Tinting laws exist primarily to protect cops during traffic stops and to help in law enforcement....not to hide what some teen-ager and his/her date are doing in the back seat. When a cop walks up to somebody's car during a traffic stop, the windows, even tinted, have to pass through enough light for the cop to see if someone could be reaching for a weapon, has open-containers, or is smoking or trying to hide something illegal.

 

The shop where I had my 3M film installed said the same thing. The Crystalline is thicker and harder to work with and takes longer to install, adding to the cost.

 

Thats what they say, I want to see some hard numbers that show that cars with tints are more of a danger to them than cars that don't. Personally I think its just an excuse for them to snoop.

 

35% front and 25% rear for all my cars. Combine rear and side shades, it would block most of the sun out of rear cabin.

BTW, I can't stand a car without tint, somehow it just looks incomplete.

 

Have an appointment tomorrow to have it tinted with Huper Optik, Found a place with good reviews that has Huper about 40 minutes from here. $450 for all but the windshield.

It'll be 35 or 40 all around, will make that call tomorrow.

 

Haven't read the replies, but I have been very pleased with my 35% all the way around and I have a tan interior on my Lexus. It is a very functional way to go while staying uniform. The 35% gives you that smokey look while having it still look like a window and not a black panel if you will. Also isn't too dark for night time driving.

 

Blast from the past there! I had the same ES, a 2003 with a black interior. Its still in my family actually. Probably my favorite color car out of all the ones I've had.

Looks good! Did you powder coat the wheels?

 

Haha nice. It's probably my favorite color of any car I've ever seen besides a grey/black. The wheels are just plastidipped with glossifier for the summer

 

Looks good!

 

Here in IL, if a cop stops you for your tint, or something else, wouldn't you be giving them more reason to snoop?

 

There aren't any "hard numbers" it just makes logical sense. If the officer can't see in the vehicle during a traffic stop, thats less safe than if he were able to see in the vehicle.

 

They will have some samples at the tint shop. I had them put some on my window and that's how I made my final decision. The tint I got appeared to be quite reflective when I saw it, but not as shinny when installed.

 

Depends on how the tint-laws are written in each state (I don't know the exact laws in IL). If a tint-violation is considered a secondary offense, that means that a cop cannot stop you only because of tint. You have to have done another primary offense first....speeding/reckless driving, DWI, running a red light, etc.....for the cop to stop you, then he or she can write up a tint-violation as well. If the tint-violation, on the other hand, is considered a primary offense, then a cop can stop you solely because your windows are too dark, and then write a ticket (or "snoop", as you refer to it) for other offenses as well.

 

i'm here having it done now. 35% Huper Optik, will post pictures!

-Steve

 

I would have recommended against huper optik because it may have ghosting/hologram issues under sunlight.

I don't hear about ghosting issues with 3m crystalline, and that 3m stuff is cutting edge.

One shop near me does mostly 3m crystalline, no problems.


hope yours doesn't have ghosting issues, cuz ghosting is naasty.

3m is expensive, and if I didn't want to pay that money, I would pick llumar ctx