Window tinting blues. Am I being too picky?

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by Bob Z.

And I could never live without tinted windows, especially here in Florida.

It's pretty sunny (and dry/arid) here in SoCal as well, but I never felt the need for tinting... Maybe because my car is garaged roughly 2/3 of the day.

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

You previously had an E36 right? You can't tell me with a straight face that car had good AC.

Honestly, I thought it was more than adequate... And it never broke down.

[1addyfan]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

I've owned six BMWs over the years and I've never had any interior issues (cracking, shrinking, etc.) with any of them due to UV exposure...

Kind of hard to have interior / UV issues when your car is parked in the garage 90% of the time... For people that park in a driveway, it's a serious issue.

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

Yet another reason why I'd never tint my windows.

(Disclaimer: I live in New England area, so tint is not required like FL/TX or other southern states).

I'll admit I've never tinted the windows of any car I've owned (although I liked the factory tint on the SUVs/Minivans we've owned).

I had planned to get the windows tinted in my 1er, but I couldn't decide on a shop because I was worried about being too picky and would only accept a perfect job (and every shop I looked into, I found unhappy customers).

To me some tint (especially dark) looks too aftermarket and I like my cars to look very close to stock. I wanted interior cooling and protection, so when I learned of clear 3M Crystalline (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...omotive_Films/) I thought it was the perfect solution. Unfortunately there were no dealers/installers in my area.

I ended up picking the rear and side window sun shades, so I have some cooling and privacy but the car remains stock looking.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by AJx

Kind of hard to have interior / UV issues when your car is parked in the garage 90% of the time...

Well I said 2/3 (67%) of the time... There's no covered parking where I work.

For people that park in a driveway, it's a serious issue.

Yeah, I guess it would be.

There's always the car cover option... That way, the interior and the exterior would protected from UV.

[KingOfJericho]

Most car covers scratch the shit out of your paint over time.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Most car covers scratch the shit out of your paint over time.

That's true... Either let the cover beat the hell out of your exterior or let the UV do it.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Most car covers scratch the shit out of your paint over time.

Yup. Only thing worse are car bras.

[cheshirecat79]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

Yup. Only thing worse are car bras.

What sucks about bras (the leather cover kind, not the clear kind) is that they also usually leave the paint with a different shade due to UV interaction on the uncovered portions of the vehicle. For me, that kind of uncorrectable issue is much worse than some scratches that can be polished out.

[1addyfan]

Originally Posted by cheshirecat79

What sucks about bras is that they also usually leave the paint with a different shade due to UV interaction on the uncovered portions of the vehicle.

Yeah, reminds me of a female who has visible tan lines from tanning while wearing a bra... except, I don't mind that so much.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by cheshirecat79

What sucks about bras (the leather cover kind, not the clear kind) is that they also usually leave the paint with a different shade due to UV interaction on the uncovered portions of the vehicle. For me, that kind of uncorrectable issue is much worse than some scratches that can be polished out.

They also like to trap dirt on the front and rub it against the paint as the car vibrates from road bumps.