When tinting windows do the door panels need to be removed to get tinting low enough on the glass? I'm thinking about having it done. The dealer would be more expensive but I'm not keen on the idea of a 3rd party ripping the door apart on my new MINI.

 

Most shops shouldn't need to remove the door panels to get the tint low enough. They push the excess down into the jam and it's never seen.

 

Both my cars tinted by independent shops, neither one removed door panels. Never heard of anyone having to do that either...

 

Just had mine done, no removal of the door panels

 

I got 18% put on Lewis and they didn't have to take anything apart.

 

When I tinted my doors I shut the doors, then unhooked the battery and opened the doors to tint the window. That stopped the window from going down when you open the door.
Then using a plastic window tint tool I made a gap between the window and the trim to slide the tint into. Very simple process.

 

No door panels removed when I got my windows tinted.And they knew about the auto window drop/raise feature when opening and closing the doors.

 

My windows were tinted and, unless my boyfriend is keeping something from me (he took mine to the tinting place as a Christmas present), there was no need to take my doors apart. It was an independent place and he did a great job!

 

chpsk8 and for others that dont know it yet.but you dont have to unhook your battery.
all you have to do is open the door and get a screw driver and 'trick' the door. gotta push in where the door would latch onto the metal part you see that's attached to the car.
so you're basically tricking the door that's it's closed and the window will go up.

but on another note. some tint shops do in fact take off all the door panels and wat not. they tint almost the WHOLE window..instead of wat you just see. to be honest..there's really no point in doin that..like most of you guys said..it should just be done by have the window sit there as is.
(i tint windows for a living..so i know the ins and outs..)

 

I guess it's the same for BMW coupe and other cars that lower windows when door is open

 

I just got my Clubman done. All windows and the sunroof and they did not remove anything. It came out great too!!

 

The shop that did mine just opened the doors with the key in and rolled the windows back up and then turned the car off to make sure the windows were all the way up

 

both of ours are tinted and nothing removed to tint either of them.

 

had a kid come over and do mine for my previous car, they looked excellent and were a lot cheaper just be prepared to be stopped if they are above legal limit and you are a male between the age of 17 and 25

 

I just had mine done, the guy didn't even need to stick wedges in the door panel. He did my last car and they lasted for years perfectly

 

 

Does anyone know if the rear window tint needs to be heat shrunk? I've been wanting to order tints from SnapTint and do it myself. I've did it with a couple of friends on their cars, but they've always failed at using the heat gun for the back. (Basically, is the rear window flat or really curved? I won't know until my baby gets here :()

 

Where did you tint yours and how much

 

I paid $150 for 5 windows (two front & three rear). They of course didn't need to remove any panels.

 

I watched the job get done and he did use a heat gun for rear. never did touch the door panels what so ever either. $210.00

 

Time to " rent " a heat gun from Home Depot!
Its either going to be about $200 tint and labor from a local tint shop, or $75 total + $30 for the heat gun (refundable) if I do it myself.

 

just a quick tip..you have to use the heat gun on the side windows also..they are a little curved so when installing there will be wat tinters like to call 'fingers' bubbles going up and down on the edge of the film instead of a round one which is just a bubble.

everything on tinting is on tintdude.com check it out. i learned a couple of neat tricks myself from there. know almost all of them already..

 

The rear needs to be shrunk with a heat gun. I've tried mine twice and failed miserably at it. Luckily it doesn't look weird to not have the back done. I might take another stab at it this summer. The first time I creased the tint and couldn't fix it. The second time I was too aggressive with the heat and melted it.
I think it's something like $10 for a precut piece from the place I get it from, so I'll try one more time just for kicks although I have little faith. The sides went very smooth and easy. Might have given me too much confidence.

 

For both the side windows, including the front? :(

This will be my third time trying to tint a rear window with a heatgun albeit the last two tries weren't on a MINI. I hope I don't fail, again!

 

well there's barely any molding for the side windows. so no worries on that.
but it's mainly the back window..try getting a dryer sheet and lightly spray the window and lightly spray the dryer sheet and just start rubbing the back window until the whole back window is hazy. leave it to dry and put the film on. make an 'H' or just put a line straight thru the middle. and start heating from middle and and middle up after you finish the bottom.
but only push down watever you heated. if you push more you crease it if you push too little then you might burn it by puttin too much heat in one spot. and molding the back window of a mini is MUCH easier than molding almost any other back window.
it takes me about a minute or two to mold the back. just check out tint dude and follow their directions.