To Tint or not to tint...

[hls30.com]

Does the application of window tint hurt the value of an early Z?

In a otherwise pristine Z, will the fact that it has tinted windows hurt its value?

Please ignore the fact that I started numbering the choices, and didn't finish that way-among other errors. Try typing with a laptop and an eighteen month old key pushing Datsun fanatic in your lap-especially when his Idea of a great poll is:

What is the preferred food to eat/leave/smear in/on a progressing Datsun interior as an exercize in giving Daddy more practice in cleaning surfaces and maintaining a bug free paint Zone?

1) Dry cerial

2) A thick and gooey PBJ sandwich,

3) Chicken nuggets

4) Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls

5) Cut fruit

6) Anything I manage to sneak into the car

7) What ever will make the most proof that I was in the car with food when daddy was underneath the car...

[Fun_in_my_z]

Mine are going to be as dark as legaly possible

[Ed]

If your car is a stock showpiece then keep it off. But if not then even a light tinting will help prevent damaging UV light from fading your carpets and seat belts or damaging plastic components.

[mperdue]

I'm still trying to figure out why there are 6 answers to a yes or no question. That's what I get when I ask my wife a yes or no question

[SavannahZ]

I agree with Ed. The tint will help keep what you have of value in better condition.

[EScanlon]

I'm still trying to figure out why there are 6 answers to a yes or no question. That's what I get when I ask my wife a yes or no question

Geez Michael, as a long time member here you should KNOW that even simple "Yes/No" questions here become Unabridged Opinion Polls! And what's more, each answer has some form of validity that can be discerned.

Fimz's response is one that a lot of people nowadays are going for....next to obsidian black. In fact it's due to that opaque Limo Tint being applied to ALL of a vehicle's windows that has caused the legislations enacted against it. In Iowa about 20some years ago, there was a case of a State Trooper that walked up on a car that he'd stopped for a traffic infraction, only to have the occupant roll down the window and the Trooper then faced a handgun .... definitely NOT the beginning of a friendly exchange.

Then again, the STOCK windows had a very light tint to them, as well as the windshield having that blue band across the top.

The UV protection is something that you can't ignore. With the Dash's proclivity to cracking due to heat absorption/UV damage, you can't ignore simple measures that would reduce/eliminate that. However, it's illegal in many states (AFAIK) to change the tint on the windshield. You may do it, and you may even find places that will do it, yet it's still illegal (and don't forget the reduced visibiliy at night).

So, Ed's response is "spot on", as it addresses both.

But, to toss in yet another item, I think part of it applies to how "original" you are planning on being.

In southern states I'll bet that many dealers offered the tint option, even though it may have been performed by a third party. Carl Beck's knowledge of dealer practices would be invaluable to determine if that was something that they offered. But, whether the dealer did or didn't isn't relevant if many owners would automatically have their windows tinted. Before you think that this wouldn't be something people would do, stop and think about this; Have you ever gotten into a vehicle with VINYL seats wearing shorts on a hot sunshiny day? The tint wouldn't eliminate the sizzle of frying butt, but it would reduce it to a simmer. Heck, Michael, you're in Texas....why don't YOU tell us.

So my item is this, many people in the 70's DID tint their windows because this was the "cool" thing to do....aside from any UV protection, privacy, and other ideas. Therefore, a "period-correct" vehicle, with the modifications that a vehicle IN THE 70'S would have exhibited, WOULD have the tinting. In fact, MIRROR TINT (yes, the silver foil reflect your image type) was very popular, although now I think that's the main one police officers look for as that one is literally a smoking crack pipe in a police convention, meaning that they can readily discern that it's been legislated against. (Other tints, even the limo tints are very hard to discern as being "over-the-line" when viewed as single panes and not the complete vehicle picture--which was the intent of the law...i.e. vehicle occupant's actions should not be hidden.)

Personally, a well done, SUBTLE tint takes my vote.

E

P.S.: Will, I'll offer #8 to your food poll: 8. Any food that dries quickly to a hardness that rivals cured stress concrete and requires a jackhammer to remove.

[kinfish]

The infamous "mirror tint" window film surfaces again. I added this stuff to my hatch and quarter windows after seeing it on a trailer (mobile home) in the Mojave desert in early '74. The guy in the trailer actually installed it for a living and he tackled my '71 not knowing the difficulty.

Believe this film was made by 3M and it was not pliable. All 3 of these windows have double curvature and hence to get it to lay flat required multiple slits around the circumference.

This mirror film worked great but was dangerous due to reflections of the sun. One week prior to leaving Calif in the summer of '74 I got stopped on the interstate north of LA by a CHP motorcycle cop. At the time he told me the film was illegal but didn't write a ticket because he was more interested in my car. Film remained on my car until 1988 ........ no tickets!

[Alfadog]

That's really interesting, I didn't know "mirror tint" was available back then. It has recently made a sizeable comeback - quite a few cars are running it, along with the new fashion of COLOURED tints. Yes, green, blue, pink... you name it, we've got it.

Personally, this is a question I have been pondering over for a long time with my car. Not so much in regards to value but in regards to LOOK. I love the look of a classic car with clean, almost invisible glass. It does make a car look much cleaner. On the other hand dark tint makes a car look more agressive. Tint will also protect the interior better, but also could be dangerous at night.

In regards to tint and its affect on value of a Z. I guess you could always remove it, but I believe a properly restored "original" will look better, and be viewed more favourably without tint. That's my opinion anyway.

[Arne]

Regarding removing the tint - I am of the opinion that removing tint off the rear window is why so many old Zs have dead rear window defoggers. Peel the tint - the defogger grid comes off with it.

[TomoHawk]

Regarding removing the tint - I am of the opinion that removing tint off the rear window is why so many old Zs have dead rear window defoggers. Peel the tint - the defogger grid comes off with it.

That's what happened to mine. I even used the ammonia solution, plastic, etc. I even took it to a tinting place and the guy said I have to scrap the rear window clean and/or buy a new window w/ defogger. He must be selling lotsa new windows and defoggers that way. :angry:

I obviously will have to scrape it now, and install an aftermarket defogger.

[zbane]

I am torn between installing reasonable tint (for UV protection/heat reduction) or those nice black window louvers-perhaps both. After all, weren't the louvers stylish when our z's were new?

Shortly after I moved to Santa Fe, NM, I saw a state trooper with limo tint on his cruiser ON EVERY WINDOW. I had just moved from CA, where you could only tint the rear windows, and those to only a medium tint.

If you decide to tint to the max for your state FIMZ, you may make yourself an easy target for harrassment should you cross state lines, FWIW.

I say be reasonable, the cost benefit from not having to replace all of your interior goodies makes it worth tinting the back, even if it will cause problems with the defroster when/if you decide to remove it. Tinting the front ones is just a bad idea, solely for the safety issues.

[Maddos]

Living in a reasonably warm part of Australia, I've tinted every car I've owned to cut down on heat.

My Zed had crappy old bubbling tint on it when I bought it and have only just finished removing it from side windows. Have stalled at rear window although I'll have to remove it for rego anyway. Tinting place suggested an amonia oven cleaner to remove and hopefully save demister but would imagine would take element with it.

So yes I would re-tint the windows but at least these days they give pretty good warranty depending on how much you want to pay.