If I lived in Cali I'd have never gotten illegal % tint. In WA I have yet to be pulled over for my tint, and I've owned 3 cars w/ illegally tinted windows.
For your situation and location, I'd get 35% in the fronts (that's the legal limit in cali I think?) and 20% in the back. The difference between 35% and 5% would be too much and it'd stand out a lot. With 35%/20% tint your car will look nice n clean all around, and it should be dark enough.
I'd always recommend my tint setup (20% fronts, 5% back windows) but in Cali you'd have so many police issues that I'd advise against it.
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+1000 on LLUMAR tint. I have that tint on my other saturn and for being 13 year old tint... it held up EXTREMELY well. Didn't purple out at all! Still smokey as if it was new Just.. not as good around the edges
2009 BMW 128i Sport 6MT
I had 20% on my Maxima and 5% on my Lexus . . .now I think tint is a waste of time, money, and energy. Just IMHO.
2006 Ferrari F430 Black / Black
2000 M5 Black / Caramel: SOLD
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Keeps the inside of the car cooler. Worth it to me.
6% all around. It's bright as hell outside right now.
I'm in So Cal. Illegal tint and front plate delete. No problems...yet.
70% in the front is legal.
Freshly tinted 35% on all 7 windows. Probably one of the best investments I've done to the car for comfort.
^^^ looks good. Love the rims
no tint:
35% tint:
98 328i 4DR
Sierrarot Metallic (Paint Code: 357)
AA Gen 3, Eurosport Conforti Intake, M50/S52 with specific Shark Injector, X-brace, Bilstein Sports/H&R Sports for M3, Mason Engineering Strut Brace, UUC Swaybarbarian, E39 M5 OEM lip spoiler, Polished LTW wheels, TSX retrofit, Lubro Moly, Pentosin and Ate fluids
The type of film (not just the opacity) seems to have something to do with how dark it looks. I just had 15% reinstalled in place of 13/6, and it's almost as dark as the 6 was, from the inside and out. They used a different brand of 15% for the back window, and it looks like most 25 or even 35 I've seen.
70% is what factory glass is. It probably helps a tiny bit with the heating up issue, but as far as visual effects go, it's worthless. 50% is the lightest film I've ever heard of, and it isn't much by itself, either.
It's pointless to ask for advice on darkness of tint unless you at least tell us the type and color of the car. Why you want it and what kind of climate your car's in are also important. My car is black on black, shadowlined, with blacked out taillights and corners, soon to have black wheels, etc. I also have fairly photosensitive eyes - can't handle daytime sun without sunglasses, but work great at night. The logical tint for me is as dark as possible. Your application may be completely different.
Last edited by moroza; 07-29-2007 at 01:41 AM.
Old but one of my favorite pics of my car
5% all around
i had 35% front, 5% back and the contrast wasnt good. 35% is just too light. hot summers, black on black, i needed darker. I now have 20% front, 5% back. i love it.
I would recommend 20% all around or 20%/5%
photo is 20%/5%
Last edited by Brent_Vino; 05-31-2009 at 09:03 AM.
09 GLI TSI 6spd
95 M3 (3/94) WRECKED - total loss
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I woundnt recommend doing two diffrent % of tint. To me it just doesnt look right. Looks a lot better when all the windows are the same.
(Edit: That's 20% all the way around the 335 below, BTW.)
I hope he's okay with me using it, but in a similar thread in another forum, someone I know posted his 335i:
As for me, there's no BMW in the pic yet, until the beginning of next year, when I will be getting my 135i, but my Maxima is at 20% all around, and my Durango next to it has 35% on the rear windows. Pictures were taken late in the afternoon:
Last edited by carrrnuttt; 07-29-2007 at 06:46 PM.
2% all around and 35% on the front winshield!
mafioso status baby.
ive gotten 4 tint tickets and ill go put it back on right after i clear it at the court haha, i cant live without it.
20% is good. 35% is too light. 15% may be too dark for a blk/blk car
I have a blk/blk car with 35% all around except rear windshield. If I could do it again, I would definitely get 20% all around. 20% looks perfect. With 35%, it's so transparent during sunny days and looks like a total waste.
Gone, but never forgotten:
'09 335i - Alpine white + Coral Red | '02 M5 - Imola Red + Imola Red
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35% U FOOL.... do it, DO IT NOW
35% is perfect where I live. I need to see out the side windows at night so I'll be able to dodge the deer jumping out in front of me.
I like 20%, dark enough to keep sun out but light enough to see through without having to roll windows down in a rain storm.....
Bill
2007 BMW M Coupe, 2008 BMW M3 Coupe, 2005 Mini Cooper S
BMW Car Club of America
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I have 20% all around and I love it. Tho cops trend to look more my way. :epps:
I only have trouble seeing if its raining AND night time - things can get a bit sketchy (15%)
I had 30% and it was just a waste of money.. you could see right through it.
I have opted for the lighter 50%, and am very happy with it. I don't like cars with dark interior, hence my decision. Before I had the car tinted, I looked at 2 cars like mine, the one had 50, the other 35%. The 50% one just looked better to me.
2007 BMW 335
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