Getting fully metalized 3M Black Chrome tint to keep the interior cooler and safe from UV with a windshield banner to keep the sun out of my eyes on the morning/afternoon commute.

Finally, I'll be able to get in to my V after it's been cooking in the blistering sun and not burn my hands on the steering wheel, start sweating after 5 seconds, and continuously lean forward to let the hot air vent out from between my back and the seat back until the A/C starts to do it's job.

I've had fully metalized film before (SunGard's Endurance on my previous car), but the BC film looks a heck of a lot different. It still has the reflective qualities, but instead of a dark grey/pewter/silver color, it's dark platinum/black.

Specs of the film here:http://www.epdwindowfilm.com/content/bc20sc.pdf

Hoping to save the strain on the A/C (and thus the motor/fuel economy) and protect the interior as much as possible from fading and whatnot.

I'll get some before and after pics up once it's done this coming Saturday.

Sorry for the "thread-jack" but my nissan versa has the factory tint on her and I want to get darker tint for sure...my question is does my factory tint need to be removed or can a tint shop just add on a layer of film?

Hey you got any pics you can post up? I just got a 08' CVT SL Magnetic Gray Metallic , charcoal interior, gonna start messin around with it next week

Atx_Versa wrote:Sorry for the "thread-jack" but my nissan versa has the factory tint on her and I want to get darker tint for sure...my question is does my factory tint need to be removed or can a tint shop just add on a layer of film?

Factory tint? I wasn't aware that tinted windows was even an option for the Versa. Was it something the dealer installed maybe?

At any rate, in most cases it's fine to put a new layer of tint over an existing layer. Just be sure that any existing and future tint is of high enough quality and thus guaranteed for life against peeling, bubbling, cracking, discoloring, and fading.

ironmike77 wrote:Hey you got any pics you can post up? I just got a 08' CVT SL Magnetic Gray Metallic , charcoal interior, gonna start messin around with it next week

Were you asking me or Atx_Versa?

I have never heard of Factory Tint on a Versa!

deja

ironmike77 wrote:deja

Yes, as stated in my OP, I will be posting before and after pics for everyone.

DejaWiz wrote:
Factory tint? I wasn't aware that tinted windows was even an option for the Versa. Was it something the dealer installed maybe?

At any rate, in most cases it's fine to put a new layer of tint over an existing layer. Just be sure that any existing and future tint is of high enough quality and thus guaranteed for life against peeling, bubbling, cracking, discoloring, and fading.

I think the factory glass just has a little tint in it, not a film. Most cars do these days.

Ezrem wrote:
I think the factory glass just has a little tint in it, not a film. Most cars do these days.

Well, yeah. But the Versa's side and back glass seems to be about the same as the windshield, so I'd venture to guess it's about 85-90%. I was just commenting on it being said that it came with factory tint, like it was an option or maybe even dealer installed.

Whatever was meant, I'd never let a dealer tint my windows. In most cases, you end up paying double for great tint film and getting half the tint film quality. My wife and I know a coworker (a bit of an attention whore) that bought a brand new Mustang a couple years ago and had the dealership do it. Charged her $250 and it's already starting to show signs of fading and slight discoloring. That was about three months after I got my GTI done with SunGard Endurance full metal film for $160 (after a $10 off coupon) and I told her to do the same when she was wheelin' and dealin'. She didn't listen and now she's a bit miffed that they used a film that should have cost her about $120-130 at a tint shop.

Car is going in at 8:30 tomorrow morning, so I should have some pics up sometime in the afternoon. Stay tuned.

I did my pathfinder myself 4 years ago, and it's still looking pretty great.

One nick from putting something with a semi-sharp edge in the back once doing cargo hauling.

Only took once to realize I should never let anything touch the window film!

Ezrem wrote:I did my pathfinder myself 4 years ago, and it's still looking pretty great.

One nick from putting something with a semi-sharp edge in the back once doing cargo hauling.

Only took once to realize I should never let anything touch the window film!

Yep, it's touchy stuff. I had a slight scratch on my GTI's tint driver door from a slight brushing with my wedding band.

What tint film did you use and what %, if you don't mind saying?

It was some mirrored stuff that was for dual-pane home window use actually. Gila Heat Control Titanium Advanced Heat Rejection film. I put the stuff in my apartment on all the windows and it dropped the temperature around 5 degrees (and my A/C bill by $15/mo) in the summer. I had enough left to do the rear window and rear sides on the Pathfinder so I figured I'd give it a shot, and it's held up very well, and you really can't see into the cargo area at all, especially in sunlight.

Ezrem wrote:It was some mirrored stuff that was for dual-pane home window use actually. Gila Heat Control Titanium Advanced Heat Rejection film. I put the stuff in my apartment on all the windows and it dropped the temperature around 5 degrees (and my A/C bill by $15/mo) in the summer. I had enough left to do the rear window and rear sides on the Pathfinder so I figured I'd give it a shot, and it's held up very well, and you really can't see into the cargo area at all, especially in sunlight.

Not too shabby, then. Had a friend that put Gila's cheapest tint film from WalMart on his fiance's truck, and the crap turned purple and peeled up really bad after about 6 months.

Four things went really wrong there:1. Cheap crap film.2. He didn't thoroughly clean the windows prior to applying it.3. He didn't bother to smooth it down really well.4. She rolled the windows down before the 48-72 hour wait time.

Yeah, I was very anal about cleaning the windows and applying the tint properly.

That's 90% of the reason tint jobs go bad, IMO.

I'm not sure if I want to tackle the Versa myself or not. The side windows are no big deal obviously, but I hate the whole overlaying strips thing on the rear window.

Ezrem wrote:I'm not sure if I want to tackle the Versa myself or not. The side windows are no big deal obviously, but I hate the whole overlaying strips thing on the rear window.

Yeah, having any glass tint applied in pieces will look really bad after a few years once they start to shrink and pull away from each other.

Although I have read on a window tinting forum that the Versa's back window is quite easy to do as a one piece if you have a roll of film that's 24" or larger in width.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally.

I still have some of that mirrored tint left. I bet it would look really slick on the Versa.

I suppose I can pull a piece out and try it on the outside to test fit.

Ezrem wrote:rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally.

I still have some of that mirrored tint left. I bet it would look really slick on the Versa.

I suppose I can pull a piece out and try it on the outside to test fit.

Post #7 over at this forum thread:http://www.tintdude.com/forum/...28786

I was mistaken. A 20" roll is good enough.

Hey, did I help pay for that? lol Got the tires today, incase you haven't seen my email.Sorry for the tread jack.

DejaWiz wrote:


Post #7 over at this forum thread:http://www.tintdude.com/forum/...28786

I was mistaken. A 20" roll is good enough.

Awesome. I know what I'm doing on Sunday.

Kelscar wrote:Hey, did I help pay for that? lol Got the tires today, incase you haven't seen my email.Sorry for the tread jack.

Hi Kelscar, got your email and glad the tires arrived to you unabused by UPS.

No worries about thread jacking.... I'm not so stern on such things and it's Friday!

It's done!

Now for the visual goodness:

UNTINTED



TINTED

bump to show off

DejaWiz wrote:bump to show off

But definitely worth the bump... those tints look very clean on the super black versa

Keep it up and keep it clean bro

I was hoping someone would get a kick out of that.

Urq wrote:I have never heard of Factory Tint on a Versa!

My V was factory tinted, it came with the appearance package I got. Door edge guards, pin stripe, and tint.

Through Nissan I got mine done with limo on the back and 35 on the front doors.

my_new_v wrote:
My V was factory tinted, it came with the appearance package I got. Door edge guards, pin stripe, and tint.

Through Nissan I got mine done with limo on the back and 35 on the front doors.

Those are not factory installed, as they don't do that down in Mexico. Likely it was a dealer option package.

Ezrem wrote:rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally.

I still have some of that mirrored tint left. I bet it would look really slick on the Versa.

I suppose I can pull a piece out and try it on the outside to test fit.

As far as I know, mirror tinting is illegal just about everywhere. You may not care...just thought I'd point it out.

Deja, your V looks GREAT. I wanna get my windows tinted, and after seeing yours, I know it'll look OK. Everybody else: Up until a few years ago, a lot of cars would come with completely clear glass, unless you paid for "factory tinted windows" that would be just slightly darker than the regular ones. Usually non-GM cars didn't have that dark strip at the top of the windshield, either unless you paid for it. MY first car had mismatched windows because the PO was too cheap to replace the tinted ones with the same. Sometimes it's good to be an old guy.

I wish the sky looked like that in los angeles.

DejaWiz wrote:Those are not factory installed, as they don't do that down in Mexico. Likely it was a dealer option package.

Yeah yeah same thing :P lol

I took a look at the sticker that displays what all they put on the vehicle when its at the dealer cause I still have it and it was a dealer option.