Blue/White Tint Pics?

[jcsnider]

Just got a Blue/White PD3-. Wanting to get the side windows + rear tinted. (1 piece). Mainly after heat rejection. Some privacy is good but at the same time I want the world to see the beautiful white interior.

Wondering if anyone has good pics of the blue/white combination with 35%, 40%, or 50% tints? I understand that comparing via photos is limited but am hoping to get a better idea of what level I'd like to go for.

Also wondering if anyone with a 35% tint thinks it's too dark/too hard to use the side/rear view mirrors at night.

Thanks all!

 

[acarney]

Just got a Blue/White PD3-. Wanting to get the side windows + rear tinted. (1 piece). Mainly after heat rejection. Some privacy is good but at the same time I want the world to see the beautiful white interior.

Wondering if anyone has good pics of the blue/white combination with 35%, 40%, or 50% tints? I understand that comparing via photos is limited but am hoping to get a better idea of what level I'd like to go for.

Also wondering if anyone with a 35% tint thinks it's too dark/too hard to use the side/rear view mirrors at night.

Thanks all!

I have Xpel XR+ 30% (which is really 31% visible light transmission) and you can hardly tell they're tinted from the outside during the day. At night you can tell they're tinted but you can still see inside if parked under a street light. They have a bit of reflection from the outside so when viewed off angle you get that classic mirror tint look, but straight on it just looks like a very slight tint. From INSIDE the car your visibility basically isn't reduced at all, picking looking through sunglasses when it's very bright out. At night you can tell they're tinted and it is a bit darker, but not unsafe. Far less then how much the mirrors auto dim.

 

[acarney]

I have Xpel XR+ 30% (which is really 31% visible light transmission) and you can hardly tell they're tinted from the outside during the day. At night you can tell they're tinted but you can still see inside if parked under a street light. They have a bit of reflection from the outside so when viewed off angle you get that classic mirror tint look, but straight on it just looks like a very slight tint. From INSIDE the car your visibility basically isn't reduced at all, picking looking through sunglasses when it's very bright out. At night you can tell they're tinted and it is a bit darker, but not unsafe. Far less then how much the mirrors auto dim.

Top three show the outside tints, XR+ 30%, bottom one is from inside and shows the factory tint roof, XR+ 70% windshield, and 30% side window.

Edit: I should note that I didn't tint the roof or rear window at all due to cracking worries. I was worried the clear bottom of the rear window would look really weird... but it actually doesn't and isn't very large (when thinking about how much solar energy might be entering). Because of that the rear view mirror out the rear of the car is unchanged.

 

[jcsnider]

Thank you for the pics and such an informative review. How's the heat rejection, is it noticeably cooler to you than stock? I'm thinking 35% might be the right move for me. (Lowest allowed on driver and passenger windows in KY)

 

[acarney]

Thank you for the pics and such an informative review. How's the heat rejection, is it noticeably cooler to you than stock? I'm thinking 35% might be the right move for me. (Lowest allowed on driver and passenger windows in KY)

The heat rejection with Xpel XR+ is amazing. Obviously the whole car will still heat up when parked (metal and glass gets hot and transfers to the interior of the car) but when driving or when pre-cooling it's a lot better. I have noticed the fan speed lower to keep me comfortable during the day time and you don't get "hot spots" from the sun hitting you through the window. The glass it's self will heat up and you can feel it warm if you put your hand close to it, but it's like a shield right at the glass. Think about how much heat you feel from the sun beating down on you at noon from the top glass, honestly Tesla has put some great heat rejection into that glass. This tint will basically mimic that but with a much lighter visible shade.

That said, I would highly recommend tinting the front with 70%+ (higher the VLT number the more clear it is) because otherwise you'll have a huge amount of sun and heat streaming right through that huge windshield.

 

[jcsnider]

That said, I would highly recommend tinting the front with 70%+ (higher the VLT number the more clear it is) because otherwise you'll have a huge amount of sun and heat streaming right through that huge windshield.

I'm itching to pull the trigger. Also on the broke side and waiting on funds to come in. Is it legal there for front windshield tints? Even if it might be hard to notice I'm worried about fix-it tickets and then needing to pay to remove it. No front tint allowed in KY after the AS1 line or whatever. On top of that I heard there are several sensors that you gotta be careful with. I'd much more concerned about having the front done than the back haha.

 

[acarney]

I'm itching to pull the trigger. Also on the broke side and waiting on funds to come in. Is it legal there for front windshield tints? Even if it might be hard to notice I'm worried about fix-it tickets and then needing to pay to remove it. No front tint allowed in KY after the AS1 line or whatever. On top of that I heard there are several sensors that you gotta be careful with. I'd much more concerned about having the front done than the back haha.

Same rules here... I decided to just go for it and now it's so light that I honestly don't think anyone would question it. You're probably likely to only have issues if your tint is too dark on the sides and that causes a cop to then check every window. I forgot to ask my installer how they handle the sensors but I haven't had any issue with autopilot on a ~300 mile road trip I took the day after getting the tint done. Curious enough, I THINK my windshield tint was applied to the outside... but when I go in for my week checkup on the PPF I had applied as well I'll ask about the front windshield.

 

[Trips]

I went with a 35% on the back window because of the top tint and 20% on the sides. It is a little dark for the side mirrors at night but you get use to it.

 

[joebruin77]

I have the exact same color combo (blue with white interior). I went for a very light tint on the sides and rear (55%) with no tint on the windshield (not legal here in CA). I personally like how light and bright the car interior is and I did not want to do anything to overly darken it. Plus, when looking at the car from the outside, I like how the white of the 20" wheels matches with the white interior. I am not interested in privacy. I only wanted the tint for heat rejection. And I must say the Prime XR Plus really makes a noticeable difference, even with the lighter tint percentage I chose.

 

[Adam3]

I'm still waiting for my white/white to arrive. I'm planning to go with Llumar CTX in 35% or 50%. I want the white seats to be visible from rear and sides of vehicle.

I have the exact same color combo (blue with white interior). I went for a very light tint on the sides and rear (55%)

I saw photos of your car before - it's very nice!

 

[R1Fast]

I'd recommend going 1-2 shades darker than you think you need with white/blue, regardless of how dark you want to go.

I did 35% all-around initially but it was nowhere near dark enough (looked like 70%, really... that light) and my installer re-did the whole car at 20% for a very fair price (except the roof/back - since it's OEM tinted 35% worked great and matches the 20% on doors perfectly). I didn't want it 'limo-dark' but dark enough to obscure passenger faces in the car while keeping the silohuettes and white of the interior visible. 20% with Xpel was absolutely perfect. This may be brand-dependent. 20% Xpel is very close in shade to the 35% on my old car (STI wagon) which was blue on black.

You can see how 20% XPel Prime XR+ looks on a blue/white P3D in the Kenriko chrome delete thread. It might look a little darker in the pictures than in person since these were taken on a cloudy day. Below is a pic from the garage but still not full lighting... will try and find one on a bright sunny day to upload for reference.



If you're thinking the 35%ish range, 20% on blue/white isn't as dark as you think it will be and 35% is probably going to be too light.

Edit: I should note that I didn't tint the roof or rear window at all due to cracking worries.

Not sure what you mean by 'cracking worries'. Most brands of tint actually deflect UV/heat from the cabin and would reduce the chances of cracking from heat. Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[Adam3]

Not sure what you mean by 'cracking worries'. Most brands of tint actually deflect UV/heat from the cabin and would reduce the chances of cracking due to heat. Maybe I misunderstood.

There are theories that adding tint may increase chances of the glass to crack because it further increases the temperature difference between cabin / glass / outside air. At least I think that's the theory.

 

[joebruin77]

There are theories that adding tint may increase chances of the glass to crack because it further increases the temperature difference between cabin and outside air. At least I think that's the theory.

BTW, original quote about cracking worries was from R1Fast, not me .

And I believe you are correct. In fact, my tint installer said he would put tint on the big rear window but he would not put it on the small roof window because Tesla advised him that doing so. For some reason, according to him, Tesla said this could increase the risk of the roof glass cracking for exactly the reasons you mentioned.

 

[R1Fast]

I see...

I for one don't agree with that theory based on one simple word... winter. Think of it this way; If this was indeed the case, cranking the heat up on a sub-30 degree day would result in thousands of warranty claims for Tesla.

It is possible to crack tempered glass with the opposite meaning a very abrupt swing from high to low temps, e.g. washing with cold water on a hot day (the same way ice cubes crack when put in water). But this would only be if the interior was extremely hot... and tint would actually reduce the temp delta as well as the chance of it happening.

Anyway, I've seen the same rumors esp. on this forum but in my experience and logic there is very little proof (if any) to back them up.

 

[jcsnider]

@R1Fast I really like how yours looks! I was originally planning on a chrome delete, going with the 18in aeros (without the cover) and the darkest possible tint.

Nowadays I love the contrast of the white interior with the blue and the chrome/19in wheels. I don't want to go too dark and sacrifice that. Thanks very much for the image, the more I have to go on the better ^^.

 

[SD_Engnr]

I also wanted heat rejection, and to be able to see the interior on approach. I went with 50% all around (3M Crystalline) and 70% on the windshield. I love the look.

 

[shiftkenny]

I also wanted heat rejection, and to be able to see the interior on approach. I went with 50% all around (3M Crystalline) and 70% on the windshield. I love the look.
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Do you care to share where and how much?

 

[jcsnider]

I also wanted heat rejection, and to be able to see the interior on approach. I went with 50% all around (3M Crystalline) and 70% on the windshield. I love the look.
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Love it! That's pretty much exactly what I'm going for. Thanks for the pics!

Also interested in your cost if you don't mind sharing. Not sure if I should expect same rates or for it to be cheaper here in Louisville.

 

[SD_Engnr]

Do you care to share where and how much?

Chris at CE Detail did it for just under $1k.

Love it! That's pretty much exactly what I'm going for. Thanks for the pics!

Also interested in your cost if you don't mind sharing. Not sure if I should expect same rates or for it to be cheaper here in Louisville.

Should be less expensive for you.

 

[AstroCat]

We did 35% windows and rear using The FormulaOne Pinnacle. The heat reduction is noticeable and no issues driving at night, or seeing out the rear top section. We are happy with our choice.