92 SC400

I have been on the fence about posting something like this, but since I was just there yesterday and the topic has been brought back up I felt it was appropriate.

First and foremost, read this and take it for what it is worth. I am not trying to influence anyone's opinion about Premiere, I am simply sharing my experience with the CL community.

Upon purchasing her IS350, my g/f immediately wanted clear bra and tint. We learned from her black G35 coupe that clear bra is something that should not be skipped with the soft paints Japanese companies are using (her hood on the G was chipped to hell in less than two years). So I did some research on here and found that Premiere was highly regarded for their quality of work and service. So we decided to have the tint and clear bra done there. The prices were a bit more than other places, although not really significant IMO, and for piece of mind, paying a little extra to know the job is done correctly is worth it.

So about two weeks after purchasing the car we have the services performed. The next day I looked the car over thoroughly and what did I find to my dismay? Little bubbles in ALL the windows, bar none. Every single window had a bubble, even the little ones on the rear doors. The clear bra had pieces of debris between it and the hood though most were not major except one piece of lint that you could feel. I've had tint before and know that at first this happens but we called them anyway and went back a week later.

The second visit (one week later) was to try to remedy these issues. The clear bra issue was taken car of though there were still some minor blemishes in it which were deemed to be part of the film itself, which is believable and we could live with. We were told the bubbles in the tint were there because it had not dried but they would see what they could do. They were able to get rid of most of the bubbles or at least make them more noticeable. We were told to come back for our 30 day follow up to and it should all be clear by then.

So yesterday, about 6 weeks after the original visit, we went back for the follow up. By this time the clear bra on the bumper had formed a bubble about 1/3" in diameter near the headlight and the remaining little bubbles in the tint never cleared up. We brought this to their attention and they worked on the car for about 45 minutes. The bubble in the clear bra was taken car of, though you can still tell where it was (not a huge deal though) and pretty much nothing was done about some of the little bubbles in the tint (the passenger front and back window were the worst).

Reasoning for this? Well, they said that the installation is difficult (which I dont doubt) and that there are a lot of variables that can cause this, defective film, things flying in the area during installation and though the wash the window and film, that sometimes things happen.

At this point I thought to myself, but did not say, "are you saying the materials you are using are substandard of the work was just not that good?"

We were told they felt that the installation on her car was actually really clean...

The part that bothered me a little bit was that I was also told, "No installation is ever 100%; if you look enough they all have some flaws." To me this was a bit problematic from a company who prides themselves on quality of work.

They offered that if we can have the done elsewhere with better results that they would be willing to pay for it upon their approval. I am not sure we am going to go through the hassle and even if we do I doubt we'll go back to have them pay for it.

I will say this about myself though, I am extremely thorough and meticulous in things I do myself and when I pay for a service (especially when I pay a premium) I expect the same. I admit that I am also very picky about things and generally, if there is a flaw I will find it. So maybe I expect too much or I am too quick to scrutinize the quality of work, but that is just how I am by nature; not a perfectionist, but pretty close...

I am sure there are some who would be perfectly ok with the things I find "wrong" here and some might even notice the less apparent things. I can't speak for everyone as I dont know everyone's tolerances, expectations, and level of thoroughness/meticulousness.

I am not posting this to bash on them, their quality of work, or their service but rather to give some insight to those who are considering getting these things done and are shopping around. To be honest, their service is good and they are nice people, and for the clear bra I could see my self going back there with other cars, maybe just not tint... haha

Anyway, sorry for the long post and take it for what it is worth as I said in the beginning, and hopefully this, in some way, helps the local CL community.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

do you have pictures of the affected areas on the clear bra and the tint? that would help people to understand the issue

92 SC400

^^^^ Im not sure that my camera is good enough to show. I'll try tough.

92 SC400

I just tried to take pics in the garage but I dont have ample lighting. I can see it, but when I tried to take the pic from the inside all I can see is out. And lighting is not sufficient from the outside. Weather sucks right now so I'll try again is the weather gets better.

JasonC

I saw your car there when my new GS460 was being worked on. I've formed quite a good relationship with the guys at Premiere and the things that they were working on your car weren't at all as bad as it sounds. To be quite honest, I didn't even notice it until I looked very closely while I was chatting with the guys. And even after noticing it, it was something that even I (OPSOB - one picky SOB) could only see from certain angles and pretty close to the car. I think I saw two tiny dots on the rear that were the size of a pen *****. I've used them since I met them at EOS 3 or 4 yrs ago and haven't had any problems.

92 SC400

^^^^ If it were your car though, is it acceptable? If you only saw those two, you saw the two which were the least of my concerns. I even told them that those little ones were not a big deal to me because of how small they are as you saw. There were more obvious ones in the front windows and on the rear there is a streak that is about 1/3" x 1/4" (roughly). Like I said, it's not the first car I've had tinted and if you're wondering why I just didn't go back to places I've been to before it's because we wanted the clear bra from there and it was convenient to have everything done it one day. Based on their reputation I figured we'd have no issues.

mikeho

Next time, just have your tint done somewhere else. Also, when I asked for a quote, they told me they won't put ceramic on the back window of the IS because it's too hard. Same reaction from Auto Mall Tint Specialist.

I'm taking my car tomorrow to Rocky Mountain Window Tint in Livermore. They're doing Formula One ceramic all around (including the back window) for $399 OTD (out the door). I'll let you know how it all goes. It may be far for me, but I think it might be worth it. When I called to make an appointment, they were already working on a blue 2008 IS. Anyone know whose car that is?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

are you serious?! no ceramic tint in the back "coz' it's too hard"?!

there is a reason why they are professional, they are supposed to be able to do it @_@

92 SC400

I've never heard anything about the ceramic tint. When we were there looking at the tints originally they didnt mention that to us, though we got the regular film anyway. I wonder what the difference is between the two during installation...?

After we noticed the tint issues my g/f said the same about getting the tint elsewhere. But at the time it just seemed so convenient to have everything done at the same place.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

ceramic is thicker and MUCH harder to install, from another thread, especially on shrinking part. need to be specially trained for that i believe. i heard the same thing from my tint shop (who also does ceramic). the installation takes longer as well.

ceramic blocks out heat much better than normal tint (which hardly blocks out any heat)

mikeho

It's harder to install, but it's much higher quality. It's thicker, so there's less chance of bubbling. No fading or color change, since the tint is due to the material, rather than a dye. It has no metal in it, so it doesn't block any cell/GPS/radio signals. The installation takes longer, but it's mostly the drying part if the shop is good.

Yes, it also blocks out heat much better. The choices at Rocky are 50%, 35%, and 15%. I asked if I can get 15% on the front windows, but they told me it's illegal so they won't do it. I'm thinking 35% all around because I don't like the "front windows look untinted" look when the tint is staggered.

I did a bunch of research before settling on Rocky Mountain Window Tint. They've done about 20+ IS installations so far, so I think they're pretty on top of their stuff. I'll get a better number when I go and visit. My girlfriend also helped me look around, found a bunch of places in Fremont, but some of them are all-in-one shops (stereo, tint, etc) and seem kinda shady. Since Rocky's been around for 20 or so years (http://www.rockymtnwindowtint.com/home), I figured "why not?"

Besides, most of the price goes into the quality of work. Most places offer a "lifetime warranty" but do I really want to go back to the shop after 2 years to get them to fix it??

flipside909

That's what sets apart companies who are actual professionals and reputable honest businesses. The humble ones never need to charge a premium and brag about it, that's what sets their reputation in a community. Then you have those that think they're the best in their league but in reality, they show their class level by making examples of others work on their own domain. Then you have the fanboys that defend them.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

lol, believe me, i have ceramic tint on both the ls460l and gs350 for a reason

mikeho

This is somewhat continuing the Premier tint/clear bra thread (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=327977), but I didn't want to hijack it. I said I was going to report on my tinting experience, so here it is. I apologize for not doing this sooner; I've been working on my side project pretty intensely for the past few days. It's a direction finder via the NYC subway and Boston subway (http://www.nysubway.info and http://www.bostonsubway.info, respectively), so for those of you who are thinking to go to either city for vacation, check it out!

A disclaimer: I know nothing about tinting other than reading what is posted here and elsewhere. This is my first time getting any car tinted, so take the experience as a novice who is fascinated with the work and truly believes that reputation and quality is everything.

I believe in paying for quality. Be it high quality film or high quality installation, it's worth it. Tinting ranges from $150-$600+ and everyone (well, almost everyone) claims that the person did a good job. I've heard some bad stories as well and I'd rather not be one of those bad stories. So I did my research.

1. Warranty. What a joke. It's a marketing gimmick over anything else. You feel comfortable taking your car to a place because if they do a bad job, they'll fix it. But why would you want to take it back? Do you really want to waste another 3 hours of your life because they didn't do a good job the first time or used bad materials?
2. Quality of materials. There are many films out there. Each one accomplishes its task of tint and heat rejection through various means and materials. Dyed films have tint but low heat rejection. They fade in color over time. They're thin, so they dry quickly but are more easily ripped. Ceramic materials have tint and high heat rejection. They're thicker so they take longer to dry but are more durable.
3. Quality of labor. How thorough are they in getting the job done? Do they ensure that the film is put on properly with zero mistakes?

For the above reasons, I chose to go with FormulaOne's ceramic tint through Rocky Mountain Window Tint in Livermore, CA. I dealt with Matt Britton, who is the owner and did the installation himself. I called to set up an appointment a few weeks earlier (but it was a slow week, so there were lots of openings).

When I got there, it seemed like one of those random suites in a commercial complex; nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary. This place definitely earns its business by referrals. One thing drew my attention: it only does tinting. No stereo installation with tinting on the side. This place does one and only one thing: tinting.

In the lobby, I was able to see into the garage where he will be working and I was amazed at how clean it was. For most garages, you think dirt/oil everywhere, grimy floor. This garage had a white floor that was almost pristine. Everything was neat and organized. There were a few tubes and wires going around but they all were there for a reason.

Matt noticed me and quickly came to tell me that he needed to turn off the car that he was working on and he'd be out in just a second. He does so and the first thing is shake my hand. He turns on a space heater because it's a bit cold in the lobby. He starts asking questions about what I wanted for my car. I already did my research and knew what I wanted, but I was impressed that he had great customer service. Someone who's done no research at all would be comfortable with him and would definitely feel good about their investment. I felt at ease and asked him for pictures which he gladly showed me. He's done plenty of ISx50s before (I forgot to ask him how many), but he's very confident about working with them. After all is said and done, he gave me his advice and I went with it: 35% on the sides and 15% on the rear. "The rear," he explained, "has more surface area than the sides. The way that it is angled also grabs more sunlight, so you're better off with a darker tint on the back. Because there is more light hitting it and it is darker, it will look the same tint as the sides." He continued, "Also, you have to think about how the light hits the car. If you're looking from the front, there's only one window tinted. If you're looking from the side, there's two. So to make the tints look even, the back needs to be darker." He didn't recommend having the sides tinted at 15%. "Guaranteed ticket," he said. Considering he's been doing this for 20+ years, I believe him. Also, visibility at night is a big factor too. Too dark and you can't see a thing. He told me another story of a man who bought a used car with dark tints and asked them to be taken off because he couldn't see at night and it was dangerous. I wanted to lower the glare in my side mirrors from SUVs and trucks, so 35% was good enough for me.

Matt is very professional with his work. He informs me that he will be taking out the back seat and shelf, as well as the front doors, so that he can get all the way to the corners. He's extremely careful with the work, but very quick. The entire job took about 2 to 2.5 hours. The 4 hour quote is to give him buffer in case there are a few jobs going at a time. He can work even faster than that in the summer when the weather is warmer and the tint dries more quickly.

After watching him work, I was okay with him taking apart the car. Generally, you would think that it's a bad thing, but honestly, I preferred it. It allowed him to get to the very corners of the window and he paid very close attention to details. He was good about removing everything without causing damage or panic and he knew exactly what he was doing.

What I liked is that Matt made it an art form, one that he was very proud of. I made this comment and he took it in stride. An example of what we talked about: most tinting and stereo places use computer generated templates to cut out the sizing for the window. Rocky Mountain Window Tint does it by hand. While this may take longer, Matt is sizing the sheet of tint specifically for my window. That means that it will fit perfectly and will not have extra edges. He does each window separately and measures out each one before he starts cutting. But he uses the measurement just to get a general idea. He uses the window itself to measure precisely the shape and the size of the film that he needs. Computer generated templates are only general specifications; there are variances in the way the glass is formed so each window is different. In something as precise as installing tint, these tiny variances make a big difference.

He was very nice and allowed me to take pictures. I'll be posting pictures once I get them up and tagged. I took some pictures of the finished product afterward, but it was rainy yesterday (Tuesday, 1/8/2008), so I couldn't get very good pictures. Needless to say, his tinting was flawless. There were no bubbles or imperfections at all in any of the windows. It looks absolutely beautiful!

He gave me some instructions about the tint:
1. No rolling down the window for 48 hours (it needs to dry).
2. Curing time is 7-14 days. If you see imperfections in the tint, leave them alone; it will go away after that time.
3. Defroster is OK.
I forgot the rest, but he asked me if I was going over the bridge back to Palo Alto. He said I should be okay with rolling down the window if it's only once, but told me that he would fix it for free if I happen to mess it up. Now that's customer service.

I had a great experience with him and I highly recommend him. Any car I have in the future I would take to him to do. Livermore isn't exactly close and $399 isn't "cheap" compared to places that do $200 tints. Considering that places like Premier charge $500 for ceramic, it's cheaper than most places if you compare similar materials. But it was worth every mile of driving and the quality and cost of materials is worth every penny and so much better than anything in the bay. Like I said before, neither Auto Mall Tint Specialist nor Premier will put ceramic tint on the back window. But he did and it looks fabulous. Thanks, Matt!

A warning about Premier: Matt told me about a Ferrari that he did once. The owner had originally taken it to Premier. When the owner came to pick up the car, they told him that they did the side windows but not the back because it was too hard. (Too hard! What a joke!) Matt was commenting about how ridiculous it was to take a car to a shop and have them only do half the job. Why do the job at all if you can't finish it? Matt made one statement that I think he truly believes in and will hold to: "If it's a window, I'll do it."

P.S. He told me a lot about different tints. While Madico and Huper Optik make ceramic tints also, neither of them are designed for cars. They're actually designed for flat glass (like windows and doors in a house), so they don't fit as well and have a higher reflection than FormulaOne's Pinnacle Series tint.

P.P.S. Don't be fooled by other places called Rocky Mountain Window Tint, you want the one in Livermore on Bennett Dr. Matt explained to me that some people in Denver came up with a business model/plan and people like his father bought into the plan and set up shops. Each shop is individually owned and use different films. The one in Fremont, for example, isn't the same one and the quality isn't as good as his shop. He says they're getting better, but use at your own risk.

**Pictures of the tinting process**
http://www.flickr.com/gp/38468817@N00/2Jt350

fbapacible

Thanks for the info.