Shark Fin Antenna / XLNT TINT

[jhall]

I'm not sure if I am doing something wrong here, but I don't see any posts in the OC section. Is OC just not very active here? I see plenty of posts from OC Prius owners all over PriusChat.

Anyways, I posted this on the main Modification forums, but perhaps this is a better place for it as I have local questions. Here is my post from there:

Hello,

First time poster here. First of all, I would like to thank everyone one this board. This is an awesome community and I have learned so much here. I just picked up my 2008 Touring #6 Magnetic Gray on Saturday and I am having so much fun with the car.

I am curious if anyone who has the Shark Fin in OC has had reception issues. I would imaging the bigger stations come in fine. I listen to 89.9 (KCRW) sometimes which isn't the strongest signal as well as a few others that aren't so strong and they come in decently with the stock antenna.

Also, I am probably going to get the windows tinted soon. My leading candidate right now is XLNT TINT (xlnttint.com) in Anaheim with the ceramic tint. Has anyone used them? Any opinions on them?

Thanks![/b]

[Scafremon]

Please don't post in the OC Forum.

Just kidding!

[jhall]

Also posted in the Modification forum:

So, I got my tint at XLNT TINT and it looks XLNT

Very clean and professional office and staff and a nice waiting room. They even offered to allow me a Wi-Fi Internet connection but I had left my laptop at work. They said it would take 3 hours (a bit extra time because of the windshield) but it ended up being only about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Anyway, I ended up doing the Carbon Tint which is non metallic and does not interfere with GPS and other radio signals (Lifetime warranty against peeling, fading, etc.). I did 35% on all windows (I did the Windshield too which is at my own risk and illegal in California). I also paid a bit extra for insurance which means if I do get a fix-it ticket for the front windows (Or even if they get scratched or something as i have 4 and 6 year old boys) they will replace the tint on any two windows.

I told them about PriusChat.com. Also confirmed that it seem the guy that runs the place has a Prius (he drove up while I was waiting). They gave me $25 off the tint job and also said that anyone else from PriusChat.com could get $25 off.

Here is the cost breakdown:

$240 all windows for Carbon Tint
+$85 for Windshield
+$39.95 for the the warranty insurance
-$25.00 for the Priuschat.com discount
=$339.95 OTD (includes tax, etc.)

I'm sure there are better prices out there, but I felt comfortable with the experience and would definitely tint there again. If anyone is interested, they are in Anaheim (they also have offices in Las Vegas and Owings, MD) their web site is www.xlnttint.com and their phone number is 1.800.495.6884.

[mbucklein]

I also had my tint installed at XLNT TINT. It looks awesome, and I would highly recommend their office. Get the carbon tint, especially because it's not reflective. You can go a bit darker on the front windows without looking darker.

Just a side note, if you do decide to get your windshield tinted, be sure to ask them NOT to remove the rear view mirror. I used to have an '04 Prius, and I got the windshield tinted with the lightest possible. It looked great. But a few weeks later, I ran that Prius into a tree. (The tree is fine.) The rear view mirror flew off and hit me in the head. The whole incident sounds laughable, and I suppose it really is. But I wonder if the mirror would not have flown off if it had not been removed and reattached for the tinting process. Just a little word to the wise, or maybe the stupid in my case - haha

[mingoglia]

Let me through out right off the bat that I don't have a shark fin antenna on my Prius. With that being said my Prius compared to my other 3 vehicles has the worst reception of all. The "yard stick" I use is there's a new radio station in the metro Phoenix area that's obviously of lesser power than most and it comes in terrible in my Prius but okay in my other vehicles. So to sum it up.... unless the shark fin has better reception than stock (which is unlikely) I'll just stick with stock. Besides, I kinda like the remote control car look of stock.

Mike