ncage1974

Guys I have a 2007 IS 350 with a rear sunshade (which I heard won’t cause problems for the installer…I hope at least). Anyways being doing a little research on what I should be looking for. A lot of guys swear by ceramic. I called one of the local installers and he had told me that he wouldn’t recommend going with ceramic because of the climate of central IL. He said if you lived somewhere like AZ then it would probably be different. He said dyed film will be perfect around here and last. He quoted me at $200. I did finally find a Huber optic dealer and he quoted me at $390.00. Is the dealer who said you really don’t need ceramic film in milder climates like IL correct? Any other thoughts on what to look for in a dealer / window film would be very much appreciated.


Thanks…

heyarms

iTrader: (5)

Not too sure what type my tint is, but it's close to top of the line and i got it done for $200 after haggling because they had an ad that said $75... Regardless, I would get the best you want/afford, I'm a firm believer in keeping my car cool in the 9 months of heat in texas and keeping my dash from cracking!

brociouz

iTrader: (65)

He's right in the sense that ceramic film has higher heat blocking properties, which you probably won't need in a mild climate. However, the other major advantage of ceramic tint that he left out is that it doesn't interfere with electronic signals. Metallic tint can negatively affect cell phone reception, navigation tracking and your satellite radio. Not sure how badly it affects those things since I have no personal experience. Maybe others with metallic tint can chime in.

Nezumi

Interference with GPS/wireless key/etc signals is the main reason I went with ceramic. The other thing though, is that ceramic won't fade over time like the metallic tints do. You pay a ton more for ceramic, but if you're keeping the car for a long time, what's a couple hundred now?

ISRabbit

I've been tinting windows for a few years now. I can't tell you which to go with but I can give you a little insight on both.

Yes, ceramic has a higher heat blocking. It will last longer and wont fade as fast. It also tends to be a bit thicker. Meaning when laid properly it comes out cleaner as one could say. In the same sense it can be harder for some to work with. The materials are more expensive. Usually its hard for them to make up even with a price difference. When they do make up the price difference its extreme.

Mettallic fades and interferes with electronics. Back in the day of car phones and having a hard time picking up any signal on your beeper it was a big deal. With today modern technology you'll never notice. Also, the fading in the climate you're in you'll never notice the difference either. Your tint will probably outlast the time you have the car by a few years. They do make different brands of tint from different companies. Some use a cheap one and it fades easier.

If you can look at a vehicle they have tinted some things to look for to tell if he's been doing it a while. Look at the side window all the way near the front. Is there a very small visible line near where the mirror would be? Someone who knows what they're doing will cut one side and pull it an 1/8 of an inch and then cut it and tuck the excess under the window trip so you don't have a visible line. Same at the bottom. Someone who is quick and doesn't care about their work will cut it straight at the bottom. People who charge more and do quality work will either remove the door panel or tuck it under the trim one way or another.

These may seem useless but someone who takes their time and pride in their work isn't going to use cheap materials yet spend all that time.

Sorry for the long post hope it helps out.

MBTC

I went with Huper Optik ceramic, installed at the Lexus dealership. Very happy with it but it was expensive ($500). I think they took the door panels off to do it, there are no lines or anything that would even hint that there is film on the windows at all except for the color shade difference. The dealer would only go 50% in my state. Better than nothing, it cuts glare significantly (most evident on a sunny day, if you watch a car with the sun reflecting off it pass from left to right, watch the difference in the driver window, then through the windshield (no tint on it), then through the right window again you really get a sense for how well it works. Harder to measure before and after temperatures but we had some 90-100 degree days after I had the tint installed and the interior never seemed that hot, despite being all black. I also like the added sense of privacy without significantly reduced nighttime vision. Good stuff.

ISRabbit

A lot of people take the door panel off. I have a plastic wedge I use and I push the window seal down into the door panel on the inside. Run the tint down and when you roll the window up the seal pops back up. Leaving no trace of a line. I've seen too many where they just cut it even on all sides and you can see a visible line.

Micaiah

Some installers will charge more because of the front door speaker that blocks their way.

edgeucated

iTrader: (4)

i would opt for ceramic too. maybe not huper optic because it is quite pricey and your climate is mild, but for sure some type of ceramic tint

funnie

iTrader: (14)

i was informed the ceramic tint will do a better job at blocking out the heat compared to just the regular dyed tint. He did mention it was about 5-10% less heat with the ceramic tint material. not sure how's the weather like in IL, but here in socal its always sunny n warm.

ceramic was a little bit more expensive than the regular dyed tint. it was about 40-50 bucks more, but i think it will be worth it in the long run.

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

sounds more like the guy who said you don't need ceremic is a guy who only sells dyed tint.

the guy is trying to sell you his service. do your own research.