GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi Everyone,Just took the wife's 05 Vibe down this morning to get the Windows tinted.Beforehand, I was wondering how they would get the hatch tinted because of the "hatch handles" (or whatever they are called) on each side. I am talking about the things that keep the hatch propped open. They ended up just using a small slit so the tint doesn't go all the way around. Is this what they did o yours?Just wondering if there was an alternative? Thanks everyone.

Mine was done very professionally. The tint was cut into strips and then fit in between the metal defroster lines. I am pretty sure they just cut out around the hydrolic hinge when they placed the tint there just like yours. It would be the easiest thing to do.

Mine also were done professionally, here have a look!

Mine was done as a single piece, just like Arcs....they didn't tint over the 3rd brake light.

not to crap over ur tint job but u should never let them do a tint in strips.the strips over time will shrink from the heat of the wires and leave really big gaps that look like crap........happened to my 91 olds.u should always request it in a 1 peice unit......it cant shrink that way......hope this helps someone.

I took mine to a professional window tintin' guy... Got 35% all the way around. Tinting is his second job, but man, he did 10x better work than the "actual" tint shop I had the last car tinted at. He's very, very (removed) about the work he does, and it shows.And since he's doing the tint out of his garage, I was able to help him out. We opened the rear glass, removed the hatch struts (I was the lucky one to hold up the glass when he removed the struts, man that's heavy!) He fitted the tint on the outside just so, and cut around the holes for the struts. He used all one piece, didn't go near the 3rd brake light, instead just cut around the rubber part that attaches to the glass. No complaints here, every part of the job turned out very good - even the windshield, where I thought there was a snowball's chance in hell to get tint to stick to that *and* look halfway decent. A worthwile investment, if it's legal in your area.

So, how many people had the tint cut around the hatch strut to make it fit?

I had mine done by a pro and he cut around everything and did a great job. You have to look very close to tell

Quote, originally posted by Vibe_dude »not to crap over ur tint job but u should never let them do a tint in strips.the strips over time will shrink from the heat of the wires and leave really big gaps that look like crap........happened to my 91 olds.u should always request it in a 1 peice unit......it cant shrink that way......hope this helps someone.This is the first car that I have had aftermarket tint on so I am not an expert. But I think having it in one strip would cause it to "bubble" because of the heating and cooling of the rear window defroster (if you use it a lot). The same way that you said it makes the strips shrink. Maybe my thinking is wrong here, but i always see it on those Wal-mart tint jobs. But I guess that isn't a very good comparison because of the crappy quality of the tint they are using. But anyway back on topic...I was mistaken in my previous post, it appears that they cut a circle out in the tint before they placed it, then disconnected the hydralic cylinder and fitted the tint that way. I see no visable scribe or cut marks on the tint except for the cutout. The other side is perfect, this side I can just barely see the cutout, but you don't notice unless you get very close.

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Here's my back window. Kinda far, but it's all one piece

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I'll snap a few pics next time I'm thinking of it and show what the guy did with my tint.

I have tinted many cars over the years and you can use strips for the back if needed. You just have to overlap them a litle bit. Obviously one piece is ideal but think about a Camaro or Corvette back glass, curves too many ways and too big for one piece. Cutting around the holes is OK but if you can remove the glass that is best.

Hi, Mine was also done in one piece. The lady who did it said she once removed the glass panel and had a hell of a time trying to put it back just right. She cut around the hydraulic mounts and then used a special marker to touch up any glass that was see-able. It was a great tint job all around. Lisa's Window Tinting - Danville, IL. Anyone in Eastern IL or Western IN, I'd suggest giving her a call.Dave