# To tint ... or not to tint?



## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Now i've just got a new motor, and i'm thinking of tinting the windows, what do you think? Only a light tint all round or should i leave them as is? Sorry thats the only photo I have at the moment ..


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Firstly...

LOVE the black on black on black on black on black...

I might black all the chrome on mine. Looks awesome.

Tint. Yes. Do a good Tint on the rear windows then go as dark as legally possible on the front.

That car will look amazing.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Awwwwwhhhh that's one amazing looking car. Stunning. 

I agree with Jamie above, dark tint to the rears but perhaps leave the fronts. You have to allow 70% natural light through the front windows, and the oem tint may well be very close to that already. Have a chat with a specialist and they'll be able to advise. 
More pics please!!!
Cooks


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## kenny wilson (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah deffo dark tint B post back, you'll probably find the front door glass is already as dark as allowed.


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Cheers guys, I love the car too, rushed into my first A4 and didn't get what I wanted so this time I made sure it was the one I really wanted. There isn't lots of petrol A4 Black editions to chose from.

I'll hopefully get some more pics taken this weekend if it's not raining. May even whip one in photoshop of the side to see what they'll look like with a dark tint on the back.


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## Dode (Jun 13, 2013)

Nice motor there mate. Looks good with rear tints imo.


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## KarateKid (Oct 13, 2014)

Most definitely tint the back half of the car (have the same on mine, don't regret it one bit!). I wouldn't touch the front, wouldn't want any hassle from the dibble!

P.S. Very nice ride Mr.!


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

is there any sites that show different cars with tints etc? I am going to try and get a side photo at the weekend and have a play in photoshop.


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

You'd be silly not to tint!


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## Audriulis (Dec 17, 2009)

50% on my wifes civic all around


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## Audriulis (Dec 17, 2009)

Front looks brighter because of bigger windows


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Yeah it does look good, approx how much to tint? Lets say the back half at a god tinters.


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

My new car has factory tints so you can't really compare but my last car had something like 75% in the back and 25% at the front, I remember they were Sun-Tek tints.

Imo if you get the fronts too dark, it looks really cheap no matter how good the film/job is.

























:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## Audriulis (Dec 17, 2009)

30% is legal, but original windows let aprox 86% light through so even 20% tint might not be legal, but I went for 50% all around and in 5 years never been stoped or asked, might be just lucky


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## Audriulis (Dec 17, 2009)

On your car I would go for lighter tint in front and darker for rear, as windows are almost same size all around, so it would look like only the back is done, more chances to get away with it


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## dragontolis (Aug 28, 2012)

Audriulis said:


> On your car I would go for lighter tint in front and darker for rear, as windows are almost same size all around, so it would look like only the back is done, more chances to get away with it


+1. I have done the same .I have black interior and the tints are almost the same


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Quick question for those with tints, do you find that they scratch really easy?

It's just that i bought some tint film to put on the windows at work (admittedly they were cheap ones) but they marked really easy. It has kind of put me off getting tints for the rear of the Accord.


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Having lighter tints front, darker on the rear was my first thoughts, I'm trying to keep an eye out on the road for a similar A4 with tints. 

Any ideas on price from a good tinter?


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

I'd go dark at the rear. Front tints over the factory tints tend to make you look like a *** though.


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## jackssc (Oct 14, 2014)

Do it! My backs are tinted and look great


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## KarateKid (Oct 13, 2014)

Here's a couple of shots of one which may help you make your mind up?!


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Awesome thanks! Yeah it does look good, what tint is it?


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Here's a few wee pics of my last few with factory tints. The fronts have not been touched.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Cba reading the thread

But tints look chavvy and really cheapen the look of a car

Nothing other than factory tints for me

It also annoys me how you then have mis matched front and rear because of laws JUST LEAVE THE WINDOWS ALONE


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Just wondering, if tints look chavvy, why are factory tints ok?

Cooks


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## KarateKid (Oct 13, 2014)

5kinner said:


> Awesome thanks! Yeah it does look good, what tint is it?


These are one shade off "limo tints", the second darkest you can get... I got them so I could ditch the kids sun blind mainly as they are horrible things... and I think they look cool!


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## ioClean (May 16, 2014)

Definitely tint. Black cars look awesome tinted 

You may find the fronts are at the legal limit already.


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

I kinda agree with Kimo, tinting the rears and leaving the fronts make it look cheap.

EDIT:

The picture I posted of the MINI earlier was the second attempt, the first time we got the fronts too dark (can't remember if the rears were toned down a bit or not). Looked really bad as seen below...


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Cookies said:


> Just wondering, if tints look chavvy, why are factory tints ok?
> 
> Cooks


Most glass is tinted from factory, very slightly blue, brown etc, although hardly noticeable, the glass is very rarely actually clear

Any aftermarket tiny just cheapens the look

That's my opinion


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

Kimo73 said:


> Most glass is tinted from factory, very slightly blue, brown etc, although hardly noticeable, the glass is very rarely actually clear
> 
> Any aftermarket tiny just cheapens the look
> 
> That's my opinion


Have to disagree, these are RR Evoque tints are factory.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Kash-Jnr said:


> Have to disagree, these are RR Evoque tints are factory.


Yeah. I meant you can get some which you'd class as clear that's actually classed as a tiny though :lol:

Probably worded it wrong


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Kimo73 said:


> Most glass is tinted from factory, very slightly blue, brown etc, although hardly noticeable, the glass is very rarely actually clear
> 
> Any aftermarket tiny just cheapens the look
> 
> That's my opinion


The glass on my car is a factory dark tint.

If it's done well, an after--market tint would be indistinguishable from a factory one, but I completely take your point and respect your opinion bud. Just seeking clarity on what you meant re the factory vs aftermarket tints.

Cooks


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

Cookies said:


> *If it's done well, an after--market tint would be indistinguishable from a factory one*
> 
> Cooks


:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

The only car I added aftermarket 'sun protection' tint to is my current A3 - i had it professionally installed after purchasing a std tinted glass car - at first i liked it, the fact the 30% tint look different at some angles just added to the mystery. But after 15 months i think its a bit chav - its obvious that its not factory glass (dotted edges around the glass edges) to those in the know. I had Suntek film installed; I;ve had no issues but not sure I'd bother again. The rear screen tint does help to cut headlight glare from following , but dipping the rear view mirror results in too dark an image btw.

What i would say is that i never noticed the car interior any cooler after sitting in the sun for hours - the first thing I'd do as i drove off was open all windows for 10 seconds to extract excess heat. Maybe it would have been hotter still without but I couldn't judge.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Cookies said:


> The glass on my car is a factory dark tint.
> 
> If it's done well, an after--market tint would be indistinguishable from a factory one, but I completely take your point and respect your opinion bud. Just seeking clarity on what you meant re the factory vs aftermarket tints.
> 
> Cooks


False - if your glass has a dotted fade to black edge then no after market film can completely follow that textured fade area, plus heated rear window line also don;t look the same on filmed windows to pukka sun protection glass.


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## Dode (Jun 13, 2013)

Aftermarket





I prefer them tinted imo

Not a factory option, only avant as far as Im aware.

Its your car, your choice.


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

another reason was to save putting the 'hello kitty' sun blind up! .

A worry is looking chav, i'm going to have to get some pics tomorrow and have a little play in photoshop. Would they be as noticeable on a black/black/black car, i'm not sure.


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Dode they do look great on yours imo, and like i say i'm not sure they be as noticeable on mine being all black.

How do you like the car? I'm loving mine at the moment, I had an A4 2.0T quattro before, but this is so much better!


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## Dode (Jun 13, 2013)

5kinner said:


> Dode they do look great on yours imo, and like i say i'm not sure they be as noticeable on mine being all black.
> 
> How do you like the car? I'm loving mine at the moment, I had an A4 2.0T quattro before, but this is so much better!


Cheers. I have seen the same model as mine without them and imo they dont look as nice. There are benefits for those in the back when the sun is out.

I absolutely love my car, no complaints.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

percymon said:


> False - if your glass has a dotted fade to black edge then no after market film can completely follow that textured fade area, plus heated rear window line also don;t look the same on filmed windows to pukka sun protection glass.


That's a fair point percymon although I did mean to the innocent passer by. In my book if anyone is close enough to notice the textured fade area, then I'm afraid I'd have to introduce them to my good friend; John Moses Browning. 

I would, however, be reluctant to go any deeper than a dark smoke tint. Limo tints tend to be a wee bit extreme and look like a car version of a van, but again, I'm exercising my right to freedom of speech lol.......

Cooks


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Hey hey - no worries, just trying to give a balanced view


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

I'd leave em factory. I don't really get the 2 colour glass look; messes with the aesthetics too much afaic.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Here's mine...factory tint.

Some angles doesn't seem too dark..










Other angles...darker:










I think if you can go for something that looks more factory rather than a complete limo black it'd look better.


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## Dode (Jun 13, 2013)

asonda said:


> Here's mine...factory tint.
> 
> Some angles doesn't seem too dark..
> 
> ...


:thumb:


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

that looks nice asonda ... probably about the darkness i'm thinking of after all the discussion here


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## CTR247 (Aug 11, 2013)

Light tint all round would look spot on although have to be careful on the fronts as does not take much of a tint to become illegal


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Found this on gov.UK.
https://www.gov.uk/tinted-vehicle-window-rules


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

And an interesting article on redwood tints - http://redwood-tints.co.uk/law/ they advise that factory standard glass has a tint which allows 70 - 80 % of light through. This is pretty much on the limit of the law.

Cooks


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## 5kinner (Nov 24, 2014)

Yeah would be interesting to measure my fronts now to get an idea.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Cookies said:


> And an interesting article on redwood tints - http://redwood-tints.co.uk/law/ they advise that factory standard glass has a tint which allows 70 - 80 % of light through. This is pretty much on the limit of the law.
> 
> Cooks


Yep, almost all cars are already basically on the limit for front windows.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

I remember watching a police interceptors type programme and the stopped a woman in a range rover with tinted front windows. The policeman made the woman peel off some of the film on the front windows there and then before moving off. 

Come to think of it, effectively she was the peeler at that moment lol. 

Cooks


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