Window tinting

Maccapacca · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:16

Now the suns out and the kiddies need to be sun screened up, we again have to buy another set of sun shades for our cars, it seems every year they get lost or ruined and we also have the irritant of my eldest now sitting in the back going "blind comes down - blind goes up" Homer style over and over again.

There's a local guy who said he will tint the Zafira and the S80 for £300, the Zafira I don't want to touch the fronts and will go quite light any way on the rears, don't need any more excuses for the wife reversing into things.

I'm thinking about a darker for the Volvo and then a legal tint for the fronts but the glass is quite tinted anyway, anyone had any experience / advice?

Thanks

ScarySquirrel · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:19

You can't tint any of the front windows. It's illegal.

Peerzy · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:25

ScarySquirrel said:
You can't tint any of the front windows. It's illegal.

I thought you could a bit? Like 20% or something?

I've got factory standard tints on my rears and like them. Wouldn't be make or break and I'd be worried they would balls it up but would look into doing it for future cars. Looks better and got privacy sake.

DM · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:41

20 % fronts and 80% gangster tints at the back i think it is.

Maccapacca · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:44

DM said:
20 % fronts and 80% gangster tints at the back i think it is.

That'd suit the Volvo

Biohazard · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:44

ScarySquirrel said:
You can't tint any of the front windows. It's illegal.

You can, I have the OE option of clear glass or a mild blue hue tint.

Not gangster stuff though, no.

DM · 9 Apr 2011 at 17:45

maccapacca said:
That'd suit the Volvo

Ya get what im saying star

Mucky_Pup · 9 Apr 2011 at 18:13

Got the back windows on my car tinted on Wednesday, cost £120, guy has done a pretty good job.

phi1 · 9 Apr 2011 at 18:46

just get the backs as dark as you want and the fronts the lightest tint there is! Most cops won't even bother but worst cause unless the law has changed it's a £60 fine and they may make you take some part of it off there and then!

Ev0 · 9 Apr 2011 at 18:53

Only driven one car with what I'd call proper tints in the back (mk5 golf, factory tint) and it was pretty weird the first time I had a go.

Looking back it was like wearing sun glasses (well dur obviously) when you're not, which was a little odd

My windscreen got replaced the other day and apparently has a green tint to it, not that I can really notice.

wez130 · 10 Apr 2011 at 12:01

sorry for the hijack, i'm looking at tints for my rears for the kids as them stupid blinds that stick on the rear windows that the missus insists on look stupid, what would suit my carbon black E60 best? And are there any recommendations on where to have them done - in the north east ideally?

Mucky_Pup · 10 Apr 2011 at 12:06

I went down to Middlesbrough to get mine done at a place called G Force Autostyling on Linthorpe Road, charged me £120 for the back 5 windows in a 5 door Focus, very quick job, good service, I got recommended by someone aswell, they also don't put the crappy adverts on your car like I've seen some other tinting companies do. Will post a pick when I get home.

BinnsY · 10 Apr 2011 at 12:13

The law doesnt goven how much of a tint you can have, it governs how much light can pass through the windscreen and windows in front of the B pillar. Anything behind the B pillar you can have as dark as you like, limo tints are perfectly acceptable and there are no laws governining it at all. The fronts are a different matter.

Essentially your windscreen must let 75% of light through, and your front side windows must allow 70% of light through. This is where the problem comes in though, you cant just slap a 20% tint on the fronts and assume all is well. If I remember correctly even perfectly clear glass only lets around 90% of light through, pretty much every car will also have some form of tint on the windows. It's pretty much safe to assume that out of the factory your windows will only be letting 80% of light through. With this in mind even a 10% tint will be getting you increadibly close or possibly beyond the legal limit.

It's also worth noting that the punshiment should you get caught has more than one outcome as well. They are categorised into 2 categoris, less severe tints and more severe tints. If your reading comes in the below 70% but above 45% you fall into the less severe category and its simply a fine and 14 days to remove the tints / show evidence at your local nick that you have done.

If you decide to be epically daft and limo tint the fronts and fall below 45% you fall into the more severe category and your car can be taken off the road there and then.

It's also worth noting that your tints need to be declared to your insurance company.

Hope this helps a bit. One example of a source for this linked below.

http://www.shropshiretints.co.uk/legal.htm

ScarySquirrel · 10 Apr 2011 at 13:13

Biohazard said:
You can, I have the OE option of clear glass or a mild blue hue tint.

Not gangster stuff though, no.

I was told that any non-factory fitted tints forward of the B pillar were illegal, I guess they were wrong, or I misunderstood.

Fr0dders · 10 Apr 2011 at 13:19

ScarySquirrel said:
I was told that any non-factory fitted tints forward of the B pillar were illegal, I guess they were wrong, or I misunderstood.

THeres more to it than they are / arent

see above for a good explanation. On some cars a slight tint on the front could fail, others not. It depends on the factory glass.

BinnsY · 10 Apr 2011 at 13:59

ScarySquirrel said:
I was told that any non-factory fitted tints forward of the B pillar were illegal, I guess they were wrong, or I misunderstood.

Theres no law to say they are, but most cars come out of the factory so that in 99% of circumstances having any tint will take you over the limit so I can see where they are coming from.

WhiteCobra · 10 Apr 2011 at 16:06

Drivers side windows must allow 70% light to travel through. The rear windows can be as dark as you want. I know this as i was pulled for front tints and their equipment measured my tints at 55%. I had a legal tint applied from a tinting shop but like the police explained to me the window isn't 100% to begin with. The thickness of the glass and the fact most manufactures have partially tinted glass to begin with... He also handed me a nice leaflet explaining it all. He was fair and didn't hand out a fine, just asked for them to be removed over the weekend. He also said if it wasn't for the fact they were cracking down on it at the time he wouldn't have bothered.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/Tinted Windows Oct 2008.pdf

Morba · 10 Apr 2011 at 16:17

for legality sake, why dont these tint places do a test to see how much light is already passing through then only put on tints to the legal limit, if they can?

BinnsY · 10 Apr 2011 at 16:23

I think its because the equipment to measure it is rather expensive.

5abr3 · 10 Apr 2011 at 16:23

Peerzy said:
I thought you could a bit? Like 20% or something?

I've got factory standard tints on my rears and like them. Wouldn't be make or break and I'd be worried they would balls it up but would look into doing it for future cars. Looks better and got privacy sake.

IIRC no film forward of the B pillar and they must pass 70% of the visible light range, therefore you can have the glass compound tinted but you cannot apply a tint film to them.

Window tinting

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