people of Australia are fighting back.  The news and footage of the clashes between police and the public is absolutely shocking and ridiculous.  Hang in there people.  Fight hard.  The world is watching.  
 
Just want you all to know we are praying for you.  

This is a rather old thread.  Not justifying, just sayin.  
 
Also have to point out the fact you call yourself HotGirl but complain about someone wanting just that.  
Again, just saying.  

Or maybe they could just learn what the actual benefits of ceramic films are and what they actually do.  
 
Ceramic film is not magic. It does not keep the car magically cooler. 
Ceramic film is for what YOU feel from the suns heat.  There are many reasons we feel heat from the sun, but ceramic films block more of the spectrum of that heat that we FEEL ON OUR SKIN. If our skin was not involved the "IR" part of the reason ceramic film works would not be a factor. That being said, ceramic films block more of the infrared spectrum of the suns heat so that YOU feel more comfortable BEHIND the film.  i.e. = when the sun is coming through that particular piece of glass with ceramic film on it, you will feel more comfortable behind that film.  
 
It's like being in direct sunlight then being in a little bit of shade, you will still get hot, just "not as hot" because you are in the shade.  
 
Cheers.   

That's just it. Where are you getting that he's over charging? I'm happy your shop is doing well. I'm happy your employee's don't wish to earn more money. Like others have said, if he wanted after hours appointment, if he had complications, if he just wanted that tint artist to tint his lambo, the price goes up. In every industry you can get something cheap and something expensive. From Hamburgers to golf clubs. The experience and customer service is different. I am curious as to what an "honest price" is? if someone charges less than you, are they giving their customers a more honest price? 

Between those two I'd take the Solar fx hands down. I've been running the solar fx ceramic on my Honda Pilot for about five years now and it looks as good today as the day I installed it. As far as color goes the solar fx is pretty neutral colored with a very slight brown/bronze hue, as far as the Suntek depends on which line of film the CXP is going to be the blackest of them and CIR has a green undertone but I noticed significant haze in the sample I tried. As far as scratch resistance goes in my experience the Suntek scratches extremely easily and the Solar FX you can get downright abusive with before it scratches. I've installed films from 3M, Llumar, Suntek, Solar FX, and Xpel. Xpel is my go to and what I install every day but I really don't have anything negative to say about solar fx.

Full front ppf, stratos 30 front 50 sides and rear, air 80 on the shield. 2 days worth of work for this old guy   Brought to you by condom sense window tinting….

Windshield and roll ups on herbie’s backwoods cousin. Herpes....

Looks good! 

Your best bet would be to find out who does their tinting and then talk to them directly. 

Hard to tell how bad it is from a zoomed in picture.  Doesn't look that bad although it is a defect. 
 
It is rather difficult(not impossible) to get that huge piece of film installed across the rear glass and it be spotless.  Dust, debris, carpet fibers etc, all these things are in play when trying to get a statically charged piece of film in there correctly.  That being said, it really depends on the size and location of that defect, and how much it bothers you.  It is probably not going to get any worse over time and on the next install there could be a different issue than this one.  The 100% perfect tint job is rare. There is going to be a speck or two here or there especially if you are looking really close. 
 
1 = step back a couple of feet from the vehicle.  Is it still very noticeable? 
2 = is it in your vision from inside the car?  Does it bother you while driving?  
If yes to these, then it might be worth redoing.  
If no, then you are probably going to okay with an acceptable install for a long time.  
 
All in all, it really depends on how bad the spot is and how bad it bothers you. 
If the shop will work with you on redoing it if it bothers you that bad, all the better for you.
 
Good luck.    

Over 8 years ago.....yeah he's still got it for sale

As has been previously stated those distorted areas appear to be residual adhesive from a previous installation. As far as adhesive removal goes it can be accomplished either by chemical or mechanical means, depends on the installer, the window in question,  and extent of the adhesive left behind. If you're otherwise happy with this film and installation, reach out to your installer and see what they recommend going forward. With every removal and reinstallation you increase your chances of having adverse issues such as scratches to the glass or water intrusion to the electronics. The model 3 has modules below each pillar that are notorious for having issues with water intrusion after tinting. Residual adhesive can be difficult to spot during the process because it's clear to start with and once wet all but disappears until it's too late. That said if it were my work I'd want to redo it just from a personal pride and quality standards standpoint, check with your installer. Also worth mentioning is that no installation is every going to be 100% perfect and after 7 rounds and still not being happy, windshield tint just may not be right for you on this vehicle. I say that with the caveat of not having seen any of the previous installations and given what I've seen come out of other shops I certainly can believe that they failed to meet even the most reasonable or loose standards for quality. Hope this helps @badluckmodel3

Ive used both films and can unequivocally say that you should be happy with either of them, both great films and they are definitely not the same film. I've had the global on my pilot for about 5 years and it still looks as good as the day I installed it and performs as good as it looks. I've been installing Xpel for about 2 years now and have had no complaints or issues with the film. None of us can know 100% for sure if Garware is manufacturing the film for Xpel, I've heard the same rumors but they've never been confirmed by anyone who I would be willing to take at their word. Having been able to install and compare them side by side I can definitely say they are not the same film (there is a slight difference in both the top coat and thicknesses) but are both great films that I wouldn't hesitate to use on either my own vehicles or my customers. 

Xpel is a fairly neutral grey, both their XR Ceramic and CS Color Stable. If you're happy with the Suntek on your other vehicle their CXP line is a neutral grey as well although the Xpel will give you better clarity and scratch resistance hands down. A big thing to keep in mind is any existing color undertone to the front glass will impact the final appearance. I don't see many Hyundais in my area so I don't know off hand if that will be an issue for you or not off hand.

I use a regular bath towel. It's cheap and effective. 

I use a regular bath towel. It's cheap and effective. 

While you're correct in that there is no perfect tint job, if you're not striving for perfection in every install you are doing yourself and your customers a severe disservice. 

That's excessive contamination and not acceptable in my opinion.