Is there anything in particular that I should be aware of when going to get my tinting done as far as what not to get (I know I should stray from metallic) but are there any specifics as what not to get because of issues?

Local tint shop mentioned a Llumar product called Axcess, but also mentioned that it's quite expensive, so I'm just curious what else is out there.

For the record, in addition to the comfort access, I'm going to be having a radar detector, GPS, cellular modem and phone. So if it's going to degrade/block any of those, let me know. Thanks!

 

Good question........

 

Just make sure they guarantee their work. If bubbles don't go away will they reinstall it, no charge. That is the biggest question. As for interference most tint these days is fine, like you said, no metallic. As for what is the best tint, who knows for sure. One will say Llumar and other 3M another something else and someone will say they all come from the same place just getting a different name on them. I would say just make sure the guarantee is there. Lifetime guarantee is what I always get. Oh and make sure the darkness you pick is legal for your state. Just my 2cents.

 

Not to hijack the thread but are there any gradual tints. A tint that would get darker as you near the rear of the car?

 

As you may or may not know I have 18% on my MINI and I love how much cooler it is during the summer months.
As for radar detectors, I haven't seen one yet that doesn't blip false alarms all day long, but thats up to you.
I prefer to watch for brake lights in the distance that give away the ST's.
Save your money and buy yourself an Ipod instead..

As for the GPS you should look at the Garmin 700 series, they are great for pre-loading routes.

PM me and I'll let you in on a little secret.

 

There are laws for what percentage of visablity the tint can be for all windows. The front windows need to have a higher visability rating than the rear. For example my fronts are 35% visibility and my back and rear windows are 18% visability. So, that would be the tint getting darker as you near the rear of the car.

 

My MINI has 10% all the way around. One thing to consider is if you have a sunroof or not. If you do you will want to look at a little darker tint cause the sunroof will let in more light and give you more light inside even with darker tint. Lighter colored interior will do this also. I have never had any problem in Florida, Georgia, both Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia with my tint, and I always have gone darker that legal. I have never had any problem with cell service, GPS and radar detector usage inside the car. And I completely agree something with a lifetime guarantee and a place that will install it right and redo it if need be. Get something that doesnt scratch cause I didnt do that on my jeep and after 1 window cleaning it had tiny little scratches in it. Also, shop around and see what other shops offer, some may even come to yu at home or work and install it for no extra charge, I found that to be a very convenient incentive. Tint is a complete must

 

Anything that isn't metallic should be just fine (although metallic might just work as well). Some of the FormulaOne lines or Huper Optik come to mind.

I have FormulaOne Classic on my Lexus and it doesn't interfere with the smartkey. For my MINI, I will be going with FormulaOne Pinnacle since it claims to reject more heat. They also specifically say it won't interfere with navigation systems or radio frequencies. I've been quoted $400 for the install.

My mom has 50% front side, 35% rear side, and 20% backlight on her car. The front doesn't look too dark (I assume that's what you're going for) and yet it doesn't look mismatched at all.

 

I'm not sure of the brand but mine is scratch proof, lifetime warranty 10% tint. They also came to my office and installed it for me and it was only $200. I dont know if what you are talking about is way more expensive than what I have or if your market is that much more, but $400 seems alot on such a small car. I didnt pay but $250 on my jeep and my T-bird

 

I had my MINI tinted at MOTD this past year for $120 by Solar Solutions .

$200 seems about right if you have them come out to do it at your home or work.
The local shop in my hometown charges $50 per side and $30 for the back.

 

$120 is really good, and I'm sure they used some good stuff too.

 

Just got quoted ~$220 for the "carbon tint" which supposedly won't interfere with anything. That's for sides, rear, and sunroof.

Anyone want to back that up or debunk it?

(BTW cabriopilot, this is from the place you recommended, I didn't mention M2C2 yet though)

 

Well they did quote me several prices when I spoke with them and each time the price seemed to drop more and more.
They originally started at $75 per window and eventually dropped down to $50 per side.
I would also mention to them that you were referred by our local MINI dealer as that will make them think twice about over-charging you.
They don't want to lose references from a dealer and I believe that it also gets you an automatic discount.

Don't bother telling them that another online member got it done for X-price because that won't mean as much as a reference from a dealer.

If you like I will go deal with them for you but I charge a mininum of $300 for negotiations, time and travel pay.

 

3m it guarantees not to effect any electronics a little more money,had it put on mine 20% all windows it ran $250 no problems with anything,love the tint. My wife had to have her windows replaced in her 5 series bmw and the body shop had the windows tinted and we have had problems with comfort access and unlocking of car the bmw dealer claims there is metalic in the tint causing the problem don't know the brand of tint so beware of cheap tint not all tints are the same.

 

If you have the money, and really care ceramic tint is the way to go, either Huper Optik or Formula One Ceramic, personally I find all other tint to be crap in comparison. Problem is it will cost close to twice as much, and you have to find a certified dealer which are few for both. The benefits are, you have no chance of interference, its far superior at blocking heat (which also allows you to go much lighter if you want), its of much higher quality (thicker, will not fade, much harder to damage), and looks better on the window.

Just for a price point of reference, here in NYC (where tinting tends to be cheap) Huper Optik is running me $400 ($50 less than a standard car), while lifetime guaranteed Lumar would have run me $199 ($50 less than I paid for my Audi allroad which has 2 more big windows). Huper is always lifetime guaranteed btw. I've used both tinters before and the Huper came out a thousand times better, now that has to do with the skill of the installer, but because ceramic tint is so much harder to work with and you need to be a certified installer, I wonder if it really is a testament to the quality of their work.

 

It really depends on the material. When I tinted my M3, it was $170 dollars for SolarGard. My Lexus was around $300 for FormulaOne Classic.

Everybody has mentioned going to a place that offers a lifetime warranty. I will also throw in that you should find a place that can do it without removing your door panels.

 

I just ordered a product called snaptint. I originally wanted to try it on my house. I have a wall of windows that heats up the entire house and wanted to see how difficult it would be to do myself so the Mini is my test. I'll keep you all posted.