window tints

[jlocurto]

i looking to tint my black mica 2008.5 speed3 GT and i was just wondering what tint % everyone has been going with and what would look the best with the black mica?
pictures would be nice so i could see for myself
thanks

[lestat13]

I went with 20 on the back windshiled and 30 on the rest of the windows on my 2008.5 Metro. I live on backroads with lots of trees and deer.... but if I had to do it over I def would have gone 20 all the way around. Here are some pics after I washed it for the first time after the tints. They look darker in person and the pics make the front 2 look REALLY light but in person they all look the same.... don't understand cameras ;)

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/lestatthirteen/Mazdaspeed3/SP_A0448.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/lestatthirteen/Mazdaspeed3/SP_A0453.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/lestatthirteen/Mazdaspeed3/SP_A0449-1.jpg

[stephani3]

I have 15% on my true red. I am a sucker for blacked out cars... so I say go as dark as possible on your BM!!!!!!!!!

[MikeHTally]

15/15/5/15

[mrjoshyman]

anyone with the GT get a sun stripe? I'm curious is that would mess with the wiper/headlight sensor...

[Kain]

anyone with the GT get a sun stripe? I'm curious is that would mess with the wiper/headlight sensor...

I have a 20% windshield stripe on mine. It's cut so that it actually doesn't cover the sensors, but from a distance it looks like one strip of tint:

http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ms3/ms3_2008-06-15_02.jpg


And here's my 20% all-around:

http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ms3/ms3_2008-06-15_01.jpg


Unless I start getting fix-it tickets in droves, then I will always do dark tint on my cars from now on. Looks are secondary; the ambient heat inside the cabin is much less than it would be otherwise, and that alone is enough a reason to go dark for me. I use an OEM Mazda3 sunshade for when it's parked.

[mrjoshyman]

I have a 20% windshield stripe on mine. It's cut so that it actually doesn't cover the sensors, but from a distance it looks like one strip of tint:

http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ms3/ms3_2008-06-15_02.jpg


And here's my 20% all-around:

http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ms3/ms3_2008-06-15_01.jpg


Unless I start getting fix-it tickets in droves, then I will always do dark tint on my cars from now on. Looks are secondary; the ambient heat inside the cabin is much less than it would be otherwise, and that alone is enough a reason to go dark for me. I use an OEM Mazda3 sunshade for when it's parked.


i cant even tell its been cut around the sensors -- do u have ne pix that are more clear of the cut out around the sensors?

[mazdaspeedster3]

5/15

[Kain]

No closer pics at the moment... but now that I look at it, looks like my car has a unibrow. lawl.

The sensor is in the black housing above the rear view mirrow. The only way a stripe can cover that sensor is if it was done on the outside... which it never is since tint is installed on the interior. My windshield tint is just two pieces, each cut to conform to the shape of that black housing.

[CWPspeed3]

I was thinking about doing 20% rear and 35% fronts but after this I think 20% all around looks very nice.

[lestat13]

I was thinking about doing 20% rear and 35% fronts but after this I think 20% all around looks very nice.

I was worried that 20 everywhere was going to be too dark, but its not. go with all 20 ;)

[mrjoshyman]

I was thinking about doing 20% rear and 35% fronts but after this I think 20% all around looks very nice.

i had 15% all around on my 626 but it was just a bit too dark @ night for me, I think 20% would be perfect....

[lestat13]

i had 15% all around on my 626 but it was just a bit too dark @ night for me, I think 20% would be perfect....

Like I said, I was worried about going to dark cause of non-lit backroads and deer and stuff, but 30 is fine, so I wish I would have gone 20.

[jlocurto]

thanks a lot everyone im going to get my windows tinted tomorrow morning and i'll either do 30 front and 20 back or 20 all around

[CWPspeed3]

thanks a lot everyone im going to get my windows tinted tomorrow morning and i'll either do 30 front and 20 back or 20 all around

Thats exactly what I'm debating, not because of night visibility but because of bastard cops wanting ticket revenue.

[lestat13]

Well I know a week after my friend got his 20 all around a cop gave him a ticket. Since it's a wagon, around here I heard 20 is allowed on everything except the front two windows... so that's only 2 to fix with a repair order.

I say go for it!!

[mrjoshyman]

as far as tickets go in new york the limit for the front windows is 70% lol so i have found that the key to not getting ticketed for tints is 1) make friends w/ ur local cops, 2) get urself a PBA card (idk if this will work everywhere but @ least by me if ur just getting pulled over for tints its very unlikely to ur gonna get a ticket with a PBA card)

[CWPspeed3]

MI your only allowed a 4" strip on the top of the driver and passenger window then anything around the back as long as its not mirror tint. So if the cops were anal enough they would give me a ticket for the 35% as well as a 20%, I was just thinking it would seem less noticeable being a tad lighter. My area doesnt do fix it tickets on them anymore because people would just get them redone right after.

*Edit: Whats a PBA card?

[oaklandopen]

my old miata had 5% limo and i had the hard top (needed that tint at night cuz even the lowest car was shining lights directly into the rear view mirror), but im not gonna go that far with this one. eventually i want 35% up front and not sure what i want in the back

[Mike240SX]

5% all around. Go big or go home.

[Kain]

5% all around. Go big or go home.

Remove all of your windows and weld sheet metal in their place. Go bigger or go home.

[lestat13]

^^

Oh Snap!! (boom07)


*** Side note.... noticed where your profile says 20%... not going big??

[kneedragger241]

I've got 10% all around and I've paid a $108 fine four times so far this year.
It goes in on Monday to have the front windows re-done at 35%.
The looking sexy tax is getting to be too rich for my blood, not to mention what a hassle it is to get pulled over for it.

[sebspeed3]

20% all around minus the front windshield

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll271/SOGtint4/08Mazdaspeed320amberheadlights3.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll271/SOGtint4/08Mazdaspeed320amberheadlights2.jpg

these pictures were actually taken by the tint shop about 5 minutes after it was all done and im super pleased and in LOVE with the darkness wouldn't go darker because night would be horrible to see

[CWPspeed3]

oh man 20% looks so nice! but like kneedragger241 said I cant afford the "looking so sexy" tax of getting tickets for it and might have to go 35%.

[Kain]

^^

Oh Snap!! (boom07)
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ohsnapblack.gif
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ohsnapwhite.gif
http://www.msprotege.com/members/Kain/ohsnapcaptamerica.gif

[jlocurto]

yeah i got m windows tinted yesterday
cost me about 160 bucks
i got 20% for the back 5 windows and 30% on the front 2
and i got pulled over last night for my STOCK exhaust and he said something about the tints being really dark
and my dad has 20% all around on his F-350 and my 30% looks darker than his 20%

[CWPspeed3]

yeah i got m windows tinted yesterday
cost me about 160 bucks
i got 20% for the back 5 windows and 30% on the front 2
and i got pulled over last night for my STOCK exhaust and he said something about the tints being really dark
and my dad has 20% all around on his F-350 and my 30% looks darker than his 20%

Damn the lowest I've been quoted is $220 for tints. Tints or their excuse for loud exhaust is just the cops making up shit for a reason to pull you over and look for other stuff.

[lestat13]

End up getting a ticket??

[evo2ms3]

35% all around / legal

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg229/sadams_00/LittleRiver147-1.jpg

[lestat13]

Wow, that looks MUCH darker than 35%

[CWPspeed3]

Wow, that looks MUCH darker than 35%

Thats what I was thinking, then again I've seen 20% that looks like 35% it all depends on the light, the film, and the camera. Makes decision making tough for me.

[xandrake]

My rig with 20% all around and 5% on the windshield. I think it's the perfect amount of tint for the Black Mica.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v45/xxiipogoiixx/MS3_06_tonemapped.jpg

[lestat13]

That looks great!! Can you see out of the back when driving..... and how about parking/backing up??

[xandrake]

That looks great!! Can you see out of the back when driving..... and how about parking/backing up??

Yup. It got a little bit harder to see things at night, but you get used to it. If there is any light source near you, you'll be fine.

[jlocurto]

End up getting a ticket??

nah i didn't get a ticket thank god i was so confused when he pulled me over... considering it was the same guy who gave me a speeding ticket 4 weeks ago in my old car!
but i just got the tints done so i couldn't roll down the window so i had to open the door... it was a lil weird hahahah

[MicaSp33d]

front 22% rear 5%

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n375/micasp33d/100_2628.jpg

[CWPspeed3]

but i just got the tints done so i couldn't roll down the window so i had to open the door... it was a lil weird hahahah

Haha what did the cop think about that?
With my luck I just know the same thing would happen soon as I get tints.

[jlocurto]

Haha what did the cop think about that?
With my luck I just know the same thing would happen soon as I get tints.

haha he actually didn't question me when i opened the door

[mazdaspeedster3]

I think if the police are going to get you for tint it wont matter what % you go.

[onie]

I've done 50% all around tint on most of my cars and i've never had a problem. Tints that are very dark attracts cops

[CWPspeed3]

Haha thats pretty funny, I would have thought the cops would have said something.

Why dont the cops have anything better to do than to write tickets for tint? They dont even bother all the people I see dont stop for red lights or stop signs or turn when theres a no turn on red and in this area they dont bother you too much for speeding, but tints just sets them off apparently?

[jlocurto]

20% on the backs and 30% on the 2 fronts
ive had the car for 2 weeks...been pulled over 2x, both times they said something about the tints and the exhaust, but last time i got a speeding ticket :(

[kneedragger241]

Replaced the tint on the front door windows today.
Went from 10% to 35%. Still looks pretty dark from the outside; but from the inside, I can totally feel the difference in how much sunlight comes through.

We'll see what the get pulled over factor is with this configuration.

[typeshluder]

In PA, I'm pretty sure any non-factory tint is illegal. I have friends that have super dark tint and never had any problems, but then I used to have 35% on my Prelude and got pulled over and ticketed all the time. It's not worth the wasted money for me anymore and the residue the tint can leave behind once taken off. Besides, you should want people to see the person that just smoked them...

[iredremix]

i'd go with 20%. if ur gonna get a ticket for tints, u might as well go with the darkest one lmao that's how i thought of it. i live in ny, people get pulled over left and right for tints

[kneedragger241]

In PA, I'm pretty sure any non-factory tint is illegal. I have friends that have super dark tint and never had any problems, but then I used to have 35% on my Prelude and got pulled over and ticketed all the time. It's not worth the wasted money for me anymore and the residue the tint can leave behind once taken off. Besides, you should want people to see the person that just smoked them...


Actually, 70% is legal... but that's like nothing at all anyway!
I bought my car from the dealer with the 10% on. It looked damn sexy and I'm having trouble parting with it.

[typeshluder]

I've also heard you can somehow get a prescription for tint from your eye doctor. So if you get pulled over you can show them a card and be on your way. Anyone ever hear of this?

[Kain]

I've also heard you can somehow get a prescription for tint from your eye doctor. So if you get pulled over you can show them a card and be on your way. Anyone ever hear of this?

It differs by state, but it's generally known as a window tint medical exemption permit. They are not easy to get, and you need a diagnosed skin or eye condition authorized by a medical doctor to apply for the permit.

[CWPspeed3]

I've got an eye appointment this Saturday so I'll ask and see if my doctor has heard of anything, at least for Michigan if its a state by state thing.

[Silver Ecstasy]

Matt, I have a note from my doctor for photosensitivity. I took it to Secretary of State and they approved it for use. They said I could also make it completely official by having it printed on my license, but it's a 15 page document that me and my doctor have to sign and it also binds me from driving any car in the future without tint. Which means, if I get pulled over driving a car without tint, they can give me a ticket for that because it's now deemed a safety issue of me being on the road with that condition. Too much drama for all that.

[mckraut]

heh, my wife is an eye doctor and turns down at least 3 ricer kids a week after they ask her for a note for their window tint.

[CWPspeed3]

heh, my wife is an eye doctor and turns down at least 3 ricer kids a week after they ask her for a note for their window tint.

Haha, I hope I dont fall under the ricer kid category, thats kind of funny though.

[mckraut]

Haha, I hope I dont fall under the ricer kid category, thats kind of funny though.

lol, I wasn't implying that. She literally gets people that pull up to the curb and run in asking for a medical note for their window tint. They aren't even there for an eye exam.

[iredremix]

I've also heard you can somehow get a prescription for tint from your eye doctor. So if you get pulled over you can show them a card and be on your way. Anyone ever hear of this?

yea that's very true. my friend fought a tint ticket with a doctor's note and won. i dunno how it is in new york but i believe u only need an official doctor's note rather than a prescription

[CWPspeed3]

lol, I wasn't implying that. She literally gets people that pull up to the curb and run in asking for a medical note for their window tint. They aren't even there for an eye exam.

I'm just thinking I've been going to this doctor for years and havent complained of light sensitivity before so he may be wise to my trick, then again everyones eyes are sensitive to light and if youve been in an office all day then leave work and its sunny its going to bother your eyes for a while...