Tinted cars look cool. My car has no tint. I've seen people throw around numbers when it comes to tinting, 5%, 70%, 50%. I really don't know what they mean. I know the legal tinting % varies from state to state, so I'll look up the laws in Iniana when I get a chance. But what do you recommend for tinting? What %? I think I like the dark dark tint where you can't see through the other person's window, usually a Mercedes or Lexus will have that, I'd like to get it too, but not at the expense of it looking cheezy or out of place on my Monte. Also, what costs am I looking at to get my car tinted? Looking to do all windows, except the windshield of course.

 

35% is typically acceptable by every state. However, some don't allow it at all. Google state tint laws.

I personally have 20%.

 

The percentages work with how much light is getting through.

So if you tint 75%, then 25% of the light is being blocked. If you tint 50% then half the light comes through. And if you are tinting 5%, then 95% of all the light is blocked which makes it VERY dark.

Lower the percentage, the darker the Tint.

Most people just find their state law and do that percentage, but remember that cops can (and most likely will) give you a hard time if you are borderline tint %. For example, most cars come with a factory tint of like 5%, it's hard to see, but it's not a perfectly clear window. Therefore if you put a 35% tint on top of that 5% factory tint, you could be at like 32% tint, and if tested by a true light radar fail your state tinting eventhough the shop said it was correct.

Honestly just look at your laws, and talk with the shop that would work on it for you. I would recommend just doing the back 3 windows because it's cheaper and you won't get hassled at all for it. But if you really want to tint, and think that the cops in your area will give you troubles, just find the legal tinting limit for your state and make it 5% lighter. Then you shouldn't have to worry about anything.

I would say though, for a good reputable shop to budget around $250.

 

The lower the number the darker it is. In most states it is illegal to have it darker than 35%. The tint on other cars you can not see through is either limo tint or 5%. I like 20% personally. I had 5% on the back window of my civic and could not see out of the window at night. Also when I had 5% I had problems getting pulled over a lot. You should expect to pay some where around 250-300 for the tint job.

edit: you beat me to it.

 

$250-$300??!?!?!?!?!?! Holy crap that's insane. Every place around here is $150 and below. I only paid $130 and have a lifetime warranty.

 

Rick, it's just budgeting. I ALWAYS over budget my mods, then I have extra money afterwards.

I'm just saying, if he doesn't want to get the estimate from a shop and save up, I'd grab $250 and know that wherever he goes it will get done for that or less. So there aren't any surprise costs afterwards.

 

I suppose you're right... I'm bad at budgeting my money.

 

i've been throwing this concept around in my head for a while. MN tinting laws are 50%. but i know lots of people who have legal tinting but still get pulled over A LOT cuz the cops think it's too dark. i think tinting looks cool on almost any vehicle, but if it's gonna cause that much hassle, i'm not going to do it.

quartermain, i would ask around your area and see how strict tint enforcement is. imo it's not worth the hassle like it is here in MN. does anyone know if you do get pulled over, is there some way to prove your tint is legal???

 

If you want to fight the officer about the tint on your car, you can ask them to use a light gun to test it, and sometimes they have them on them and sometimes it's back at the station.

Personally on my Lumina I had tinted windows and I was always getting hassled, that's why I never put it on the Monte, and if I do it's going to be the back 3 only.

 

Geez... I'm glad I live where I live. I couldn't stand not having my windows tinted. How else could a guy pick his nose without be mocked by other drivers.... LMAO!