I want to get my copper red mica mz3 tinted, but I'm not sure what level to get. I definitely want 35% or higher, so that the car is legal in MD though. Also, I want something that would not be too bad for night driving. Does anyone else have their car tinted between 35% and 50% and would be willing to post some pics for me to take a look at?
What Tint Level to Get
- Thread starter rayarnold
- Start date
sl0wthe0ry
pfft....MS3?
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- Mazda 3s
if you search this forums you'll see a few threads based on this subject.
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
i've got 20% in mine, bought it that way. I thought it was gonna be bad for night driving, but its fine. just make sure you've got good back-up lights and you've got nothing to worry about.
kickniteasy
Member
it's hard to capture as a lot of how it "looks" depends on the lighting/angle in the picture. I'd go 35%....dark enough to make a difference in look/inside temp as well as not hindering night driving.
I've got 22.5% or something silly like that on mine. (It's what the shop I went to had) But honestly I'm surprised how much it didn't affect night time sight on my MS3. 35% is the legal limit here in WV but it just wasn't dark enough for me. Considereing I'm in WV, it's not hard to pass inspection with the darker tint. In your case I'd go 35% to stay legal. I really don't see 35% causing any problems at night.
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sl0wthe0ry
pfft....MS3?
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- Mazda 3s
i've got 5% all around except for the front windshield. it's affects my night driving pretty badly. even through that i still love it. i've seen 25-35% on alot of cars and they make a pretty big difference appearance wise to any car. beauty is pain in my case.
Whereabouts in WV? I'm in Morgantown myself.
That's pretty cool. I'm in the Charleston area. You should come play at the autocross at Riverside high school in Belle sometime.
wolverine_man
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
I got 35 front and 15 rear. I honestly wish I would have gotten 15 all around. I will probably replace the front with 15 in a year or so.
justanothermp5
Banned
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- Rust Bucket
any problems with inspection or cops? im getting mine done on the 19th
$169 bucks, is this a good deal? my brother got it done at the same place and they do a good job, no gap in the tint when u roll the window down or anything
they even got the rear window with those heater/defrost strips on it, no gaps
im getting 20% sorta inbetween 15 and 35(legal)
$169 bucks, is this a good deal? my brother got it done at the same place and they do a good job, no gap in the tint when u roll the window down or anything
they even got the rear window with those heater/defrost strips on it, no gaps
im getting 20% sorta inbetween 15 and 35(legal)
wolverine_man
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S GT Sedan
Very nice. I have no issues whatsoever seeing out the back of mine with 15. I was worried about that but took the gamble.
if you get pulled over for speeding or reckless driving etc, expect a tinting violation ticket as well (if they have the tint checker, that is). but as far as cops pulling for just tint, hasn't happened. for my inspection i have to leave an extra $40 on the dash to get passed but it's well worth it. $169 is good, I got mine done for $200.
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I ended up getting the legal limit in MD, 35%. It looks nice enough, and I think its still light enough it should be fine at night. The installer had a display of tint levels, and I was amazed at PA's limit, 70%. I wouldn't even bother to get a car tinted that level! It didn't look like there was anything on the windows.
TheDarkness
Member
just to show how hard it is to see in. no tint at all on front. and i was under a giant parking light.
15% all the way around besides windshield.
With the rims and the reflection of the white line along the bottom, the first shot almost has a Mustang GT appearance to it.(freak)
I got 50% on my fronts and 35% on the rear. MN legal limit is 50% for sedans all the way around, but "wagons" fall into the same category as Trucks / Vans / SUVs so the rear can go as dark as you want. The hatch is technically a sedan still but most cops I think consider it a wagon still. It's in the same category as the Vibe, Matrix, Versa, Fit, etc. and I see plenty of those cars with darker tints in the rear, so I'm risking the technicality of the law... I'll post pics later today - going to wash her first...
50% isn't that dark, but it's enough to make it worth doing IMO. I had Formula One Pinnacle (ceramic tint - doesn't interfere with GPS / AM / FM) put on for $329. It was a bit more expensive than other places, but the warranty, reputation / longetivity of the tinter, and the highest-quality-tint you can get justified the cost in my mind. The Mazda dealership wanted $500 to tint the car, though they just outsourced it to another place. The markup for going through them was at *least* $200. I said no thanks.
If you're curious what brand of tint to get - stay away from 3M. Solar Guard is the best you can get if you can't get the Formula One line. Formula One limits the number of installers in each state and they have to get certified and jump through a lot of hoops to be able to install the product. This is why you probably won't hear many tint shops talk about it nor even be able to compare it to the "best" Solar Guard tint. Find the installer nearest you that does install the Formula One and go check them out.
50% isn't that dark, but it's enough to make it worth doing IMO. I had Formula One Pinnacle (ceramic tint - doesn't interfere with GPS / AM / FM) put on for $329. It was a bit more expensive than other places, but the warranty, reputation / longetivity of the tinter, and the highest-quality-tint you can get justified the cost in my mind. The Mazda dealership wanted $500 to tint the car, though they just outsourced it to another place. The markup for going through them was at *least* $200. I said no thanks.
If you're curious what brand of tint to get - stay away from 3M. Solar Guard is the best you can get if you can't get the Formula One line. Formula One limits the number of installers in each state and they have to get certified and jump through a lot of hoops to be able to install the product. This is why you probably won't hear many tint shops talk about it nor even be able to compare it to the "best" Solar Guard tint. Find the installer nearest you that does install the Formula One and go check them out.
