Window Tint: opinions please

[Jim_75Sahara]

(aftermarket tinting)

What do you all think? I just got the very bad tint-job removed from my 325e. Now I am wondering if it should be removed from my '02 as well. It looked very crummy on the the E30 and was in poor shape. My '02, orig. an Alabama car, had the window tinting when I purchased it. I learned to live with it; just not sure -- should I pull the trigger and remove it?

Purists - no tint is my guess, right?

Give me you thoughts, please..... TIA.

[SteveJ]

I've never been a fan of window tint. I added some on my Alfa Berlina back in 1984. I removed it after I noticed that the light from an oncoming car would glare over all my rearward vision. Basically, blinded from both directions until the car passed.

Then, if there are any air bubbles that make it look like crap, or if it gets scratched.

Not saying you should or shouldn't. We all have our reasons. These were mine.

[Palindrome]

No need for window tint. You're driving a 1970s classic. Get a Hawaiian shirt and some Ray-Ban Wayfarers and you're good to go.

[yeewiz]

If you're inclined to go purist, there is another option. Tint shops now have ceramic tints that are suppose to cut out the heat energy but do not darken the glass. They're about 50% more expensive (a $200 job becomes a $300 job) so you decide how much purity you are worth.

Without AC, I seriously want tinting to counter the green house heating all that glass lets in but can't decide whether to pay extra for the ceramic stuff.

[Dirka]

No tint!!!! its a classic and keep the fish bowl look.. you wont regret it!!!! i HAVENT!!!!

[jdirecto]

No tint will make people see who's driving the nice car.

[John_in_VA]

If the job is done well, the color is complementary, and the tint is not so dark that it makes it difficult for you to see cross traffic at times of low light, keep it.

[ifayeoh]

Hi,

I have tinted my '71, and let me say i did not do it soon enough. I had my car for about 8 years and the sun beat the heck out of the interior of my garaged car. The tint on my car is now limo for the back three and a shade lighter on the doors. Instant relief from the sun Beating down on me and kido's in the back! I wish i had done it alot earlier. This limo tint is hard to see threw but is well worth it, i have learned to take time when having to look out the back.

Kids are now able to watch movies and such on long trips with no problem. Takes awhile to get use to it but well worth it, and saves the interior from premature wear. At the very least get a mild tint. Its does change the out look of the car, night and day!

Frank

[jdamm]

i to have bin thinking the same thing,

i have had all my cars prof. tinted and loved it for the obvious reasons you tint in the first place but over here if i did it to my 73 tii it would look like a "boy racer" car as there are alot of 70's/80's era jap cars all done up and attracting alot of unwanted attention from the cops,so i dont want to look like them in any way.however im not a purist but more of a era fan so im opting for no tint.but as i just read a clear but UV cutting tint does sound good for keepin that interior looking top notch.so im gonna head down that road and see what comes up.good luck

[Koblenz]

+ 1 on green house.

I tint all my cars but, I live in Florida. Getting the right installer makes all the difference.

[eurotrash]

Pull it Jim, You know you want to. Besides, you have air..!

[Harv]

We have the ceramic tint (or whatever it's called) in our Jetta wagon. We love it and I have considered getting my e30 done. I think now that the darkness of tint isn't so important for the amount of heat block. There are some pretty light tints out there claiming to block uv.

John

[thehackmechanic]

Read my experience of tinting my 3.0CSi at

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=58756

Bottom line seems to be that our old classic cars with interesting curved rear glass present quite a challenge to heat-shrink ceramic film. The rear glass on an '02 isn't as curved as the E9 but it's still a far cry from the nearly flat rear glass on most modern cars (go out to any parking lot and look... rows and rows of flat rear glass).

Still, the moderate tint on the E9 has grown on me considerably, and does help keep the car cool.

[Jim_75Sahara]

Thanks for the input -- Steve, Bob, Dirka, John, Frank, Jason, John (Harv), Rob S., etc. I appreciate your thoughts. I will have it removed. It is the last remnant of Dieter's "blacked-out-trim" look. When I bought the car, I had to undo some stupid alterations. I opted for a stock-looking '02 instead. I even have the orig. steering wheel and shifter nob!! I like having what I chose for the car, not some leftovers that I grudgingly put up with.

Anyway, last night I drove the 325 at night for the 1st time since the tint removal - my night vision improved very dramatically. It may save my life. Not all tintjobs are of a high quality, so I won't put down every window tint.