best window tint business?

[Maverick]

More importantly... can anyone find any actual specifications on the 3M Black...
It's interesting that for any of the other 3M Film products the specifications are provided directly on their product page, and then all of them are on a separate specifications page.... except the 3M Black...

Called color stable and there are 4 products, CS 5, CS 20, CS 35 and CS 50.

http://www.universaltint.com.au/doc/window_tinting/automotive_film/3M_Scotchtint_cs35_specs.pdf

Photo Gallery - 3M Automotive Film | Universal Tint & Auto Centre - 3M Window Tinting, Safety films, Security films, Decorative films, automotive accessories, paint protection, tow bars, brookvale, car alarms, window tinting

Online Product Catalog

Color Stable Automotive Films - Tinted automotive window film for cars, trucks - Color Stable - 3M US

Don't settle for anything less! 3M Color Stable's appearance rivals tinted factory glass, never turns purple, and provides high heat rejection with no signal interference! 3M's revolutionary nano-carbon polyester provides an incredible look, amazing color stability, and is non-metallized to ensure no signal interference.

While most other window film companies buy their polyester from someone else, 3M makes its own polyester. During this process, 3M patented a technology for producing its own nano-carbon polyester. This revolutionary and unique process, allows for maximum heat rejection without a metallized film, which can interfere with radio and satellite signals. It also gives our films a stylish look with outstanding color stability. In fact, it's so advanced that in time-based tests, 3M Color Stable films never turned purple while conventional dyed films rapidly changed to a purple color.

These darker shaded films are designed to reject solar heat that is produced from visible light. Color Stable rejects up to 57% of the heat coming through your windows. Color Stable films also provide significant glare relief, allowing only 5% to 50% of the light into your car.

[Corey_R]

Thanks Maverick. I did manage to find the CSxx products on the USA site, but wasn't sure that they were what "3M Black" fell into.

So they're an obvious improvement on the performance of old style dye tints, but still a step down from the metallic films from a thermal performance point of view. The 3M Black CS35 (darklest legal in Australia) TSER (Total Solar Energy Rejection) is only 39%. Compared to say Solargards HP Charcoal 38 which has a TSER of 53%.

So you need to then determine what is important to you... AM reception or heat

Also... if you have the VW factory tint, "black" and "charcol" tints are not a colour match. If you go illegal all around (16%, 20% VLT's etc) then colour match becomes less of an issue simply because all the windows become so dark. But at legal levels (35%), colour match is important (unless you don't care whether your windows are the same colour...)


Anyway. As with everything. Look at all the facts, decide what things are important to you, and then select a product based on that

[backdoc]

Interesting stuff. So no tint on the car at all so want legal all round, sounds like metallic is ok and 35 is the darkest legal.

Can anyone please suggest a film and installer in Melbourne?

[Captain Courteous]

I just had my tints done by Rob (Hunters Hill Window Tinting) after seeing A LOT of positive feedback here about him.. You guys were right! He’s very professional, very meticulous.

On his advice we went with the Solargard HP Supreme all-round. It was the ‘blacker’ option over the Quantum which is more ‘silvery’.. He has samples on his van, it definitely made the choosing easier! Highly recommend him.

I paid $230 cash. I was initially quoted $250.

[JPanDAX]

ILLAWARRA AND SOUTHERN SYDNEY.

I spoke to Rob (Hunters Hill Window Tinting) and he said he would come down this way if anyone else was getting their car tinted on the same day anywhere around say Sutherland or Illawarra. I am in Wollongong so he would do the extra 30 minute drive from Sutho to do my car also.

Question is - anyone out there looking at getting their windows tinted soon that are from Illawarra and want to get a deal..

Best I have been able to do around Wollongong is $365 from Solace for the Octane or F1..... I am thinking the F1 over Octane now as it is a better product and the same price. These are both premium metallised products at 35% but the F1 has 50+ SPF rating and 9something % heat reduction. I could go another product called Midnight Express (also Metallised) but it is not as premium but costs around $250 for install 4 windows and rear.

Anyhow - just putting it out there!

JP

[Corey_R]

Thanks for the feedback Captain Courteous.

To emphasis how professional Rob is, and also clarify the HP Supreme vs Quantum recommendation for those who haven't read the MK6 front tint to match the factory dark tint option thread, when I went to Rob, I asked for HP Supreme all round. Since I have a VW with the factory tint on the rear side and rear windows, he suggested the combination of these two tints. HP Supreme on the fronts, HP Quantum on the rears BECAUSE it is 'silvery'. The silvery tinge helps neutralise the greeny/blue colour of the VW factory tint so it better matches the front windows.

If you don't have the VW factory tint, then you don't have that worry

[dieterbohlen]

Any pics dieterbohlen??

I am thinking of going for the Octane for $375 rear and 4 doors... They also told me that it ONLY affects the AM reception NOT FM. I would never listen to AM but DO listen to FM - ABC Radio, JJJ mainly..

Cheers

JP

Did a quick wash and here are the pictures with Formula 1 tint.
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f112...tml#post683754

[JPanDAX]

As I thought probably going to be a bit difficult to organize Rob to do tint down this way I decided to go with Solace who charged me $375 for full tint in the Octane. It is only down the road from me and dropped car off on Saturday morning and it was done by 10am. Very happy with the tint. The guys there explained the colour difference of the tints. The F1 tends to be a bit greenish and the Octane is darker (darkest legal) and a charcoal tint. It looks dark and looks great. Has a high sun rating and is quality metal used. No problems with mobile or Fm radio reception at all. Car looks great with black against white and the job is very well done and professional. Happy to pay more for the convenience for me and lifetime warranty.

Will post photos when I get a chance.

BTW it's been over a week 400km and loving the GTI.

Cheers

JP


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[V-VWMK-5]

Can anyone please suggest a film and installer in Melbourne?

+1

have had darkest legal before, would like to go one or two shades darker!

[CarbonVW]

Got my car done at 20% allround by ARMA in Essendon. Im happy with the results.

FWIW - They do all of Essondon VW's pre-delivery tinting so they are familiar with the car.

[Scratchyratface]

I had Express Tinting (Underwood) install it on my wifes car.

Hey Maverick, were they any good? I need a Polo and a Golf tinting before summer and have been looking around Brisbane for a recommended tinter. Underwood is just down the road for us, I was also looking at Tint-a-car at Slacks Creek.

[Maverick]

Hey Maverick, were they any good? I need a Polo and a Golf tinting before summer and have been looking around Brisbane for a recommended tinter. Underwood is just down the road for us, I was also looking at Tint-a-car at Slacks Creek.

No I wouldn't, I was about to post an update on this. Took it back to have the tint on the rear window reapplied which they did BUT

1) one of their guys had a zipper or something that rubbed against the paint on the rear panels when they were washing down the rear window/cutting the film out and left really hard to remove marks (like a soft metal on the paint).
2) whatever they used to clean the rear window made the rubber go soft for a while and there were black marks all around the window (and lot of it).
3) they left a mess all around on top of the boot lid and sides
4) one of them snotted on the side of the car (who the hell snots on the side of the car? really? - it's bad enough that they left the car in a mess but snot?)
5) they scratched the rear bumper (small) with what looks like a razor blade.

Went to see the manager who immediately became defensive and when I mentioned the small mark in the paint he immediately asked me to tell him "how they did it" which he repeated a few times and sent one of their guys out to clean the car off. Took him a while to clean the marks off (I still need to polish the area to remove all the scratches and some of the metal from the button/zip/whatever is still there) and he didn't say much about what product they used on the rear window to clean it. He goes to get the manager who comes over and I show him the scratch and the other areas which were still a marked a bit. He once again asked "how would we do that" and I offered to show him the video I took of the car before I gave him the keys but he wasn't interested and kept going back to the "tell me how we did it". He said they just redid my rear window at no cost and I thanked him for that (I don't know why I bothered as it was a legitimate warranty claim but I was trying to be nice).

He claimed that the rubber around the rear window was in fact felt (it's rubber) and that the car has been in an accident and it's had a new rear window (bull**** - the car has never had an accident) and just dismissed anything, he then asked what all this white powdery stuff was around the window and I said you tell me. He then went on about how if I'm so particular about the car why wasn't it clean and pointed to dirt in a few areas and said that anyone who was particular would not allow their car to be in that state. Also pointed out scratches on the top of the bumper around the boot opening (there is a stainless steel cover that goes over these that wasn't fitted at the time) and claimed the front of the car was covered in stone chips which was bull**** as he didn't even take a look. I kept trying to discuss the state of the car around the window and the scratch and he finally got to asking me what I wanted him to do about it, I suggested something towards the time I would have to spend cleaning and polishing the paint and touching up the scratch but he wasn't interested (an apology would have sufficed but he wasn't going to give one and it had gone way past that) and ended up saying he was busy and walked off still making some further comments. Earlier on he started with some colourful language and my wife who wasn't involved in the conversation asked him to settle down.

The warranty is with 3M so hopefully they will allow me to take it elsewhere if there are problems, not sure if I will take this further but the managers attitude stunk and this could have all been resolved so simply but he choose to keep escalating for some reason, got to say I don't recall dealing with anyone like that for a long time. As for the new tint? It looks ok but I haven't had a good look, still pissed off with their attitude and treatment of the car.

So would I recommend Express Tinting at Underwood on Comptons Road? Definitely not. It may have been a one off but the handling of the situation was appalling and where there's smoke there's fire.

[Scratchyratface]

Crikey, thanks for that. I don't think people nowadays realise the power of the forums, it only takes one person to have a bad experience and write about it and that puts off so many people.
Another company close to where I work offer the 3M tinting and want around $300-$350 for each car, not too sure about them as they aren't a completely professional setup (they wash cars in a shopping centre car park).
I think I'll stick with Tint-a-Car

[DoggieHowser]

I went to tintacar at Capalaba and they did a survey of the car prior to starting the work. They even noticed a minor ding my wife and I had never noticed.

Overall quite happy with the work. We noticed a few bubbles but that was quickly rectified and once the film dried up over the next few days, it was invisible that an extra layer was added.

What took me by surprise was that there was no film on the front. I'm ok without having a tint in front. But something clear with the ability to block out UV and IR would be really appreciated in Queensland.

[Maverick]

I went to tintacar at Capalaba and they did a survey of the car prior to starting the work. They even noticed a minor ding my wife and I had never noticed.

Which is what they should do as it saves a lot of arguments over damage to the car. Having said that some are unwilling to accept responsibility even with proof they did it

What took me by surprise was that there was no film on the front. I'm ok without having a tint in front. But something clear with the ability to block out UV and IR would be really appreciated in Queensland.

You mean the windscreen? Glass by itself already filters out a fair bit of UV and IR and tinting the front windscreen is illegal apart from a small band at the top of the windscreen. There was a discussion on tinting and UV protection a while ago (may be further back in this thread) that covered the front windscreen which protects against UV better then the side windows as it's thicker and multilayered.