Window Tint.. Removing Dots and Defroster
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TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 400
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From: Down Under
Window Tint.. Removing Dots and Defroster Im going to tint my windows but want to make sure that the tint looks PERFECT. This means i will have to get rid of the annoying black dots and the defroster. Has anyone done this? Will a razor get the dots off? I know a razor will get the defroster off.. just wondering about the dots..
will not go awa...you can scrap away the top of the defrost line...but then they look worse.(really ugly orange is the only thing that i have ever seen.)
as far as the dots...they are ceramic...and baked on probobly not coming off, you might be able to sand them off but i assure the sand marks will look worse than the dots. a suggested method to getting the dots to look good is this:
take a fine sanding block and take your time to sand them down a little(do not get rediculous and do not use coarse paper) the dots will remain but will be sanded smoother and easier to. Then they make special glue that you apply to the dots prior to sticking the tint on. apply the glue according to the directions and let it sit and dry. then lay the film on the back window like you normally would...BUT DO NOT SQUEEGEE(sp?) the dots, let them stay wet and unstuck. then super heat the glass where the dots are so it is very hot. then squeegee out only once straight up. the idea is this...the glass will be soo hot that when you squeegee the water out that one time the moisture immediately evaps, and the glue sticks to everything the first time...leaving no white dots.
it is possible i have done as well as seen it done. when i did my camaro however i did not have the glue available so i didnt even try it...when i retint i will.
Louie
as far as the dots...they are ceramic...and baked on probobly not coming off, you might be able to sand them off but i assure the sand marks will look worse than the dots. a suggested method to getting the dots to look good is this:
take a fine sanding block and take your time to sand them down a little(do not get rediculous and do not use coarse paper) the dots will remain but will be sanded smoother and easier to. Then they make special glue that you apply to the dots prior to sticking the tint on. apply the glue according to the directions and let it sit and dry. then lay the film on the back window like you normally would...BUT DO NOT SQUEEGEE(sp?) the dots, let them stay wet and unstuck. then super heat the glass where the dots are so it is very hot. then squeegee out only once straight up. the idea is this...the glass will be soo hot that when you squeegee the water out that one time the moisture immediately evaps, and the glue sticks to everything the first time...leaving no white dots.
it is possible i have done as well as seen it done. when i did my camaro however i did not have the glue available so i didnt even try it...when i retint i will.
Louie
wont happen if you mess with the defrosters they wont work. Those dots wont come off , if you use sand paper (even the finest grit) it will not only take forever but the glass will be hazzy. If you find a good tinter they dont look to bad.
Good luck
Good luck
If you took it to get done, they would just wet sand down the dotted area & tint over it all. If done properly there shouldn't be any problems. I got mine done in my buddies garage. A guy he knows does it on site.
If you take the car to someone who actually knows how to install tint correctly - the tint will look fine over both the dots and defroster.
The installer I used in PA. can tint the hatch with (1) piece, go over the dots and defroster and it looks perfect.
$275 total to tint the rear window and both side windows...
The installer I used in PA. can tint the hatch with (1) piece, go over the dots and defroster and it looks perfect.
$275 total to tint the rear window and both side windows...
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: The Houndstooth
We have four 4th gen TA's. We have had tint done from two different shops that are considered to be the most reputable and the "best" in our surrounding areas. One did the lightly wet sand method after I requested and paid extra for it. It still doesn't look uniformly black after a while.
On this last car, I masked off the top section where the dots are and did the paint. It has held up perfect on my daily driver. The paint does NOT interfere with your vision from inside the car at all and looks perfect from outside. Heck, I had the can of flat black paint in my garage already. I got this suggestion from a member of this board a while back and it worked better than anything else I have tried.
If your car sits outside alot while you work or whatever, it has been my experience that it doesn't matter how well the tint was put on to start with. On a garage queen that is only driven a few miles a week... then its not as big of deal and you probably could get away with tinting over the dots. Takes a while for the problem to show up anyways, but then it just keeps getting worse.
This is just one person's experience with having the rear hatch tinted take it for its worth.
On this last car, I masked off the top section where the dots are and did the paint. It has held up perfect on my daily driver. The paint does NOT interfere with your vision from inside the car at all and looks perfect from outside. Heck, I had the can of flat black paint in my garage already. I got this suggestion from a member of this board a while back and it worked better than anything else I have tried.
If your car sits outside alot while you work or whatever, it has been my experience that it doesn't matter how well the tint was put on to start with. On a garage queen that is only driven a few miles a week... then its not as big of deal and you probably could get away with tinting over the dots. Takes a while for the problem to show up anyways, but then it just keeps getting worse.
This is just one person's experience with having the rear hatch tinted take it for its worth.
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Teching In
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 35
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From: Michigan (Holland/Grand Rapids)
For a show quality look the best way IMO is to paint the dots. That is what I did on my car it is looks seamless and flawless. At car shows I have had window tint company owners stop by and ask me how it was done to look so nice on the dots. Have a look........ 
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 400
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From: Down Under
Originally Posted by SS LS1 MI
For a show quality look the best way IMO is to paint the dots. That is what I did on my car it is looks seamless and flawless. At car shows I have had window tint company owners stop by and ask me how it was done to look so nice on the dots. Have a look........
Why are you always one step ahead of me!! lol.
Anyhow, what did you use to paint it?? Spray paint or airbrush or somewhere in betweeen??
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Friendswood, TX
Originally Posted by SS LS1 MI
For a show quality look the best way IMO is to paint the dots. That is what I did on my car it is looks seamless and flawless. At car shows I have had window tint company owners stop by and ask me how it was done to look so nice on the dots. Have a look........
That looks perfect.
If you don't like the defrost lines you could always find a low option V6 rear glass with no defrost. My 94 Firebird V6 had every option on it BUT the stupid rear defrost. As for SS LS1 MI's car..it is awesome. It's even hard to see what was done from the inside of the glass, let alone the outside. I still want to have this done on my car but keep finding other more fun things to spend the money on.
Originally Posted by Charging TA
Ive also heard of putting black cut vinyl over the dots...
Originally Posted by SS LS1 MI
For a show quality look the best way IMO is to paint the dots. That is what I did on my car it is looks seamless and flawless. At car shows I have had window tint company owners stop by and ask me how it was done to look so nice on the dots. Have a look........
I have no HVAC, so I Will be working on sanding, high grit and wet on the rear window to get the rear defrost lines off...You can buy glass polish to buff fine marks out, just a bigger form of the Camaro headlight deal lol....I will keep you all posted...I dunno if I will mess with the dots or not, they don't bother me, and my tint guy is good with them, but I just don't want the lines there...
Originally Posted by Toasty
Don't worry about the defrost lines. If your guy does the tint right, the defrost won't bubble the tint (and if it does, he should fix it for free). Best way to go is vinyl over the dot matrix.
I was lucky enought when I had my windows done, that the guy who did it was able to have the tint stick to the matrix dots. The tint came out perfect, after a day he took a hot air gun to it and the dots vanished.