Nav + tint anything I need to know?
02-20-04, 11:34 AM
#18
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Letsride...I called DeDona today and they had some interesting things to say!
First, he said he wouldn't sell Llumar if they paid him to. He was really harsh on it, which surprised me given your experience. He said that it didn't turn purple but that it would, "distort" was his word, by which he said he meant that it would haze up and become difficult to see out of within a couple of years...said he'd seen it time and time again. He also said that Formula One is nothing but premium priced, renamed Llumar tint, and thus wasn't any good either. I wasn't aware of that at all.
He recommended a 3M carbon based tint that is non-metallic and guaranteed not to fade or mess with nav's. He says he's got a Caddy there with it on it. Has anyone heard anything about either A) Llumar sucking, B) Formula One being renamed Llumar and thus, sucking, or C) whether 3M tint is any good?
First, he said he wouldn't sell Llumar if they paid him to. He was really harsh on it, which surprised me given your experience. He said that it didn't turn purple but that it would, "distort" was his word, by which he said he meant that it would haze up and become difficult to see out of within a couple of years...said he'd seen it time and time again. He also said that Formula One is nothing but premium priced, renamed Llumar tint, and thus wasn't any good either. I wasn't aware of that at all.
He recommended a 3M carbon based tint that is non-metallic and guaranteed not to fade or mess with nav's. He says he's got a Caddy there with it on it. Has anyone heard anything about either A) Llumar sucking, B) Formula One being renamed Llumar and thus, sucking, or C) whether 3M tint is any good?
02-20-04, 12:17 PM
#19
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Well my .02c worth here......
I had a 90 Accord done in LLumar in 90. This car was my commuter and sat outside every day in bright sunlight. When sond in 98 the tint was slightly lighter but no ripples or purple color.
In the same breath....my friend had her car done in 93 with 3m....she had to have her car done at my shop within 9 months because they had already replaced the rear window once and it was still fading....
Do some research with some of the shops in your area......I have never dealt with Dedona personally but they still have the LLumar sign up on their building.......
I had a 90 Accord done in LLumar in 90. This car was my commuter and sat outside every day in bright sunlight. When sond in 98 the tint was slightly lighter but no ripples or purple color.
In the same breath....my friend had her car done in 93 with 3m....she had to have her car done at my shop within 9 months because they had already replaced the rear window once and it was still fading....
Do some research with some of the shops in your area......I have never dealt with Dedona personally but they still have the LLumar sign up on their building.......
02-20-04, 12:33 PM
#20
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FWIW, I had 35% llumar installed on my Audi for 3+ yrs. Not one problem. Shaded Days in Chicago did it and it came with a lifetime warranty. The 4 main side windows + 2 small rear side parts and rear window cost $250 and included a spray bottle of special cleaner and a rental car while I waited.
llumar is good stuff, if you found a shop that badmouths their quality I'd stay clear of them. Llumar is highly regarded by professional installers -- search/ask around and see. I've heard mixed reviews of 3m, but I also hear their quality has improved over the last few years.
I would only commit to a shop after seeing examples of their work. Installation quality can vary widely using the same film depending on the installer. After you get your tint done, be careful of what cleaners you use and make sure you keep your windows up for the first few hours.
llumar is good stuff, if you found a shop that badmouths their quality I'd stay clear of them. Llumar is highly regarded by professional installers -- search/ask around and see. I've heard mixed reviews of 3m, but I also hear their quality has improved over the last few years.
I would only commit to a shop after seeing examples of their work. Installation quality can vary widely using the same film depending on the installer. After you get your tint done, be careful of what cleaners you use and make sure you keep your windows up for the first few hours.
02-20-04, 03:40 PM
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Thanks for the opinions, guys! That is pretty odd that the guy at DeDona would bad mouth Llumar so much, yet still has their sign up??? Kind of a bipolar thing to do, and enough reason to avoid them IMO.
There's a place in Raleigh that does Formula One and used to do all the tint work for Johnson Lexus until they started to do it in house recently, so I feel pretty safe that they know what they're doing, I just don't want to have to shell out $400-$500 for a tint job.
I'll definitely have to do some more research, but I've got some time since the ceramic Formula One isn't even available yet except at 50%. As a side note, does anyone know what % the stock Lexus tint is? I'd like to get as dark as I can, but I don't need the fuzz on my case either! 35% is legal in NC but you can get away with 32%, so I'm hoping a 35% tint will get me about to 32% total.
There's a place in Raleigh that does Formula One and used to do all the tint work for Johnson Lexus until they started to do it in house recently, so I feel pretty safe that they know what they're doing, I just don't want to have to shell out $400-$500 for a tint job.
I'll definitely have to do some more research, but I've got some time since the ceramic Formula One isn't even available yet except at 50%. As a side note, does anyone know what % the stock Lexus tint is? I'd like to get as dark as I can, but I don't need the fuzz on my case either! 35% is legal in NC but you can get away with 32%, so I'm hoping a 35% tint will get me about to 32% total.
02-22-04, 01:14 PM
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Ok, I've done a little researching and Llumar and Formula One are both made by CPFilms (www.cpfilms.com), which is the largest film manufacturer in the world and a subsidiary of Solutia. Seeing that, I find it hard to believe that either Llumar or Formula One aren't just about as good as it gets. What I haven't been able to determine is what is the difference between Llumar and Formula One? Llumar is listed as a broader "window film" brand, which covers commerical, retail, residential, and automotive window film; while Formula One is listed only as a "high performance automotive film". Since there's three places I can get Formula One done locally, it looks like I'm leaning that way, but does this info alter anyone's opinions or give more insight than I've deduced! 
Any window tinters on CL? Also, is there any way we can get a count of those who have a nav and tint as to what kind of tint they're using? Thanks.
Any window tinters on CL? Also, is there any way we can get a count of those who have a nav and tint as to what kind of tint they're using? Thanks.
Last edited by 04GS300; 02-22-04 at 11:08 PM.
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