UNSURE OF WINDOW TINTING %

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Can anyone advice on the tinting % for a black Sentra? I am considering 35% for the back windshield and the 4 windows. Is that too dark for night driving? Does it really make blind spots worse to see? On the other hand, is 35% too light for a black Sentra that it will look bad? I also have the option to go to a 20% tint. Any comments or advice?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Sentra,
It all depends on what kind of tint it is..

I have 28% on mine right now and it uses a primer tint..so the darker you get its more reflective than dark..
and you can see totally clear...

My suggestions is go...and find a sample of one they did..
and go with the darkest on back and 35% sides and 52% front...Its illegal, but totally worth it...

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Depends on where you live. in Texas the max (or min) is 35%. I have 34%. I used Huper Optik from Germany. It is ceramic based and not metal so it won't degrade your antenna reception (if the antenna is in the window).

[the_Shape]

This past weekend, I had my G tinted with 3M ColorStable film. I used their "20%" all around, but the 20% is actually rated at 16% light transmission, so it's really a 16% tint. I'm actually amazed at the clarity of the tint from inside the car. Sometimes I wonder if it's really a dark tint because it seems so light from inside the car. It's a little darker at night, but nothing I can't handle. I had my previous car tinted with 20% 3M as well and it had great clarity too, but not as good as the CS film. That film was a previous version of 3M film though. I actually wanted to do 10%, and the guy was willing to do it for the same price, but the CS film was the newer lastest and greatest product. The installer had the 10% 3M metallized high performance on his truck and it looked great too, but a little more reflective, since it had some metal in the tint. The CS film is not metallized and not dyed. It's a new product based on carbon, that supposedly won't ever fade or change color. It's a very flat "black" look too compared to metallized. The carbon gives it a jet black look and it looks sweet to me. The metallized does reject a tad more heat though, but no big deal, and they both block UV.

So, I'd suggest you check out some of the more established tint shops in your area, look for a good trusted brand and a reputable installer. I like at least a 20% tint. Anything lighter is a waste of money IMO, unless it's strictly enforced in your area. Supposedly 3M is releasing a 10% CS film in a few months, and that sounds perfect to me, but I settled for 20% for now and am very happy.

You might run across these names if you ask about what brands the shops tint with: 3M, LLumar, FormulaOne, Johnson, SolarGard, etc... Most all of these are good if not great tints. I like 3M and have had great performance from 3M in the past. Johnson, FormulaOne, Solargard are all worth checking out too though. Most of these are not available in my area...so I was a bit limited.
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[**DONOTDELETE**]

ColorStable? Is that the same as Panther Black? And what is HP Panther? Does 3M also make ceramic film?

[the_Shape]

No, ColorStable (CS) is 3M's latest/newest film and is not a "PantherBlack" version. It's based on carbon instead of dyes that fade, but it's not metallized so it won't interfere with receptions. AFAIK, 3M does not make a ceramic film, but I could be wrong. The HP film is a little older than the CS, and supposedly it is metallized. The installer told me about the 3M HP 10% film having metal in the film, and it looked like it too, because his truck's windows had a little more reflectivity than my CS film does. The CS is a dark flat black look. Looks very black in direct sun, probably due to the carbon. The only advantage to the HP film that I could see was that the metal rejects a little more heat than the CS.

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[SmokinSpecV]

I'm not sure what brand of tint I have, but I know it's 20% and it is dark but you get used to it real quick. I had a loaner this week with no tint and I felt NAKED, even at night I felt too EXPOSED.
In Windsor, we have pretty wicked hot summer and probably 40% of cars have tint, even though in Ontario the law can be interpreted as any tint is illegal. I haven't heard of anyone ever being busted except if they do something stupid like use 5%(limo) on front windows or put some tint on the windshield.