Tint Percentage Question

[aritala]

Hey everyone,

So I'm getting tints on my 135 tomorrow and I'm between 15% and 20%. What do you think compliments my car best? Also, if you have pictures with 15 and 20 of your own cars please post.

Thanks.

[BMW_Matt]

What's tints?

[aritala]

I'm assuming you mean what brand of tints. Llumar non-metallic

[135TX]

Both seem way too dark, especially for new jersey, its not like you live in the desert. It will look super blacked out too, if thats your thing go 15% because the 5% difference isnt going to be discernible once you do the whole car.

I have 35% on the side windows and I think 20 or 25% on the rear windshield and the sunroof. I did that because of heat mostly. But it's also illegal to go below 30% on your front windows in Texas. Never the less it's plenty dark and looks great IMO. here is a few pictures http://s174.photobucket.com/user/cas...1%20BMW%20135i
Good luck in whatever you choose, I have luumar ceramic and its an awesome tint.

[aritala]

Originally Posted by 135TX

Both seem way too dark, especially for new jersey, its not like you live in the desert. It will look super blacked out too, if thats your thing go 15% because the 5% difference isnt going to be discernible once you do the whole car.

I have 35% on the side windows and I think 20 or 25% on the rear windshield and the sunroof. I did that because of heat mostly. But it's also illegal to go below 30% on your front windows in Texas. Never the less it's plenty dark and looks great IMO. here is a few pictures http://s174.photobucket.com/user/cas...1%20BMW%20135i
Good luck in whatever you choose, I have luumar ceramic and its an awesome tint.

Thanks for your reply. That's my dilemma. I like the privacy that 15% offers but from certain angles it looks too much like limo tint which is not the look I wanna go. On the other than I like the fact that 20% gives some contrast and doesn't totally "murder" out the car (since my rims and grills are black too) but from certain angles it looks too translucent. Personally 35% is too light for me but in NJ there is no window tint allowed on the front window anyway so you could technically get a ticket for 50% all the same.

[Tworl28]

i have 5% and love it. Nothing on windshield, i don't know how people drive at night with that. Ive had them for about 2 1/2 years and have gotten 3 tickets over that period of time ($56). I recently have discovered a loophole. I set up an apt. with an eye doctor and hes going to diagnose my eyes to be "light sensitive". The DMV has a form that you need to bring to the doc to fill out and i'm hoping this will get me off on my next traffic stop. Tints looks awesome IMO but you will be pulled over in NJ

[aritala]

Originally Posted by Tworl28

i have 5% and love it. Nothing on windshield, i don't know how people drive at night with that. Ive had them for about 2 1/2 years and have gotten 3 tickets over that period of time ($56). I recently have discovered a loophole. I set up an apt. with an eye doctor and hes going to diagnose my eyes to be "light sensitive". The DMV has a form that you need to bring to the doc to fill out and i'm hoping this will get me off on my next traffic stop. Tints looks awesome IMO but you will be pulled over in NJ

Damn yeah 5% you're asking to be pulled over. I actually saw an eye doctor last month and I just got my tint exemption in the mail last week. So basically there's one standard % the DMV allows on all tint cards regardless of what your doctor writes or your condition. It's 60% on the driver side windows and 70% on the windshield. Some cops might give you a break but I've heard a lot know what the allowed medical % is now and don't .

[FPSCanada]

I wish i went 15% all around.

I got 20% on the rear three, and 35% on the front two windows.

At night the rear three with 20% are pretty dark from the outside, but I have no issues at all seeing out the rear window, and i can still see inside from up close.

The front two I can see in perfectly fine from the outside, and it's almost the same as having no tint from the inside during the day. I'm tempted to go 15% all around this summer, but the cops aren't very pro-tint up here.

[aritala]

Originally Posted by FPSCanada

I wish i went 15% all around.

I got 20% on the rear three, and 35% on the front two windows.

At night the rear three with 20% are pretty dark from the outside, but I have no issues at all seeing out the rear window, and i can still see inside from up close.

The front two I can see in perfectly fine from the outside, and it's almost the same as having no tint from the inside during the day. I'm tempted to go 15% all around this summer, but the cops aren't very pro-tint up here.

Yeah 35% is way too light IMO. It's like it's hardly there. Twenty is the lightest I would go but not darker than 15%. Do you think if you went 20% on the fronts you'd be happy given how they look on the back or are they still too translucent? How much can you really see into the back from like 10 feet away in the day time?

[FPSCanada]

Originally Posted by aritala

Yeah 35% is way too light IMO. It's like it's hardly there. Twenty is the lightest I would go but not darker than 15%. Do you think if you went 20% on the fronts you'd be happy given how they look on the back or are they still too translucent? How much can you really see into the back from like 10 feet away in the day time?

it's difficult to take photos from the inside at night, otherwise I would do so for you. I'll take some photos from behind tomorrow.

There is quite a difference in the shade between what I have now (I'll take photos in a minute as I'm out for a drive), which is part of why I want to go the same all around. I think 15% all around would be the best; I'm in my car right now, and looking at the two windows side by side, the difference between 35 and 20 is barely noticeable from the inside. I'll upload photos from outside in minute.

[FPSCanada]

first few

[FPSCanada]

it's tough to get lighting at night that isn't misleading, but you can clearly see in the front and rear (not as much).

[FPSCanada]

20% on the rear. Can see pretty clearly..

[aritala]

Originally Posted by FPSCanada

first few

Weird in the one picture the back side window looks much darker than the front and in the other it looks just as light. I'm also surprised by how light your rear window is at night. It might be because your standing so close though. I'd like to see how they look in the morning too. What brand tint did you use? Was it metallic? I'm going to go with Llumar non-metallic.

[FPSCanada]

Originally Posted by aritala

Weird in the one picture the back side window looks much darker than the front and in the other it looks just as light. I'm also surprised by how light your rear window is at night. It might be because your standing so close though. I'd like to see how they look in the morning too. What brand tint did you use? Was it metallic? I'm going to go with Llumar non-metallic.

I think the one side appears a lot darker because that's the side the lamp was on, therefore reflecting the light towards the camera. And the other side appears so much lighter because the light is coming out from the inside of the car rather than being reflected away. I'll take some more "natural light" photos in the morning.

I'm honestly not too sure what brand. My brother paid a guy to do it on his car and it turned out great, so I paid the same guy & mine is even better than his Haha.

[Yeineken]

I think it would depend on your state and your interior. Here in Maryland legal is 35%. I went 25% and glad I didn't go darker considering I have Boston leather interior. So. Even with 25% it's very dark.

Dark tint looks nice during the day but don't forget you have to drive at night. I have 10% on my Tundra and you almost have to ride with the windows down at night to see the side mirrors.

[ronster]

It will look darker if u hv dark color exterior and interior. Also types of tint can make a difference too. Ceramic tint looks lighter.

[aritala]

Originally Posted by ronster

It will look darker if u hv dark color exterior and interior. Also types of tint can make a difference too. Ceramic tint looks lighter.

I have coral red leather so it's like in between light and dark. I was going to go with Llumar non-metallic on the sides and back and ceramic on the windshield.

[fjgregor]

I recently had 5% on the rear 3 windows and 20% on the driver/passenger door. I also had some type of very light (tint so light i didn't even notice) the previous owner had on the front windshield. I had 5% due to being in Puerto Rico, where we don't see temperatures below 68F so the summers are pretty nasty. It was getting pretty annoying with the visibility at night and the cops stopping me every other day.

I recently switched over to SunTek CXP tints and went 35% all around. Now, my car is white, and the contrast it gives is beautiful. The heat rejection is far superior even when I had the 5%. If you're looking for heat rejection, look for some info on SunTek. The 35% is also pretty dark and gives me that "privacy feeling". It's a pretty expensive tint, but my car sitting the majority of the week outside with no shade, it was definitely worth it.