Hey all,

I'm picking up my 8 in a few days and I was curious to know if you guys had any good/bad experiences with good tint jobs? What should I be looking for in a tint, except luminosity? Any particular brands that I need to look for/avoid ?

Thanks!

-Mat

You can't go wrong with metallized Formula One. It comes with a lifetime warranty against fade and bubbles, turning purple (which metallized tint doesn't), etc... You get a membership card so that if the dealer that put it on your car goes out of business, you can call the number on the card and they will hook you up with a nearby dealer.

Their premium tint at legal limits is hard to see through from the outside but easy to see out of at night. The metallized tint has a little better anti-glare effect against the sun and headlights compared to dyed tint. I put it on my 8 about 4 weeks ago and I'm very satisfied with it.

The stuff is pricey compared to dyed tint. I shopped around in Dallas, and found that most places where charging $270-$320. Could have had the dyed tint for around $160-$180 without warranty, just a initial guarantee against bubbles. Had mine done at Earmark car audio.

I'm not in WA, but I'd imagine you might run into the brand when your at the tint shop.

Stay AWAY from metalized tint film. It will interfere w/ your radio, radar detector and nav (if you get it) reception. The RX-8 doesn't have an external antena, it in built into the back window. I learned this lesson the hard way w/ my previous cars, an Audi S8 & 911 C4s.

I'm in Redmond also and had my 8 tinted by Mr. Tint & Sun in Bellevue on Bel-Red Rd. I've known them for 8+ years and have had about 12 cars done by them. I used Madico film, 20% in the back window & 35% on the sides for legality purposes. Looks great on titanium gray. Let me know if you want to see my car before you decide, just send me an email.

-Gary

Originally posted by garyna
Stay AWAY from metalized tint film. It will interfere w/ your radio, radar detector and nav (if you get it) reception.
-Gary

No nav or radar detector here, but no problems with radio reception.

If they zap you from just deduct the fine from your account, they've already decided to pull you over.

Garyna,

Please post a picture of your car with the tint. I'd love to see how a Ti Gray looks with it on. Especially how it reflects our wonderful gray skies. :)

ditto

The tint pictures are here:

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=11s770q3.akv3vf9j&x=0&y=l4oln0

-Gary

looks good. Coming to St Helens next saturday?

Originally posted by garyna
Stay AWAY from metalized tint film. It will interfere w/ your radio, radar detector and nav (if you get it) reception.
I'm in Redmond also and had my 8 tinted by Mr. Tint & Sun in Bellevue on Bel-Red Rd. I've known them for 8+ years and have had about 12 cars done by them. I used Madico film, 20% in the back window & 35% on the sides for legality purposes.-Gary I've got fully metallized tint on mine with no problems at all. I do have a non-metallized color-stable film if anyone has worries like you though. I use Solargard film not Madico for reasons I don't need to discuss here. And I'm sure you know...but 20% tint on your car on any window IS ILLEGAL in Washington state. The illegal hack tint shop that did your car should know that. All you have to do is go to www.wa.gov and look up the sunscreening RCW. Hopefully you won't get pulled over. Or even worse get in an accident. You'll be liable no matter what for driving a vehicle that would not pass inspection for the legal codes of our state. JMO. Sorry if I come off as an ass....but I lose business every day to illegal tinting hack shops.

Wow, that was harsh. To call another business a "illegal hack tint shop" doesn't speak much about you & your business ethics. What do you know about the tint shop I used to make a comment like that? Totally uncalled for.
For the record, I WAS told that anything darker than 35% is illegal in WA state. I CHOSE to have 20% installed and will take the risk and let's leave it at that.

Any shop that does illegal tint sucks. If shops like that continue to break the law it's just a matter of time before tinting is outlawed completely. It hurts the industry. Consider it left at that. Watch out for those coppers!

you can't blame the installer for putting to dark of window tint on ,it is the customers choice. the installer should tell you what the law requires. mine is 30%and that's n.c law

Here you can blame the installer. In Washington state there is a written law that says it's illegal to INSTALL window film that does not meet legal specifications. Up to a $1500 fine for the installer and $10,000 fine for the business. Plus you loose your business license.

It doesn't seem like it's being enforced. 20% is actually a fairly light tint IMHO. It seems like I had 30%+ on my MR2. I even Had a strip done in the front windsheild so that my face wasn't visible to photo radar (I'm just crazy like that). I was living in OR at the time and they loved their photo radar. Now I just keep my front plate off. Anyway I understand your frustration but is it really 20%? I want to do mine but that doesn't seem like much. Is there a mirror tint that doesn't interfere with with Nav, radio and radar/laser detection?

Any mirror tint is metallized enough that it could interfere with the nav. And mirror tint is also illegal. It seems like the laws aren't being enforced because you see cars everywhere that are done dark. What you don't know is the laws are strictly enforced. I redid an Accord this morning because the troopers nailed him for 20% all the way around. I get an average of 4-5 people in per week that have illegal tint and have gotten tickets for it. The troopers have my business cards to give out when this happens. Works good for me.

I know some cars that come from the dealership with more than 20% tint and mirror tint as well. Can they really enforce that?

Factory privacy glass is exempt from the sunscreening laws. Crazy huh?

I guess they have better lobbying? Anyway is it possible to get tinting that looks factory but was installed later??? I guess that is a big question you often get.

It's too easy to tell the difference. Factory is IN the glass. Aftermarket is ON the glass. My personal opinion is that mirrored or reflective tint wouldn't look good on an RX-8 or many cars because of the black border that runs around the perimeter of the quarter glass and rear windows. Their is a major contrast between the border and the tint, if the tint is too reflective. I always recommend a smoke film in the situation so that the film blends in with those borders. JMO. I've never been a big fan of reflective anyway though.

So far every non-metalized film I've seen are grayish (or charcoal). Since I have the blue RX8 I think a straight black film would look the best, however I don't want to have any problems with my radio so I guess that leaves metalized out.

Basically my restrictions are:

- Black
- No radio interference

What would be my options then? Anybody tried Huper Optik? If so, where did you get it installed?

Thanks,
-Mat

Our company now has a film we can offer that is non-metallized, a total smoke/black finish, and it still has a lifetime warranty against fading. Although, on my 8 I used the metallized charcoal and have no problems with radio reception. Huper Optik is a ceramic film. It has a very brownish look to it, being ceramic. I don't know who in Washington carries Huper. I could find out though. Huper is also EXTREMELY expensive.

The non-metallized film I mentioned is Solargard's NR True Grey. I'm sure you can find someone there that uses it. If not contact me and I'll find someone for you.

So far, I heard good stuff about a local tint guy, Robert Edelstein. However he does not believe in Solargard products, even though he can still do it for me.

Meanwhile, I have been reading on this forum that metalized isn't a big deal because it's sitting on the inside of the window. That opens up the madico onyx choice.

Hm... I guess I'll see.

Madico is decent stuff. I use it from time to time. Nothing wrong with going that route. In the past, Solargard had problems with clarity of their films. Many tinters went anti-solargard because of it. Fact is, most films are the same. I've used 'em all. Just make sure the tinter is good and you'll get a good film.

Did you use metalized on your personal car without any bad side effects?

18 years of tinting for me and pretty much all I use is Solargard. Just with anything else, we all have our opinions. It's all good. There are plenty of people out there that don't believe in Mazda products either. I'm not one. I own 2 of 'em.

I've always used metallized films. No problems at all.

Alright then. Thanks for your suggestions!

Fully metallized on my Protege. Metallized hybrid on my RX-8!!!

Plus......metallized films block more heat and insulate the car more. AC and heater work more efficiently.

Just got mine done
Got them done at Jim's detail at the south end of 509 where it meets 188th st.
paid $185
front windows 30%
side and back 20%
got a lifetime guarantee
They were pretty cool and I would have no problems recommending them :)

I have 18% Solargard True Grey in my car. It doesn't effect my radio or navi. Click my sig pic for additional images.

Originally posted by JasonHamilton
I have 18% Solargard True Grey in my car. It doesn't effect my radio or navi. Click my sig pic for additional images.

True Grey, in my opinion is the best film out there! But 18% is illegal in Wa. It's actually illegal in Florida on the 2 front doors also. The cops are probably more lenient down there, due to the heat, than they are up here.

front windows 30%
side and back 20%
got a lifetime guarantee

Your rear windows are illegal for our state. You probably won't get nailed for it though. Your warranty is only good through the shop, not manufacturer-backed due to the illegality. If you went to a reputable shop then it doesn't really matter though.

YA...... I have lived in seattle for 10 years and this shop has been around the whole time and has a good rep :)

As far as a PRO tinter... try a great shop, SUNSHADE WINDOW TINTING, in EDMONDS, WA. The owner does the work, who's name is MARCUS. TELL him STEVE with the BLK RX8 highly recommended him, and he'll do ya right. Great guy, who's done all my cars for 15 yrs. now. His phone # is 425 397-7573....YOU'LL HAVE NO REGRETS :p