Dano

How did that glass work out? Any luck?

So how did it go?

Chit boxes all day today, but I did book in my fourth TRX this year for this Saturday. I've also booked in a complete wrap on a sprinter van with film that I've already got in stock. I'm going to call it a win today.

👀 Not a chance I'd be on that rig in those booties!

You're absolutely welcome. I'm willing to wager that only a handful of folks on here to have experienced the joys of struggling through installs like this the first time around. Anymore, the installers aren't trained to do much more than run patterns off the machine and are stuck dumbfounded when something like that shows up at their door. Most will pass just for the time loss and headache. I personally like the brain puzzle aspect. I always learn something on the way that helps in other areas. Helping to pass on the knowledge is one of the reasons I joined. Best of luck, please let us know how it goes!

I've never done one of those but it reminds me of the dreaded cutlass supreme or the early 90s t-bird which I remember well. By horizontal stretch I'm meaning to lightly wet the top 10 to 20% of the glass with the reverse curve and stretching the film up and sideways to the corners to lay it down. It may not stay in place while you shrink the rest of it but I would not heat that area until you're installing. The rest of the glass, I would dry shrink with two people to keep the weight of the film from dropping and putting more slack in the middle. Please take a look at Ryk's method for floating the film on a cushion of cool air. The top corners will no doubt have a semi circle wave that will want to crease. Possibly try to lift the corner and let the film snap down as you approach the corner durring the install. You will likely need to have someone heat it immediately before you let go to keep it from lifting. If it stays down, I might consider a quick dry-ish wipe with 90% alcohol and clear nail polish the edge + light heat to dry it. Super glue would also be acceptable if it can be hidden (I use 3m edge sealer regularly for wrap film) Also I would not cut the film to final shape until it was stuck to the glass to give you room for adjustment and something to hold while it's being streached.

I would try to horizontally stretch wet and lay down the reverse curve at the top and dry shrink the rest of the bottom with two people using the Ryk method. I would also lay the glass on an old tire or something to elevate it and keep it from sliding. A PDR or body shop hood stand would be optimal for 360 access. I keep a few glass installer style suction cups and tie straps for loose glass that comes in to keep em from sliding around. Good Luck, please post your win when you get it!

I've been using mesh filters in a clear shell with a water bypass valve (home depot/ace hardware) for years. I'm also blessed with pretty good water coming out of the tap, fresh from the rockies. When I was on the east coast I had to a charcoal filter in line with it as well because of the quality out of the tap. My rule of thumb is if I wouldn't want to drink it I also wouldn't use it for installs.

Price will be relative to your area. My rule of guesstimation to add 60% to the cost of a good HP (high performance) film to find the cost of a good ceramic, +/- a few dollars for difficulty or lack thereof. I would shame him into making it right with "I know you can do better, please make this right so that I can go away.". And if he can't, then reach out to the shop owner for resolution. Those cars are not that difficult, so my guess is that he might be a rookie or was rushing to punch out a schedule. Doesn't make him a bad guy, but it will give him plenty of practice in removal and customer relations.

The side window looks like a nick from a seatbelt, watch or ring. The rear looks like a handling crease that was overheated while laying it down. Run it back over to them and kindly ask them to check it out. If they are reputable they will stand behind their work. Most shop owners want to send out top quality if at all possible.

Here was an easy fix. Local guy building a van to park down by the river managed to run a screw into the wall in the same place on both sides. Small fixes like this aren't too complicated and really add up over the course of a year.

...and no good deed ever goes unpunished. I'll be doing the same cutout if I ever see one of those. Thanks for the warning.

I'll add in this gem just so you guys don't think I'm too uppity. 5% HP. The glass and seals were in fairly good condition for the age.

TRX yesterday. I don't know how many are out there, but I've done three of them this year. I've also had a rash of these coal rollers the last two weeks. This one came in wrapped. 33 ceramic/ 70 windshield. Panamera last week as well. Ceramic 18%

I've been making all of the windshield customers sign a damage waiver lately. Most still want it done.

Flat earthers said the same thing about metalic films 30years ago. If you stick your head back in the sand, earth temp should be around 52°, the perfect temp for your sour grapes.

Thought I would put some fresh energy in this corner of the forum. This was a sweet goose egg when I started. Went around and freshened up the rest of the pannels after the hood was finished. Who's next? Gotta be some more pannel pounders on the TD

Hail tech here. I do a fair amount of door dinging as well when I spot something obvious on an otherwise nice car. Helps to break the pace of slaying film.

It's been thrillbilly truck week. Check out the ford manual lockers on the hubs. Thats an actual satin paint job, crazy farm kids!!

^^^ That's alot of film, nice work. I usually try not to do roofs for fear of water discoloring the headliner. RnR 18% ceramic fronts and visor, 18" H/F and around 6hours of dent pushing. That thing was tuned and angry.

If you purchase anything one at a time the price is always higher than buying in bulk. It takes longer to sell the job, write the invoice and pull the car in and out than it does to tint a single piece of glass. As for windshields they have to be minty every time because they will always be looking at it, glass is harder to reach for and I've accepted the liability for any damage to the electronics under the dash. Take it, leave it or put your faith in the el'cheapo shop down the road.

In the commercial sign industry a 25% to 100% upcharge on a rush order is common and expected, even with long standing clients.

For perspective, $800 on an Enconoline would be appropriate in my area even if they made an appointment and waited two weeks. When I was in So. Fla you would be lucky to get $450-500 at all. I recently layed clear mask on an older Porsche to prevent more damage and had the plastic on the trunk switch crumble in my hands. Called the dealership and paid to overnight a new one immediately. Fortunately I had priced the job accordingly knowing sh*t happens. The customer said he may have never noticed it, but if he did my rep in that community would have been lost. Since I got ahead of the situation on the spot my rep was upheld and thus bolsters the justification of my pricing structure. I'm a tad higher than most in my area on purpose, because I've earned it, and deliver the goods as promised.

This guy is on his way to BurningMan. I'm going to tell him to stop by condom sence and the smoke shop on his way out to the desert.

Try putting a drop of soap on the rubber after cleaning the gaskets with the window down. Push out on glass and the film should slide on in. Agree with Maxx on rolling as another technique. I do it all the time and people freak out when they see it as if I'm bending some law of physics or just clubbing it in like a caveman.