Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install

Markt2717 · Post by **Markt2717** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:08 am

I was wondering how many people had tinted themselves and how many people take it to a shop. I personally cant find a reason to spend the 250 it is average in dallas for a lifetime warranty, so I spend 60 dollars on factory direct film, and bought a kit from autozone!!

engineertwin2 · Post by **engineertwin2** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:40 am

I had mine professionally done for $180 and don't regret it...I have tried tinting before and it turned out awful...and removing tint is worse than putting it on...

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:51 am

do it right! have it done professionally unless you have experience or have been trained. also, most "tint" you can buy on the market isn't very good. pro shops have access to very good tint!

bogey523 · Post by **bogey523** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 6:50 am

I would vote for having it done with by a professional. I was supposed to have mine done today... but scheduling mistake by shop is putting it off until tomorrow. Anyway, I was talking to the guy at the shop (who owns a vibe) and he told me that the rear hatch liftgate is very difficult to do. It has to be done with heat. You also might want to make sure that they can do this in one piece. I am glad I am having a professional do it. I have seen diy jobs and in general they don't look as good and have bubbles. Plus with the vibes curved rear window, it is a good idea to leave it to professional.

Markt2717 · Post by **Markt2717** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:04 am

AMEN to no DIY jobs!! haha i bought a small piece of tint to see if i could do it... BAD IDEA!!! pros are the ONLY people who should handel this... the vibe is a tough car!

mcgusto82 · Post by **mcgusto82** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:11 pm

installing tint isn't very difficult. if you take your time. it can be fun. (i've done it before). But like others said. DIY tint is VERY cheap. it'll loose it's color and bubble up after a year. Removing tint is NOT FUN!. So professional is the way to go.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:35 pm

Right before I traded the Vibe in, I had a glass-mount ham radio antenna on the right rear quarter window. When I installed it, I cut the tint around where the antenna needed to be go, so obviously I had to redo that tint.To do that one window for me required an entire fricken ROLL of tint! And it STILL looked like (removed)! There were bubbles, ridges, everything all over. I took my time and tried to do everything right, heated it up, blah blah blah. And in the process of trying to smooth it out, I ended up scratching the tint.I didn't care, I suppose I kinda knew the car wasn't going to be mine in 24 hours anyway so I didn't get too worked up about it. And it wasn't worth squat anyway, so one window jacked up didn't really make that much of a difference on the less than spectacular numbers for resale.I'll say this: If you CAN do it, if you've got the right location and tools to do the job right and have the skills... Make sure you can get a decent supply of tint!!! This auto parts / department / whatever store stuff is mostly junk - it won't last. Even if you do a perfect job, you may still end up with a crappy looking tint job in a couple years. They don't make the good stuff, like the excellent Llumar film my tinter uses, readily available for the average joe. But hey, if you can find film of a good quality like a reputable tint shop would use and you can do the job, have at it! Otherwise, keep shopping around and find a good tint shop that charges a decent price that will do quality work. Perhaps try to find some smaller shops. These $250+ quotes scare me, throw another measly $30 on top of that number and that's what I spent to get both the Vibe and its replacement, the Accent tinted! The tint shops are really trying to stick it to you folks in the hotter climates, just because they can, I guess. Is the same amount of tint and the same amount of labor for the same car really going to cost $100 more in Texas than it did in Kentucky where I had my Vibe tinted? Can't say I blame you for wanting to pursue the DIY route.

azsapphire87 · Post by **azsapphire87** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:21 am

I went professional.Here in Vegas, I couldn't find a tint job done for under $200.I was looking through the newspaper one day and randomly found an ad from a local Toyota dealership, that did all 6 side windows in 15%, the hatch glass at 10%, and a 10% sun strip across the windshield, ALL FOR $98!!Came to about $106 after tax. Had it on for just over a year now and it's still looking new!

Katscan · Post by **Katscan** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:56 pm

I had to vote for professional install for several reasons.I have seen tooo many DIY jobs that look like complete (removed), with tons of bubbles or that nasy strip look around the window wells. You will prob spend all day tinting all your windows and will end up having to do it again after a year or so when it starts to bubble.The thing you get with a professional job. Practically everyplace I have gone to comes with a lifetime warrenty...lifetime! Not only do you let someone else put the tint on for you, if anything should happen to the tint they will replace it for free. I know the warrenty from a local shop will replace tint if it is damaged in any way or if I happen to break a window and it gets replaced, they will replace the tint as well. Yes it is a lot of money to get a professional install but you have to realize what you are getting along with it. Less hassel, lifetime warrenty and if they do it wrong you can make them redo it.

coldmm803 · Post by **coldmm803** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:22 am

i'm goin pro, its being done as i type this

tcam · Post by **tcam** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:04 am

Quote, originally posted by coldmm803 Â»i'm goin pro, its being done as i type thislol, smart choice

Mrizzle05 · Post by **Mrizzle05** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:28 am

getting mine done withing the next few days... i think 15 in back 30 on teh sides and 50 up frontall done for 150 with warranty!!

NUBlackshirts · Post by **NUBlackshirts** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:30 am

Quote, originally posted by coldmm803 Â»i'm goin pro, its being done as i type thisGood choice. I can't count how many times I have laughed at the particularly UGLY tint jobs I have seen people try to do on their own. I really like the ones that have bubbled up so much that there is no way the driver can see out the back window! Just not worth the savings.

coldmm803 · Post by **coldmm803** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:30 am

got my vibe back around 4 after some errands and it looks great. i got 5 windows done all in 35%, due to crappy PA laws i didnt get the front doors and the back is 1 piece too. i'll get some pics up when i get a chance, i took 2 quick ones but they arent that great cause of glare

Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install

Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install

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Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (Markt2717)

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Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (Katscan)

Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (coldmm803)

Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (tcam)

Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (coldmm803)

Re: Window Tinting Poll: Do it yourself / Professional install (NUBlackshirts)