This is something I'd really like to learn/know how to do...but I have no idea where to start. There are instructional DVDs for about $200 but I really am weary of something like that. Anyone ever looked into it?

 

Doesn't look too hard to do. The hardest part I can think of is cutting the tint the right shape. You might try going to a local shop and see if they will let you hang around while they do a couple cars.

 

Yeah what dopefedz said... If they won't let you, pay someone to tint your car and hang around and ask all kinds of questions while they do it... You could learn something that way.

 

practice on a buddies car after a few drinks

 

yeah and after you watch someone else do it then make your own instructional video to sell for $200 to make the money back

 

In Fort Worth, i heard of a local Junior College doing putting on a Tint Class.

 

I learned how to tint from a professional.. There are a few secrets I learned, and a lot of it is just doing it - getting the 'feel' for it. First (and most important) you absolutely MUST have a dust-free environment. The secret is to take a spray-bottle, like a windex bottle or something washed out REALLY well with a solution of dish-soap and water, and just mist everything like the garage floor, the car, the interior, etc.. That will keep the dust down, which will keep it out of the tint. Second, use quality tint. The cheap stuff doesn't cut right, and will turn purple in the sun. Third, use the outside of the glass as a template. There's a bit of technique involved here, but the general idea is that you wet the hell outta the glass, lay the tint on (don't seperate it yet) and cut to shape leaving approximately a 1/4 inch gap around the outside. Then, soak the tint, your hands, the glass (inside) and the tint itself. Did I emphasize soaking it? No really, the wetter it is, the better it'll move around for you. Here's the tricky part - when you've got it cut, peel apart the two layers, and place the exposed tint as soon as possible. The more time it's exposed, the more chance it has to collect airborn particles that WILL show up in the finished job. Once it's on, position it, and squeegee out from the center. The gap you left around the outside is for the area around the perimeter where the window meets the weatherstrip - if that gap weren't there, the tint would start to peel after the window went up and down a few times. Don't worry about every last little 'finger' (long air-bubble around the perimeter) that pops up - get the big ones, and let the tint cure for a week. DO NOT use the windows during this time - that's a sure-fire way to ruin it. After the week is up, you can retouch those fingers, and you should have a professional-looking tint job. It's not that hard, it just takes a bit of practice.

Oh yeah, the back window of any hatch sux - even for a professional tinter. The trick here is to either do it in slices, which are really difficult to line up, or use a hair-dryer, which can burn the tint if you're not careful. It's almost worth just paying someone to do the back window, and do the rest yourself.

Good luck!!


EDIT: Shouldn't this go in Appearance & Detailling?

 

I have been tinting for twelve years. Here's a little bit of advise... you can tint any window in one piece instead of splicing into several, you have to use baby powder on the back window to "dry shrink" the window film using a heat gun. A blow dryer is not hot enough. You can melt the tint so you do have to take your time and keep the heat gun at least 6" away from the film.
But has anyone tinted a 2008 Corvette? I tried to tint one in one piece... too curved... tried it in 2 pieces, again to curved. A friend of mine suggested 4 pieces, she has done it... I want to know if it is possible to do it in one piece.Any suggestions??

 

This some good reading , I'm going to try it on the front ones need new tint for sure!

 

What if the front 2 windows already has tint and u want to take it off to put new one? Isent it have like the blue on it when it comes off? How do u take that off??

 

Windex and a razor blade. Peel the big pieces off first and then scrape the rest off

 

My 06 was is one piece but I'm looking to get it darker and shops want a fortune.

 

I will try this sometime soon since tomorrowI have a cruise and don't want the camaro looking like **** lol

 

i've never tinted before, but i've put screen protectors on several PDAs, lol. friend of mine was gonna let me tint his beater mustang with some cheap *** tint, and if I did a good job tint his 2010... needless to say I haven't done it, but good info here.

 

tinting is a bitch... i can kinda do the front windows but the back one, F*** that ill pay someone for that ****

 

yeah, tinting is the one thng I'll always have somebody else do. I do have a guy that does a great job for cheap and is mobile if anybody is interested. PM for number.