I am thinking about putting window film in my Lumina. Window guy wants $260 for 5 windows which isn't crazy money but I thought about doing it myself. I did the rear windows in my K car once.

Just looking at parts store stuff. Any favorites?

Thanks

There are tutorials on youtube on the tricks etc., but for what a pain in the butt I think it would be, I would have it done - especially since it would be so frustrating if it didn't work. Most places have some sort of guarantee too, so you don't get totally hung out if it screws up. The film isn't all that expensive though so you could give it a shot and if it doesn't work, then have it done.

If it has a rear window defroster (wire type) I would think twice about it. I have some that bubbled over time and faded and I have yet to figure out how to get it off without breaking the defrost wire. I have tried steam gun, ammonia, scrapers, water ect. I wont do that again.

Thanks for the replies. I need at least 31" and the NAPA roll comes in 100 foot lengths for $200. The quick look at Auto Zone only had it in 24" lengths.

Probably won't happen.

Thanks

I installed some film once about 30 years ago..........NEVER again!
I now "pay the man" for this service. Well worth $250.

Just had an 09 car done. The guy uses a 3M film, guarantees the film and labor for as long as I own the car. It's about the 6th car he's done for me. Keeps the car inside cooler here in NC.
Also, I've never had any issues with the film in the back window, over the rear defroster traces.

I buy all my film from www.expresswindowfilms.com

$260 is exactly what I charge for our lifetime warranty carbon film.

I did my own. cost me like $15 in tint for the 2 driver side doors on my truck.


watched a few videos on youtube before doing it myself. just went slow and was careful. I think the trick is to use LOTS of soapy water, so that the tint glue won't stick to ANYTHING until you squeege the water out from between the film and glass.

I went with 35%. not super dark, just barely enough to notice, and even then, it's barely noticable.

I was torn between going with a 20% or darker tint, because I wanted tinted windows, but also did not want them so dark that I got trouble from the cops.

Also, another trick, I removed all the weather striping from the door completely, so that the glass would rattle back and forth with lots of room in the "window sill" this prevented any issues with trying to push the tint past tight weather stripping, and made the tint very easy to install, while only adding maybe an extra 10 minutes to the job to remove, and then later, reinstall the weatherstriping and window felts around the glass.

I would also cut the tint to size BEFORE removing the backing and soaping up the glass.


and...even with all those tips...I would pay someone to do the back glass if it has compound curves to it, after watching stuff on youtube about heat shrinking the tint to conform to the contours of the glass, I decided that I was glad that A) the back glass on my truck was already done by the previous owner and B) that it was relatively flat in case I ever wanted to peel and re-tint it.

Correct, Pull the door panels and weather stripping. You wont the tint below the weather stripping with the window roll up. You want about a 1/8" gap around the rest of the window.

soap up the outside of the glass, place the film on the outside of the window (glue side out) and cut the tint to size. Soap up the inside, peel the clear film and stick the glue side to the inside of the glass.

Squeegee the water out of the film starting in the center of the window.

2 windows at my shop would cost $100 but you would be out the door in 30 minutes.

Yea, I only suggested to pull the stripping, because the how-to videos I saw on youtube showed them doing it with the stripping still in place, but using a plastic tool to work the tint down below the stripping. I figured that looked like an acquired skill done by a pro to save time and rush a customer out the door.

I paid $190 to get mine done. You can pretty much always tell who did it themselves and who didn't.