vstypicals

My girlfriend just purchased a base model C300 last night. She wants tint asap. I'd like to see how light and dark tint would look like on the car. So, please post some pics of arctic white w204's if you have any.


Thanks
Jeff

Shake

What percent tint do you plan on getting?

vstypicals

Not sure yet.. which is why I wanna see how each tint (light to dark) looks on the car.

barrafp

I don't own the new C but I would love to have this new design but as far as tint, you should consider where you live as far as tint shade. I live in San Diego and I went with 20% and I feel very closter phobic now. I had great visibility without tint but since I have stone colored interior I thought that darker tint wouldn't be so dark. If I could do it over I wouldn't go 20% eventhough it's a very popular shade especially in white. White cars will look great with tint maybe 30%

BoLd69

Here is my tint but my car is black but it will give you some ideas on the percent of shade

5% limo dark in the back window and rear doors
50% on the 2 front doors

vstypicals

I'm leaning towards the lighter side.. maybe 35% all around. We'll see.

bzliteyear

depending on where you live, the 35% doesn't seem very dark at all.
we did that recently and i wish i did a little darker in the back...closer to 20%.

vstypicals

I live in California and we don't wanna attract too much attention from the cops. I'm planning on going the same percentage all around. 20% on a black car might look nice, but would it not look "darker" on a white car?

Jewelz0376

On my black 330i I have 35% all around w/ all black interior and I wish I wouldve gone darker....So when I pick up my w204 I plan on getting 20% all around...

egtgrant

No 204, but...

I have a white '01 S4 with limo tint in the back, and one shade lighter on the front windows. If I had to do it over again, I'd do limo all around. Looks AWESOME from the outside.

My wife has a white Lex RX330 with similar treatment (even darker in the backs due to factory tint).

In both cases, nighttime visibility can be an issue when reversing (think about parallel parking). However, in street conditions, it has never been an issue in either vehicle. In fact, I'd say it is a huge benefit both day and night (dramatically cuts glare).

Both cars have lighter interior. However, I had an Integra (also white - sense a theme?) with dark interior and tinting that really kept things cooler. No issues with feeling closed in.

I live in the San Diego area (where tinting the front windows is illegal) and have never gotten a second look from the cops. My understanding is that they won't stop you for tinting, but will bring it up if they've already got you pulled over for something else (just roll them down).

Tinting is mod #1 in my book. Keeps the car substantially cooler during summer, cuts the glare of sunlight reflections and head lights, and ads a nice bit a privacy - no more 'fish bowl'.

Worst case scenario... window tinting is a 'fix it ticket' around here. No biggie.

egtgrant

If I think of it, I'll post pictures when I get home tonight. I think the contrast between the white car/black windows is really striking.

Shake

35% is very light. I'd suggest darker. Maybe 15%-20%. I have 15% and it looks the like the stock tint in SUV's and minivans. Not to dark and not to light.

BoLd69

Here another shot of my tint outside of my garage again
5% all back windows and 50% front windows

Shake

The front is 50% only because no tint is allowed on the front so i went light not to get tickets. The back is 15%. It looks like stock SUV or minivan tint. Good visibility at night too. Make SURE you get feltskin/moleskin installed. This will prevent scratching the tint in the future.

The tint looks darker sometimes so i posted a lot of pics so you get the idea. I would say 50% in real life doesn't look like any tint at all.

vstypicals

Thanks for all the pics. Maybe I'll go with 25% all around.. Also, some tints have a light "green-ish tint" look. Do any of yours have that? The tint on my G35 looks a little green-ish instead of pure "black."

egtgrant

I think the hue of the tint is based on thecomposition of the material. There is a difference in the look of metallic vs ceramic tint. In my mind, the ceramic tint looks more like a true grey, where the metallic can appear more blue and/or green, depending on manufacturer.

If I recall correctly, the ceramic tint is a bit more expensive, but is definitely recommended for cars that have antenna's integrated into the window - metallic tints will screw up your radio reception. As for durability of the material, I don't know if there is any difference.

Go with the best installer you can find. Your happiness with the tint will be easily as dependent on the quality of the install as it will be on the shade of the tint you choose.

vstypicals

I read somewhere that the green-ish look either comes from "non-metallic" tints that most shops use since metallic tints tend to interfere with radio signals, reception, etc.

or.. it could also be because some car manufacturer use tinted glass on their windows.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

barrafp

I also heard that the metallic tint interferes with the nav and remote.

Benzboy13

i got tints done on my silver w203 c class...
20% on all for windows
and 5% on rear windshield.

the dark tint on a silver or white car especially makes the car look many times better.
after i got my car tinted.. i recieved many compliments from poeple who never complimented my car before.

HOWEVER, i still wish i went 5% tint all around. i regret that since even now at night, poepel can see me if a streetlight shines in through the windshield.

i suggest going 5% all the way around... if you see cops... just roll them windows down.

one problem is that if you live in a rural or very suburban area where there arent many street lights, youll prolly have a hard time seeing out your windows.

good luck.

C300Man

Heres my tint, just got it done yesterday. Sorry about the pic, it was taking with iphone.

35% 2 fronts
15% back

angeloxnet

I was thinking 20% rears
and 35% fronts, I dont like the driver and passenger to be too dark

any comments on that?

jherbias

On my 350Z I have 5% on the hatch and smaller windows, and 50% on the driver and passenger windows. Haven't been pulled over yet (knock on wood), probably because my exhaust is quieter than stock. I can still see clearly even at night.

myinternetsucks

20% all the way around.......

AMGTestDriverNJ

I was thinking about seeing a dermatologist in order to get a prescription for window tints. Has anyone heard of this or actually done it themselves? Apparently certain skin conditions will grant you the right to tint your car to avoid over exposure to the sun. Being as its illegal to tint the front windows in NJ, I thought that this was the best route to get what I want while staying within the law.

Derspeed

When I lived in Minnesota I had a friend who was able to tint really dark because his daughter had some sort of sun sensitivity issue.