First mod is done on the car (maybe not a mod) but after having Huper Optik 40% installed on my M5, there was no way I wasn't going to have it put on my wifes new C350. I took it to an amazing shop that I met through the MFEST BMW forums.

This film is by far the best thing when it comes to heat reduction, there is no question about it. Read up on Huper Optik and you will realize why it's better than the big name boys like 3M etc. If you need more info hit up Hann over there and he will explain it down to the molecular level haha.

STM Tint in LA did the work and it's perfect as always. Here are some pics of the final product.




http://www.flickr.com/photos/kghorbani/4928273589/http://www.flickr.com/photos/kghorbani/4928273589/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/kghorbani/, on Flickr


http://www.flickr.com/photos/kghorbani/4928867502/http://www.flickr.com/photos/kghorbani/4928867502/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/kghorbani/, on Flickr

 

Looks good, but I don't believe thats 40% with a light interior. Looks like 20%.

 

hey question, i went to ask for huper optik here in phoenix, az.

They told me it was $450 for the lighter shade and $600 for the darker shade. ok, i understand the money issue, but thats not a problem.

then what really bothered me was when he said that the back window wouldn't be huper optik, they would use regular film tint on the back.

did they use regular film on the back window? he said huper optik tends to "ghost" when on curved surfaces.

 

No it's Huper 40% it's the pictures that make it look a lot darker than it really is couple with the background. I know for a fact it's 40% I attached a picture of it when it was indoors and you can see it is much lighter than that. You can see based on the angle the front windows look lighter than the back ones even though they have the same film. I believe it's more angles and how light hits the film. Definitely not 20% dark in person.

I have it on my car and my wife's car and I don't notice any ghosting or anything like that and both of them have the Huper Optik on the rear. Also the place I get it at doesn't charge more for different shades.

 

Is it legal to tint the back in Cali?

 

Not sure on the rules in Cali since I moved from TX here last year. I told the guy that I dont' want to attract attention so he said if you go with 40% all around you most likely will not be bothered with. I have had it on my car for a year now and not a problem.

I guess it also depends on the car you drive too sometimes, as sad as that sounds.

 

I think it might be legal to tint the back, but not sure about the front. And 40% on white car actually looks like 30 or 20.I like the look.

 

Legal to tint any window with any shade as long as you leave the fronts above 35% (technically not supposed to be tinted at all). But you'll rarely be pulled over for it. *knocks on wood* However in certain other places in the LA metro area, you might. East LA and Beverly Hills are known for it. As well as Irvine which is my soon to be home for four years.

The car looks great by the way. STM is quite a place as well. Great service. I haven't seen much of the original owner there though.

 

It sounds like you were getting raped by your tint guy. On Long Island the guy I used charged me only $160 for complete tint (except windshield - extra $50 if I wanted). I could have chose any darkness I wanted (the film costs the same). Granted the films weren't Huper Optik, but it can't be that much more expensive... Anyway, I don't find out whats so great about the different tint brands. I got 35's and the heat inside the car is at least manageable when I get in now, in fact, it does such a good job, I am thinking of 50% tint on my windshield so that the heat isn't annoying coming from the front.

Anyone charging over $300 for tints anywhere is bending you over.

 

The brand does make a different, in terms of quality and price.

Popular brand in SouthEast Asia
http://www.v-kool-usa.com/automotive_01

 

I agree 100%! I have an arctic white C350 and put the 40% Huper Optic on it and it looks great! I was going to put a lighter film on the windshield, but the recommended I didn't due to glare issues, so I went with 70% and a different brand. The Huper Optic has been great, as it does an amazing job keeping the interior cool and allowing electronics to work properly. Highly recommend it.

 

Huper is a real bi$&h to shrink and conform to the compound curve of the rear window. That's most likely why he's avoiding it. Also, the Huper "rainbows" quite annoyingly on the rear window.

 

In CA, the rear window and rear passenger windows can be any %. The front windows must be 70%+. Tint is allowed only on the top 4" of the windshield.

http://www.tintcenter.com/laws/CA/

 

For tint laws in CA, see my previous post.

And yes, MB windows are already slightly (color) tinted, so it does not start out at 100%.

 

Obviously you haven't had Huper Optik put on your vehicle then. Huper Optik can only be put on by authorized installers, and when I got my tint done, there were only 3 authorized installers in SoCal (which actually is more than some other states). They all charge $400+ for Huper Optik (although lower for other brands). If you want the best... you gotta pay...

 

I had Huper Optik put on all windows (including the back window) and panoroof. My installer didn't complain or recommend anything different for the back window. It came out perfect, and honestly I see no ghosting whatsoever. This is for both Huper Ceramic 60 and Ceramic 40 (I had 2 cars done). Read about my experience here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/3575804-post37.html (my post including pics)

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post3575804 (whole thread)

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...t-shop-oc.html (another tint thread)

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ggestions.html (another tint thread)

 

Huper Optik is really nice and the best film bar none, but also really expensive. The actual worth of going there is up to the individual. Personally, quality ceramic like Pinnacle Formula One are nearly as good at a much cheaper rate. It's important to consider if you're like me and want to go Limo all around, minus front windshield. Can take it off and put it back on for fix-it ticket signoffs without huge costs.

 

I agree that Huper Optik is the best, and that there are other quality films that are very good too (but not as good as H.O.). Most good tint shops in CA will remove the tint for fix-it tickets, then re-install fresh tint again for free or a nominal charge ($20/window)... at least the place I got my tint done does that. However, I haven't tried it yet since my tint is light enough (in CA) that I don't get bothered (and everything else on my car is "legal"... including mounting the front plate).


TIP: In going to high-ticket areas (like LAX) I try and drive my Ceramic 60 E350, since it looks like you have barely anything on the windows... especially compared to other "murdered" and modded cars that attract more police attention. If I drive my Ceramic 40 E350, then I roll back my pano shades to let more light into the interior of the vehicle so it looks like the tint is lighter.

 

How do you like the 70% on the windshield? Does it make any difference during the daytime? Is it still easy to see out at night time? I was thinking about going down as far as 50%?

Again, I really don't understand the big deal with huper optic, I got formuala one pinnacles installed for $160, and could afford to get it installed 3 times for the price of one huper optic install. In reviews that I have seen, the rain bowing and blue hue are quite annoying, especially when people tint their house windows.

Check out this link to a forum of someone who compared the huper optic to formual one pinnacle:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24204

I would really look into it, especially if they are asking upwards of $500 to install them...

 

Yeah, most shops will charge a small fee for write off removal, but not Huper Optiks last I checked.

 

I see... well, the guy that did my tint does. Maybe I was just lucky... or maybe he feels that Ceramic 60 and Ceramic 40 won't get fix-it tickets that much?

 

Ok so i got my car fully tinted plus my tail lights tinted. plus my little marker reflectors on the front vynled, and the side mirror turn signals tinted. all for 170

so any one charging 400 for tinting is just screwing you over...

 

Unless your tint is Huper Optik, done by an authorized Huper Optik dealer in the U.S., your price comparison isn't exactly apples-to-apples. Other tint is much easier to work with and takes much less time to install properly. (And not only that, but it's not like you have a choice if you want to get Huper Optik... if you find an offically authorized installer of Huper Optik charging <$400 for a whole car, then by all means post it here!)

That's just like saying Verizon is screwing their customers over compared to MetroPCS since they charge 2x more. Yes, strictly from a price standpoint, Verizon is significantly more expensive. However, when you consider what you get for the price compared to MetroPCS, then to some people it may be worth it. Same thing with buying a MB vs. a Kia... some people feel MB's are a rip off because it costs at least 2x as much as a Kia... to others it's worth it.

 

honestly your right but my friend had it put on his a4 and i got mine done and after putting them side to side we realized its not that different. in fact azn is right in cali they are very strict on tins on the front windows. so the total cost doesn't really justify the product id prefer to pay the cheaper price and get the slightly cheaper quality product because when push comes to shove and i get that ticket i wont be kicking my self for paying 400$$ for tints which is just outrageous and absurd.

 

I agree that CA is very strict about tint on the front windows... which is why I chose to go with Ceramic 60 on my windows. It virtually looks like I have nothing on my windows in bright sunlight until you put my car beside a stock E350. It's also light enough to "pass" for legal unless the cop takes out a comparison chart or meter to measure the precise % of light transmission (which I haven't heard of any cop doing).

Ceramic 40 is a bit darker, and I can see that level of tint risking a ticket (especially if you have no front plate on... as well as other flashy-but-not-so-legal mods to the car). However, people still do it, and honestly for many people driving MB, they're well-enough-off to not mind either paying the full citation or paying another couple hundred $ to tear down and re-install Huper Optik tint to their front windows (especially in CA).



However, I disagree that it's not that different (at least to me). If you ever go to a Huper Optik dealer, tell them to show you the "Hot Box" or "Light Box" demo (I forgot what it's called exactly)... it will simply blow your mind! Huper is perfect for someone like me who doesn't enjoy really dark tint on their vehicle (since I like to have a clear view out of my windows at night), but wants the best heat and IR reduction possible.