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Window Tinting
Contributed By: Freddy Tran
Tired of being up-priced by local tint shops, I decided to tint Bubba (83
Wag Ltd) myself. Do this in the garage or somewhere you won't get too much wind blowing up
dust. What you need:
-rolls of tint (check local codes for %)-$15 to $40
-Olfa blade-$10
-soft plastic wedge or credit card
-spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish soap
First, clean all the glass, inside and out. Spray again. Make sure you spray liberally and
use the Olfa blade extended out to get all the crusty stuff off the glass the second
cleaning. Cleaning the glass is extremely important, or you will end up with bubbles and
dust trapped between the tint and glass. On the inside where the tint will be installed,
cut away all the way down a tiny fraction of the weatherstripping. This will ensure smooth
edges when you place the tint.
Liberally spray the outside glass of vehicle and outer side of tint (side w/o the clear
protective film) with soap solution. Set the precut edge of tint with bottom of glass and
spray the tint liberally. Smooth the tint towards the middle of the glass area a few times
with the plastic wedge IO2 keep the tint firmly pressed. Using the side weatherstripping,
cut right and left edges with Olfa. Roll down window about 1/2 an inch and cut the top
edge using the weatherstripping again. You'll want to make rounded off cuts at all 4
corners. Before going to the inside again, clean the inside glass one more time. Trust me,
you'll thank me for this later.
On the inside glass, once again spray liberally onto the glass. Peel the tint off the
outside and gently peel away the protective film. Spray the filmed side of the tint
liberally and place to the inside glass. Slide back and forth until it sits in, lining up
the bottom edge first. Spray liberally again. Make final cuts now. Using the plastic
wedge, smooth over the tint and brush away the excess soap solution. Make sure you smooth
over completely and get the corners and edges. They tend to peel and curl first. If it
curls and peels from the start, it won't ever stop! Spray liberally again and smooth over
again with the plastic wedge doing the edges and corners again.
I hope I've helped a little. Tint shops overcharge and up-price you to death. DIY and brag
a little! Leave the windows up for about 3 days so the glue will set. In the country of
Texas, front windows have to be no more than 20% and the back no more than 35% and the
rear can be as dark as you want it. Check local codes for %. Oh yeah, make sure your a/c
works before doing this, especially if you live in Texas. Not being able to roll your
windows down in the Texas heat will kill you!
Freddy
1983 Wagoneer Limited
"Life is short...drive a Jeep."
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