Tinted windows on a 240Z

[texasz]

Well it seems as though I'm not the only person who has worked in a tint shop. From the information given it sound as though most everything has been covered but I will summarize and give my thoughts any how.

Summary: Window tint is great stuff (and on the inside of the car), it has a function to keep the inside of your auto cooler as well as make it more difficult to see anything inside of it. When it's done right it will last a good while, but DO NOT use that crap you can go buy at Pep Boys it's trash! Most any window can be done in one piece of tint, the quarter windows on a Z are quite easy...we have even done the rear window of a '92 Vette in one piece!! Now it that can be done just about anything can be (window tinting is a artwork, much like bodywok...anyone can buy Bondo but to have it done right you have to have the right tools and knowledge). Removal - lots of good ideas here but not the healthiest nor most environmentally friendly...instead of amonia try using Simple Green. On all the windows you can just peal the film off then use soapy water (a few drops of lemon fresh Joy and water in a squirt bottle) and a razor blade to remove the glue (takes only a few minutes per window instead of "bagging" them with the trash bag). NOTE: on the rear window if you have a defroster you must bag the window as previously described with a trash bag and allow it to 'bake' in the sun a while which will serve two purposes...it will make the old brittle film plyable and more likely to come off in one piece...and also soften up the glue so it will peel off easier. After this you can repeat the bagging process (film gone now) to get more of the glue off or soften it up more if necessary. Do not use anything to scrape your window or you will destroy the defroster!! Now use a Scrunge (found in the grocery store with the dish spunges) and more Simple Green and the glue will come right off with our harming anything.

Additional Thoughts: Do not tint you windshield unless you have a skin condition sensitive to UV (sunlight) and you have a Dr. note stating so (and you cary it in your car) or you WILL get a ticket. All newer windshields have an AS1 line on them and it is illegal to have any tint below this line (in any state!). Also, check your state laws...in CA for example I believe it is illegal to have any tint on the front windows (driver's and passenger's doors)...there's probably a grandfather clause but you will need to check the laws that apply in your area. I would also not recommend tinting them while out of the car as you can damage the file while installing the windows plus you may tint them too close to the edge and the film may end up under the gasket (rear window for example) and this can cause problems if the gasket pulls the film it will cause damage or begin peeling (not to mention that if you want to remove it later you will have trouble as the edges will be under the gasket). No tint shop I have ever heard of removes windows to remove or install tint.

Hope that my experience in this area has been of use to some of you here.

[zguitar71]

I have a love hate relationship with mine. They look very good on the car and I like them in the brite sun but at night I cannot see at all. I removed a large tinted area on the top of the windshield. It was very easy, just used a razor blade and scraped, then used a light solvent to remove some of the glue residue. I will be removing my tint this spring when I get my car out of winter storage (the only draw back to living in Montana, deicer desolves Z cars). Then I will not have to be fearful of hiting a pedestrain crossing the street when I make left turns late at night. I have been driving with the windows down but in spring and fall the temp drop pretty fast around here so I would keep the heat cranked.

[Zrush]

The red Z has Limo tint on it done by a professional. Here in Florida old cars are grandfathered in as far as the percentages of tint go. I like the look of a dark tint on ANY car. In Florida tint is a must for any Z with black interior....unless you want your hatch carpet to turn brown and rot.

FWIW

Vicky

[texasz]

The red Z has Limo tint on it done by a professional. Here in Florida old cars are grandfathered in as far as the percentages of tint go. I like the look of a dark tint on ANY car. In Florida tint is a must for any Z with black interior....unless you want your hatch carpet to turn brown and rot.

FWIW

Vicky

Limo tint - 5% I had this on a previous car and loved it! Nice and dark, nobody and I mean nobody could see what I had in the car (thump thump)...then again these were in my younger years...I can't do music that loud any more.

[Brandy]

I'd love to be pointed to someone in south TX that can tint (and hopefully do some bodywork at the same time). I like the privacy aspect of the tint, but also want to be able to see out of my side windows at night, so I guess I would be more amenable to a tint that has a more UV aspect than 'darkness'. I plan to have my Z repainted this summer, and at the same time get all the weatherstripping replaced (apparently it was originally done by a drunk person), and wouldn't mind getting the tinting done, too. I keep a louver on the rear hatch for definite privacy issues, but since we want to return some day to the east and weird weather, it would also help keeping the rear hatch area clear.

[bpilati]

The Z windows are slightly tinted aren't they?

[TomoHawk]

I was going to say that tinting the back window was not a good ideafor the PO of my Fla car, because the tingting was so brittle that ammonia didn't help. I had to razxor blade everything off, and I spent hours on my back peeling the film off the back window with a small Xacto blade and clean glasses to see exactly where the defroster lines were. I STILL didn't get it all off, and you can see the thick lines across the back window.

Removeable/MOVEABLE tinting! From Wall-Mart I bought a roll of tinting that comes off! (static-cling stuff. You can put it back on later. I used it as a stripe across the top of the windsahield. Been on 7 years so far, and stil comes off & on easy. They use stuff like this in airplanes, so you can move a patch of tint to where the sun is.

thx

[bpilati]

I was only asking a question.

[TomoHawk]

The windows on my 78 270Z don't seem to have any tint, like modern cars seem to have. Not even the shading at the top of the windscreen. that's why I leave them dirty...

[hls30.com]

Having taken all of the glass out of several Zs, all of it comes with a slight uniform blue tint-most aftermarket glass has the darker tint band at the top of the winshield.

Will

[Bambikiller240]

Having taken all of the glass out of several Zs, all of it comes with a slight uniform blue tint-most aftermarket glass has the darker tint band at the top of the winshield.

Will

That is what I've seen also.