Hello,

My car quickly turns into an oven in the sunny San Diego days. I already know about all the illegal ways people do it, but I'm really not looking to attract attention and I'm trying to stay within the crazy California tinting laws.

Does anyone have experience with the high quality transparent 3M or Huper Optik films? I'm looking for either completely transparent, or no more tint than the greenish transparent tint that came from the factory. I don't like the "darker in the back" look, so whatever I get, I'll get all the way around, excluding windshield.

Thanks

Edit: Does anyone have any technical information on the factory greenish transparent tint?

 

avuton,

If you're not adverse to using the dealership, I'd recommend you give DeAna Schilling a call at Mini of Escondido. She quoted a very reasonable price for tinting (and it included a loaner car while it was being done). She works at both the BMW and the Mini dealerships, and has always treated me well.

Just a thought...

 

The Air Blue tint works really well. I was going to get it put on my windshield when I got my other windows done but decided against it because of the price.

I have sat in a vehicle with it applied to the windshield and there is a very noticeable difference with it. A lot of people with pano sunroofs put it up there too and that also makes a difference.

 

I got Huper Optik put on my car last weekend: 30% on my windows/sunroof and 70% on my windshield. Dunno if it's due to the fact that it's still curing after three days but the windshield film has a bit of haze that I don't notice with the darker tint.

 

i had 2 different tint shops tell me that the UV and IR filtering of the various tints of the premium materials is virtually the same, all being in the mid to upper 90%s

so the lightest tint will filter heat and protect from UV as well as the darker tints

i imagine the actual proterties are available online

scott

 

Will definitely do this. Couldn't get a hold of her today, but I will soon.

Thanks

 

Wanted to thank everyone for the feedback. There's so little I could find with people's experience with transparent tint anywhere online.

 

UV filtering helps protect stuff inside your car from the aging effects of UV but doesn't do much for heat, which seems to be the OP's major issue.

While IR is a major component of heat, the industry standard measure of heat rejection is TSER. Even so, you are correct in that TSER doesn't increase dramatically as tint darkens. You're looking at about 50% for a 70% film, increasing to about 60% on a 30% film (the darkest legal tint here in CO).

Yup.

Huper Optik Ceramic specs

3M Crystalline brochure (specs at end)

 

After seeing a MINI with 3M Crystalline CR70 I'm pretty sure that's the way to go for mine. Hardly visible and the fact that it blocks about 50% of the incoming heat, I've scheduled an appointment to have it installed in all the side and back windows. Looking forward to more comfortable sunny days. Again, thanks for the help.

 

30% is darkest legal here too but I run 18 front and 08 rear with no probs. Of course if you have to be inspected then..........

 

After seeing the spec sheet for that film, 3M Crystalline, although pricier than some others, is also on my to do list to cool down my interior.