Hey all,

I'm considering having my R56 windows tinted. Three concerns:

1. I've heard that if you tint over the back glass heater, you're not supposed to use it anymore because the film will bubble-up. I've heard the exact opposite in these forums, too. No idea what's true or what the issues are.
2. I associate tinted windows with crap-looking windows 10 years down the road, with peeling and whatever else. Maybe these are crap DIY jobs, but I don't want to do something that causes cosmetic issues long-term. Thoughts?
3. Reputable work. As with anything of this sort, it seems there are dozens of shady operators dispensing worthless advice and nonsense assurances. Anyone have any suggestions and personal experience with a Front Range tinter whose work you'd not hesitate to recommend?

Any other comments on this are quite welcome.

Wes

 

The shop that did my tint, which is a reputable place, said it's fine to use the rear defrost and that heat is good for tint, if anything. So don't worry about that.

Good tint should last years without any issues. I know mine has a two year warranty but I think if it's applied properly and is good quality tint you shouldn't need to worry.

 

Thanks, Danny. Hopefully someone here in the Denver area can recommend someone with a good track record...

 

1) I've only had Otto for three months but my two prior cars combined for 14 years with no issues caused by film over the heated back glass.

2) My last car went nearly 9 years with the tint looking good. I think that longevity is mainly a function of quality tint with quality installation and a modicum of owner care being the other factors.

3) I had some solid tint work done by Suds Factory near Park Meadows. When I got my Mini, I went to All American Window Tinting on Evans because they're one of only two shops in the area that does Huper Optik film.

My best advice is to go with a shop with name brand film, a solid guarantee and that has been around for a while. Selecting a tint shop solely on price is also likely to cause you pain. You don't always get what you pay for but it's even more rare to get what you didn't pay for.

 

All American came-up in my Googling, but their web site is pretty cheesy... Always makes me a little suspicious for some reason, but nice to hear another data point.

Huper Optik... That's the ceramic stuff, right? I'd heard about the "ceramic" films, but I don't fully grok the difference between that and anything else. Sounds like it's a pricey, high-end sort of job to go that route.

I definitely don't want to base it on price—but I also just don't have the budget to go with something too pricey.

I'll give All American a call and feel things out a bit, and get a quote on the work, and sorta go from there.

Thanks much for the comments!

Wes

 

I had All American on Evans (in Denver) apply the Huper Optik ceramic yesterday. It was roughly $300 to get the sides and back window done, and I love the end result. We'll see how it performs over the long-term, but the install quality appears to be quite good.

I like the look of this particular material. I could have gone with something quality but cheaper, but the Huper ceramic has a slightly reflective quality to it that sold me in the sample—and exceeded my expectations once it was applied on the car.

For those who are as curious as I was... No problem using the rear defroster; just wait 24 hours before doing so. And no rolling the windows up or down for 5 days.

Anxious to see how happy I am over the long-term. But the film comes with a decent warranty from Huper Optik, and the shop's been around for 20+ years... So hopefully not worth worrying about.

Wes

 

Wes, sounds good, did you invoice give you a breakdown for sides and the rear window, if so would love to know the rear window cost? Send me a PM.

How dark did you go, 50, 40, 30 ???

Thanks again,
Don

 

Will do.

For everyone else's reference, it's Huper Optik Ceramic 30, and after several days now with day and with night driving, I continue to be really pleased with my choice.

Wes

 

Bt the way, it costs more than $400 to remove tint because of the labor involved