I'm thinking of getting rid of my purple tint for something that works. The tint is old and, well, purple.

Is it pretty easy to tint windows while they're still in the door? Or would it be better to remove them? The previous owner tinted these windows and the ones in his new car and he insists on removing the windows. He also insists on smoking and stressing out over the entire job, lol.

Anyway, should this be a DIY project or should I take it somewhere for $200 and have them tinted?

 

Its real easy to do. and dont take them ...you will scratch the heck out of them putting them back in.. keep the glass and tint sprayed with soapy water until you're happy with where its at then squeegee it and trim it...

 

That's what it looks like from all the videos. I don't see how people make a profession out of it.

I might not tint at all now. I've been considering air force as a job path, and one of the bases I may get shipped to is in california. CA specs for tint is like 70% light, which makes tint moot.

-edit-
eh, if it's easy enough to do i'll do it for while I'm in colorado. I'll absolutely refuse to go to california. It doesn't seem fun there.

 

i did my own tinting and it wasnt hard at all. i did tint my one piece rear window while i was swapping it out from the slider which made it alot easier though. and whoever told you that CA has a 70% tint law is wrong. you can go as dark as you want on the windows behind the front doors, (even paint them black if you want) as long at you have both outside mirrors. even then depending on where you live the cops are not all that strict on it.

 

Multiple websites. http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/CA/ (for one)

I have a standard cab, so I only have the windshild, the rear window, and the side windows.

Dang, I really need a pic of my truck for my avatar.

 

I tinted the windows on my runner. I made a thread about it. Its 3 pages, lots of helpfull tips.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...indows-167037/

I used poster board for a template then cut the tint out on a glass table, it worked for me. Just remember to cut the tint an inch longer on the bottom of the roll down windows.

dont use alot of soap when you start tinting, maybe 1-2 drops in 18oz of water.

 

Hey try out some of the pre-cut tint off of Ebay. Cutting the tint is the hardest part of the entire job. The kits are guaranteed not to turn purple like the auto store brands from what I have read, plus the prices are really reasonable. I want to try them out on my 4runner but I have to wait for the summer to come around.

I tinted the windows in my last truck and it was pretty easy besides messing up each side window once when I was cutting them...cut them too short and had to buy another roll.

 

Cali tint specs....
The front windshield can be tinted approximately 5 inches down from the top and up from the bottom... but only because expemption stickers and such are applied in those areas so it's more of an allowance by proxy since the stickers completely block vision.
No tint to the left or right side of the driver, other than factory 'tinted' glass, so no aftermarket film type tint on the door windows.
You can tint every window behind the driver, even paint them pitch black if you want... but if the rear window is tinted, the one you look through with the rear-view mirror, you have to have a side view mirror on the passenger side door, like the driver's side door has.

 

Hey Abe I thought you could tint the windows next to the driver but they had to be 75% or more?

 

75% is sort of a grey area (pun intended) since that transmits a significant bit of light, but technically / legally speaking, applying any tinted film to the windows to the side of the driver is illegal. Tinted glass (where the coloring is part of the glass, not a film affixed to the glass) is legal but generally cannot have a transmission factor of less than 75%.
One might be able to get away with a gradient tint, darker at top fading to clear within 30% or so from the top of the window. However, the cops have a bit of leeway in determining what is acceptible.

 

I was pulled over in Washington with 95% tint on my driver and passenger windows in a car. Washington only allows like 70% on the driver and passenger side windows. Contrary to popular belief on this post, most cops i've been around are more than happy to pull you over for windows, lights, neon and any other non DOT approved items you may have, its like a game to them, don't give them any more reason. This is especially annoying on friday and saturday nights at about 12:00 to 2:00 am.

 

Yeah i got pulled over because my tail-light wasn't red enough for the officer's taste. Though still very much red, it was brighter than my other one because of fade....

 

im in california and in an area full of cops and mines all blacked out, i have tinted tailights, twolayers of 5% on the rear windows and 35% up front with a stripe of tint about 5 inches id say and ive had it like that for 6 months and ive never been pulled over... i have been pulled over for a cell phone tiket but the cop didnt say anything about the tailights (which are illegal) or the front tint... id say in CA ur good with 35% up front becuase its noticeable but i dont think a op would waste his time pulling you over for that, the back windows can be any percentage but front windws are 70%.

 

I saw that a while back and that sort of made me want to do this tinting project.

I think I'll just tint it anyway. It's easy to remove, so should I ever get stationed in CA I'll just scrape it off.

 

this might be a stupid question, but can you tint over factory tint, or would i have to strip the OE tint off.

 

check on ebay. they sell pre cut tint that is vehicle specific. i did my front windows and it turned out great. just a thought

 

I saw some of those pre-cut tints. I was actually considering those, seeing as how it's pre-cut and it's only $24 for the front windows.

 

Yeah you can go over it, mine are 2 layers of 5%

 

geez, 2 layers of 5%? I have just have 1 layer of 5% and its so dark.

 

yeah the previous owner did it and its dark as hell. i cant see if im parking at night. i have to roll the back window down to somehwhat park good lol