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[Humpy]

After wasting time and effort and not to mention money on trying to tint the rear windows of my estate, I gave up in disgust Years ago I used some tinting film on the rear windows of my company van and it was just single piece film which you stuck on with warm soapy water similar to sticking your tax disc holder in the window. This stuff, which I got from Halfords (don't groan, I feel a nit as it is wasting my money!) is a two piece film with a peel off backing. The thing is, it's almost impossible to get it into place as it's kinda self adhesive. The first bit we tried to fit, the wind got hold off it and it stuck together. The second bit stuck to the window and then we coudn't manouvre it. Then we gave up!

I rang a firm I saw on the web for a rough estimate to do the job properly and they quoted me £320 +VAT Suffice to say, I ain't paying that! Has anybody done it themselves successfully? If so what film did you use? If anybody's had it done professionaly, how much did it cost?

Perhaps I'll just fit some curtains in the back

Humpy

[waspy]

I've done a few cars in the past & it's a pain in the arse, you need alot of time & patients. A tip- if you plan on doing it your self, don't use a cheap film & apply with Baby shampoo & water, not washing up liqiud. If you're doing windows that wind up & down, wait for the film to dry & then use a very very fine file to smooth the egdes where it runs up into the door seal, this stops the egdes from ridding up. you could also use some clear nail varnish on the edges as a pre-cautionary measure this eals the egdes from water etc. HTH

[Jay w]

i have done both in the past, paid to have it done and done it myself....

to have it done i paid £350 for the whole car, well worth it.

to do it myself i took over the bathroom for a few days.......

I removed all the windows from the car, filled the bath half with cold water and laid the glass in there. then peel off the adhesive backing and placed that in the water, then lifted the glass up onto the film, from there i squeegied all the water out and then heated the film by using a hairdryer, this shrunk it a little and helped it to bond to the glass

what the instructions don't tell you is you have to practically immerse the glass in water, they say apply some water, trust me they are being economical there

[serek]

one of my m8 done his window in luton for whole car hi pay 180Quid was rover 75
you can fund chipper place on your area just put on yahoo or google  

[Humpy]

Thanks Pete.

Jay, taking all the windows out seems like a pretty major job :-/ But I guess to really do the job it's probably the way to go One thing the (so called) instructions did say was to place the film over the outside of the window and cut to shape. That's all well and good but the inside of the window (reveal) isn't always the same shape as the outside!!

I can see me parting with some dosh to get it done by somebody who knows WTF they're doing

Humpy

PS Serek, sounds a bit easier on the wallet!

[waspy]

Thanks Pete.

Jay, taking all the windows out seems like a pretty major job :-/ But I guess to really do the job it's probably the way to go One thing the (so called) instructions did say was to place the film over the outside of the window and cut to shape. That's all well and good but the inside of the window (reveal) isn't always the same shape as the outside!!

I can see me parting with some dosh to get it done by somebody who knows WTF they're doing

Humpy

PS Serek, sounds a bit easier on the wallet!

That's what i'd do, just easier  

[TheBoy]

That's what i'd do, just easier  

Not half as easy as leaving then as they are  :-/

[Jay w]

Thanks Pete.

Jay, taking all the windows out seems like a pretty major job :-/ But I guess to really do the job it's probably the way to go One thing the (so called) instructions did say was to place the film over the outside of the window and cut to shape. That's all well and good but the inside of the window (reveal) isn't always the same shape as the outside!!

I can see me parting with some dosh to get it done by somebody who knows WTF they're doing

Humpy

PS Serek, sounds a bit easier on the wallet!

That's what i'd do, just easier  

plus if they cock it up they have to put it right

[Vamps]

Won't it look a bit like a hearse? I wanted to so this with our old estate but it was black and would have done.

[HolyCount]

Just had the back screen and rear side windows done on my saloon -- £160 fitted professionally -- did a damn good job too!

Have used film myself in the past -- as Jay says use LOTS of soapy water --- but it's a real pain in the proverbial -- far better to let someone else have the heartache !!!!!

[waspy]

That's what i'd do, just easier  

Not half as easy as leaving then as they are  :-/

  agreed, though most cars do look better when done. IMO

[HolyCount]

That's what i'd do, just easier  

Not half as easy as leaving then as they are  :-/

  agreed, though most cars do look better when done. IMO

True, though some might disagree    I had mine done for several reasons:  I like the look, I need to keep the back shady for the little one and I often carry items I don't want gawped at from outside. 8-)

JayW has some neat "socks" on his --- like gloves that slide over the rear door tops -- really neat.

[Humpy]

Yup, it'll look like a hearse (mine's Polar Sea Blue) but as has been said, it'll stop people from looking in the back at various precious cargos and hopefully keep the suns heat out a bit as well. Get's pretty hot in there when the suns out-not that we see the sun much at the moment

Humpy

[Albatross]

£250 all incl. of VAT for all 7 windows at 65% tint done by Autotronics in Bedford.

They had the car for the day and I'm very happy with the result; top quality work.

[Humpy]

£250 all incl. of VAT for all 7 windows at 65% tint done by Autotronics in Bedford.

They had the car for the day and I'm very happy with the result; top quality work

That's a bit more like it!

Humpy