Rhys

How easy is it generally to remove after market window tints? Is there a danger of scratching the glass etc?

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

an absolute dog bollocking utter fucking CUNT!!!
The film is easy to get off, but as for the glue that is left behind

Prepare to need plenty of methalated spirits/petrol/white spirit/you get the idea!!

Rhys

Great! doesnt mark the glass though?

Looking at possible car, and has after market tints

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

nah won't affect the glass, just don't go hacking about with knife blades! I did the 2 front windows on my focus after it got ordered off the road (long story ), had blisters on my thumbs from rubbing so hard! My eyes were also streaming too, and I was high as a kite off the meths fumes

S1rst

Its easy mate, i used to do it all the time. Dont use meths or white spirits or you'll be at it for ages!

The best way is to peel off the film and you'll be left with a clear glue-type coating. Get a brand new stanley knife blade and spray the glass with a soapy water mix (washing up liquid is best) and it'll come off easy.

Should take no more than 15 minutes for two front side windows. It wont scratch the glass as long as you keep the blade as flat as you can.

S1rst

Thats the hard way mate. I used to love watching people at work trying to get them off like that. Obviously i told them the best method after they spent over an hour swearing at the thing!!

I know exactly what you mean with the blisters on the thumbs though mate.

S1rst

I forgot to mention to be very careful with the heated rear window elements. Get as much as you can off with the blade first. then prepare for the sore thumbs for any glue remaining. Still not too bad if you get most off before though.

Just use loads of water and it easy.

PastyKing

rich-tell me about the ordering off the road story! it sounds interesting
were the focus windows tinted when you got it?

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

nah i did them myself, got pulled over by a jobsworth copper and he just happened to have a VOSA nob in his car...

Got drilled at the side of the road for about an hour, luckily I took off 2 bald tired i had on earlier that day

I had to drive home with the windows open (15 miles in the middle of winter lol), so i just got round the corner and shut them, had until 10am the next day to get the tints off the car, or if it was seen on the road again it would be taken away. I then had 7 days to get the car re-tested by the vosa nob, who then demonstrated his incompetency by placing his light meter ON TOP of the black square of writing on the glass to take the new light reading, only to have the pleasure of telling me the standard ford glass had failed again

Needless to say I made him feel like an UTTER CUNT by showing him how to use his machine properly

Talk about a pigging nightmare!!

PastyKing

LMAO how tinted were they??

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

light smoke!!! apparantely only let 20% light through, legal limit is 75 of something like that. the standard glass (which is slightly tinted from standard) is to within 0.5% of the legal limit. You can hardly notice the difference!

rssteve

i got the vosa man do me when the new law came in. my fronts were dark tint and were blocking 80% of the light, standard glass blocks about 28% and the legal limit is 30%, he showed me the limo tint on the backs stop 98% of the light through. Doesn't stop 98% of the vision tho does it some cars came as standard at the time with tints on the front so how they ever broguht that law in i do not know.

S1rst

Yep i got done too with light tints on the fronts to match the rears in my lexus. Traffic car with the VOSA man with him. He said anything other than factory tint is now illegal. I agree it does affect the visibility when its dark or limo, but light tint doesnt restrict vision at all in my opinion.

PastyKing

ive heard the law can be a real grey area
ive also heard that a fair few standard cars are already over the legal limit

S1rst

Apparently, when i took mine out and the vosa man checked them, he said the Lexus' standard tint was JUST on the border line. He had to do it 3 times to get it to pass!!!

PastyKing

shocking really, i think tints serve a few purposes and pose no more risk than if the windows have no tints

im after some windows doing but may leave the front doors windows alone through fear of hassle from the OB
have you guys got any pictures of the windows off the cars you have had hassle with?

Rhys

Ok nps. just this car has rear tints and tbh im not a big fan!!! Will pulling the rear window tint of wreck the the heater? are will you only damage that by hacking away with stanley blade etc.

S1rst

No it should be ok mate. Just get as much off with the blade as you can without going too close to the elements, then you may have to use white spirit to get the rest off. The blade and water mix is so much easier on the sides. As long as you use a brand new clean blade it wont scratch it if you keep it square to the window.

S1rst

This is my lexus with the fronts lightly tinted to match the standard rears. I never had a single problem for over a year. They do look much darker it that pic actually but they were slightly lighter than the rears. I think i may have been unlucky and they were waiting for anyone as the vosa man was with them and it was when the 'new law' first came out......