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Window tinting without the "gangsta" look?

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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 05:03 PM
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Question Window tinting without the "gangsta" look?

I recently had my silver LS ultra tinted.....the windows now look so dark, it has the "gangsta" look.

I am not going to keep this on there. I want tint for keeping temp down and minimizing UV damage to the interior.

What is the lightest tint product I can put on there while still getting benefits?
I once had a tint product put on my home windows that was barely noticeable but still worked.

Help
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 05:35 PM
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I would say around 50% or 35%. Do you have a picture?
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 05:54 PM
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there is a thread a few down from yours called solar guard it is 50% and there are pics, may be what you are looking for... good luck with the gangsta car though
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 06:11 PM
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Default Tint or not...

Originally Posted by mafpolo
I recently had my silver LS ultra tinted.....the windows now look so dark, it has the "gangsta" look.

I am not going to keep this on there. I want tint for keeping temp down and minimizing UV damage to the interior.

What is the lightest tint product I can put on there while still getting benefits?
I once had a tint product put on my home windows that was barely noticeable but still worked.

Help
they are too dark from the inside, or from the outside? 50% is real light and probably the lightest to do anything. If your interior is lighter, then the tint will look lighter. I have 20% back, 50% front, with black interior and the 50% looks about 33%.
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 06:20 PM
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Default They're too dark from the outside

Inside is fairly dark.....outside looks limo black, and these were "one shade beyond legal."

My interior is black. The car was really classy looking without the tint...with rear and side rear shades up.
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 07:28 PM
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I don't think its gangsta for dark tinted windows. Its the car and how its set up that makes it look gangsta.
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 07:41 PM
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Default Diplomatic

Originally Posted by airtime
I don't think its gangsta for dark tinted windows. Its the car and how its set up that makes it look gangsta.
exactly... all I got are 20 back/50 front and it makes my car look more diplomatic than gangsta...
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 09:53 PM
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Default tinting without the "unequal" look

Originally Posted by AlexusAnja
exactly... all I got are 20 back/50 front and it makes my car look more diplomatic than gangsta...
Please--no offense, but, as a kid, I always disliked the look of "unequal" shades of tint on the front (side) windows to the rear (side) windows, and as an adult I still dislike it.

I know most states have laws that differ on the allowable % of the fronts vs back (side) windows, but I think when it's not uniform, and observing the vehicle from the side, the car doesn't look nearly as nice as a uniform tint. Let's not even talk about if the "drapes" match the wallpaper!

I would have gotten one (uniform) shade, then gotten a medical waiver somehow/someway, if your tint % exceeded the legal limit. Does anyone know Michael Jackson's doctor's phone #?

btw...if any of you want tinting done, and are reasonably close to Dover, De, PM me. A guy in my Air Force Squadron OWNS a tinting shop near Dover, Delaware. He is a weekend warrior, and fulltime he does car stuff, alarms, tint, etc. He was telling me all about the differences between ceramic, nanoparticles, Solar Gard, etc, on my last weekend drill (the weekend you guys had the crab feast in MD). He promised me he will beat EVERYONES price on tint.

I never thought I'd do it, but I WILL be getting tint done on my silver LS. I'm thinking a light-medium tint and most likely the Solar Gard product line? My intention is for heat/uv reducing rather than having the gangsta look.

I will take before and after shots, of course...tell you how much I paid, etc. The last thing I want, like I'm sure everyone else, is not wanting it to fade to that ugly purple, or interfere with any electronics (nav, cell, etc.)

Last edited by LS430inDE.; Sep 11, 2009 at 04:03 PM.
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Old Jul 23, 2009 | 11:00 PM
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why not get a mercedes blue tint on your car? that look will look classy with your interior.
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Old Jul 24, 2009 | 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by stock_sc
why not get a mercedes blue tint on your car? that look will look classy with your interior.
hell no, don't copy Mercedes... that's lame IMO (looks good on white Mercedes only).
The lighter the tint 20%, 35%, 50%, etc, the less the effect / benefit it will be to your car. I wouldn't rip off your darker tint if you already have them on. That's just me. 20% doesn't look gangster, it so common, plus minivans and SUV all come w/ 20% in the back, not so gangster...
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Old Jul 25, 2009 | 10:58 AM
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well he asked for something more subtle. everyone has their own preferences in what they are looking for. what maybe great for u might not be for him. he wanted something lighter. something with the same benefits that the tint gives him. i have the mercedes blue type of tint i love it.. just like him i didnt want a darker tint.. only because i have a ticket happy city. well heres what mine looks like. i took it the day i got it tinted of course it was gloomy that day and started to drizzle.

50% tint.
before:

after:

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Old Jul 25, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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light colored interior, 50% black is balance between not standing out, and having some protection. Also, keeps the cops "honest."
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Old Jul 25, 2009 | 11:25 AM
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light tint but still noticeable is really classy. I prefer 35% all around or 50% if you want to show your interior.
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Old Sep 11, 2009 | 04:27 AM
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Question

Originally Posted by stock_sc
well he asked for something more subtle. everyone has their own preferences in what they are looking for. what maybe great for u might not be for him. he wanted something lighter. something with the same benefits that the tint gives him. i have the mercedes blue type of tint i love it.. just like him i didnt want a darker tint.. only because i have a ticket happy city. well heres what mine looks like. i took it the day i got it tinted of course it was gloomy that day and started to drizzle.

50% tint.
before:

after:


Stock SC,

Much like you I like the look of the 50% blue tint which I first saw a few years ago on a brilliant silver E-Class Mercedes. I have since considered doing as you did but was advised by a tinting company that everything would look blue when looking from the inside out. Do you find this to be true? I have a 03 Platinum Blue Pearl LS430 and think it would match nicely.
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Old Sep 11, 2009 | 05:58 AM
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IMO, the OP should be careful judging the appearance of 50% from that photo of stock_sc's car. The car looks great, but somehow the lighting and angle makes the driver side tint look a lot more like 30-35%. I like the 35% range myself. It doesn't impair vision at night, looks nice in the day, and you can get a lot of UV blockage with some of the better films.

I agree with LS430inDE about the uneven tint -- I don't like the look of different levels front/rear. My GX has that uneven front/rear tint from the factory and even on the stock utility vehicle, it bugs me -- makes me think "mis-match" every time I see it. I keep intending to go have the fronts tinted a little darker to match the rears, but never have.

For the OP, you may have seen it (or even posted in it), but there's at least one other recent thread here with a lot of tint discussions and info on some different films.
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