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Had my windows tinted

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Ryanpl, Jul 29, 2010.

  1. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

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    Last night we got Mina's windows tinted. Living in NYC the tinting law is pretty lousy there must be at least 70% visible light coming in the car. Since our goal was to be cool and not look cool I made sure we were within the legal limits. Mina is a black car and in this heat baby got burned twice strapping him into car seat. I do not know the name of the tint but we got 30% for front windows and 20% in back, OEM back windows have 10% tint. Replaced OEM front blades with PIAA Super Silicon blades and they make a huge difference. Going to install Soundgate Ipod intergration this Sunday. Future mods include oversized rear blade, tire pressure monitor thinking cheap i.e. tire pressure max and been checking out some other cool mods on this site. Man we love this car. Ryan:D
     
    #1 Ryanpl, Jul 29, 2010
  2. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    a pic would sure be nice.......
     
    #2 KK6PD, Jul 29, 2010
  3. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

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    By the time the job was done it was too late for pics. When I get home from work I'm going to post pictures.
     
    #3 Ryanpl, Jul 29, 2010
  4. roverguy78

    roverguy78 Elite Lurking Member

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    Window tint film darkness is rated by VLT (visible light transmission %). The higher the percentage number, the lighter the tint. 70% window tint would be very light, as it would only block 30% of light. On the other hand, 30% film is fairly dark and blocks 70% of light transmission. 30% front/20% back is a good choice, but it doesn't appear to be legal in NY. Hopefully you won't have any issues, as that's a good tint setup to have!

    Here in Tx, 25% is allowed.
     
    #4 roverguy78, Jul 29, 2010
  5. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

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    I've seen all sorts of ways to have the tint listed. I've seen some that go by the VLT and others that list the %age blocked out. We made sure that there was 70% VLT.
     
    #5 Ryanpl, Jul 29, 2010
  6. CylonSix

    CylonSix New Member

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    I wanted to have my windows tinted, the NC law states: "Windows may not be any darker than 35% visible light transmission. This standard is considered to be met if the window tint is no lower than 32% visible light transmission when measured by the station with a photometer." What does this mean? Really dark? Really light? And whats the average cost?
     
    #6 CylonSix, Jul 31, 2010
  7. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    First off, ignore the OP. He has it backwards. A 30% tint on the front windows would be illegal. I'd like to see pictures of his car because I have no idea WTH he's talking about.

    Ok on to your questions:

    What does this mean? Really dark? Really light?


    The lower the percentage number, the darker the tint. Most car windows already block out 30% of the light, so they already have a "70% tint." Get it? A 5% tint is a limo tint (good for if you're hiding a stereo or just like the car inside really dark). A 70% tint is, well, technically nothing (as I pointed out). Most people go for a 15-30% tint.

    And whats the average cost?

    Usually ~$150-200 for back windows, and $200-250 for all 4 windows, depending on where you go and the film brand you choose.

    Your tint shop knows your state laws and even has a heat gun to test the stuff for you. They can show you what you need.
     
    #7 macmaster05, Jul 31, 2010
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