Tinting FRONT windshield?

[Model S]

Has anyone had any experience tinting the front windshield on their MS? I'm scheduled to get it done along with the other windows and figured that it would be a good way to reduce heat and enhance the look. The front windshield will be 3M Crystalline in a very light shade such that most people won't even notice that the front is tinted. I know that this is often done for high-end cards (friend with a Ferrari did it).

But has anyone does this with the MS? Any further thoughts

(I'm not interested in the following responses:
-it's illegal in most states to have any tint on the windshield - I know
-It's going to be too dark at night - no it won't with the super light tint..yet the Crystalline does a great job at blocking rays)

 

[Ceilidh]

Yes it has been done. digitaltim with a Sig Red reported they had done this and posted photos on one of the other tinting threads. It looked good. He also used the 3M Crystalline.

Model S - Window Tinting - Page 2

That links to his explanation, then link from there to the photo.

Cheers.

 

[JoshG]

Has anyone had any experience tinting the front windshield on their MS? I'm scheduled to get it done along with the other windows and figured that it would be a good way to reduce heat and enhance the look. The front windshield will be 3M Crystalline in a very light shade such that most people won't even notice that the front is tinted. I know that this is often done for high-end cards (friend with a Ferrari did it).

But has anyone does this with the MS? Any further thoughts

At the moment, I've tinted all windows except the windshield, but plan to do the windshield as well, as I've done on my other cars. BUT, the model S has serious fogging issues that plague the front windshield for the first few months... offgassing of some of the interior materials is the prevailing wisdom. Whatever it is, it's a pain and requires really cleaning the windshield a lot. Mine's 6 weeks old and finally is staying clean a bit longer. I decided that unless a tint shop was REALLY REALLY good at cleaning that windshield that I may get some fogging and gasses trapped under the tint, so I'm waiting a few months for all the gasses to stop clouding the glass. Maybe not necessary, maybe the tint would even HELP the situation, but I felt it wasn't worth the risk as it's pretty pricey.

Pictures of my 40% ceramic tint are here: Black/Tan Photos (#1299))

 

[yobigd20]

Hi yes please check out that other thread I started. I'm happy a lot of people are posting pics their tinted Model S's there. I love that look! For me, I have decided that I am going to tint using 3M Crystalline 40 all-around (sides+back), plus 3M Crystalline 90 on the front windshield. The 90 is basically impossible to tell that its even there, but it still blocks 99.9% of UV, reduces glare, and keeps your car hella cool. Their product is truely innovative and much more technically advanced that other brands.

I searched a little for topics related to tinting front windows and fogging and I found this thread on a lotus forum: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/dash-gassing-windshield-annoys-me-who-can-help-76362/ which had the following posts

"Adding 3M Crystalline film to the windshield solved the problem for me. I've had zero problems with the off-gassing since I had the windshield (and the other three pieces of glass) tinted with Crystalline two years ago. "

and a response to that "+1 I've had a similar experience."

Tinting all the windows, including the front windshield, has the added benefit of keeping the car REALLY cool in direct sunlight / hot weather. This means that you will not have to blast your A/C to cool you down, thus actually extending the range by a small percentage

good article by Motor Trend on 3M's tint:
http://wot.motortrend.com/3ms-window-films-block-heat-uv-rays-dark-tint-77391.html#ixzz1MH2xvMJD

 

[Model S]

Hi yes please check out that other thread I started. I'm happy a lot of people are posting pics their tinted Model S's there. I love that look! For me, I have decided that I am going to tint using 3M Crystalline 40 all-around (sides+back), plus 3M Crystalline 90 on the front windshield. The 90 is basically impossible to tell that its even there, but it still blocks 99.9% of UV, reduces glare, and keeps your car hella cool. Their product is truely innovative and much more technically advanced that other brands.

I searched a little for topics related to tinting front windows and fogging and I found this thread on a lotus forum: http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f3/dash-gassing-windshield-annoys-me-who-can-help-76362/ which had the following posts

"Adding 3M Crystalline film to the windshield solved the problem for me. I've had zero problems with the off-gassing since I had the windshield (and the other three pieces of glass) tinted with Crystalline two years ago. "

and a response to that "+1 I've had a similar experience."

Tinting all the windows, including the front windshield, has the added benefit of keeping the car REALLY cool in direct sunlight / hot weather. This means that you will not have to blast your A/C to cool you down, thus actually extending the range by a small percentage

good article by Motor Trend on 3M's tint:
http://wot.motortrend.com/3ms-window-films-block-heat-uv-rays-dark-tint-77391.html#ixzz1MH2xvMJD

I don't think the math would work out, but now I can tell my wife that it will pay for itself :tongue:

 

[Model S]

The car is at the tint shop as we speak.

Crystalline 50% sides/back
Crystalline 70% windshield

Will report on it, with pictures, once I get it back.

 

[Laumb]

Not a MS, but i did a 50% tint of the windshield on my old Hyundai Tiburon (2006) and it was great! That added the benefit of a "car show" look to it, as the window got a slightly darker, black-ish look to it. You could snap a picture of it and put it right into a magazine!

And I agree About it being not dark. Driving through tunnels or at night, it didnt really affect anything noticeable. Must be either my sight is so damaged I couldnt see any better without it - or it really is that of a good view from the inside and out.

Enough OT, I would love more pics of windshield tinted MS' as I will do it In that car aswell when I get it.

Since 90% (light throughput?) wasnt availible when I did the Tiburon, I will have to look up on this Crystalline you speak of. Sounds to me it is the way to go!

Any useful resources on that particular tint will be appreciated.

Would love to see pics if someone go 20%, or even 30% for that sakes.


_____
Tapatalkin' from iTalatut.

 

[palmer_md]

isn't the windshield already coated for UV? I thought that was the reason that so many people were complaining about garage door openers and toll passes. My understanding was that the windshield was coated except for a small area near the rear view mirror, and this is why the transmitters/transponders need to be mounted near the mirror in order to function.

 

[shokunin]

I didn't tint my windshield, but got a huge 10" stress crack this week. I'd be pissed if I paid a few hundred on tint only to have the windshield crack.

 

[GaryRudolph]

Crystalline 50% sides/back
Crystalline 70% windshield
Will report on it, with pictures, once I get it back.

Any pics? Debating Crystalline 40 vs 50 for the side/back. Also debating 70 vs 90 for the front.

 

[SuperCoug]

I'm getting 50% on the windshield tomorrow AM. I had my windshield tinted 50% on my Mercedes and my passengers could never tell. The sides were dark so the windshield looked perfectly normal.

I really hope I don't get a crack in my windshield! It's going to be a bummer if I need to have it redone.

 

[SuperCoug]

I'm getting 50% on the windshield tomorrow AM. I had my windshield tinted 50% on my Mercedes and my passengers could never tell. The sides were dark so the windshield looked perfectly normal.

I really hope I don't get a crack in my windshield! It's going to be a bummer if I need to have it redone.

Ok, after talking to the installer this morning I chickened out on tinting my windshield. Two factors:
1) There are a LOT of those little black bumps on the windshield and they create ugly little white dots which are tiny air pockets. It is impossible to get the film to cling to those bumps (especially the big ones present on the Model S).
2) The dealer got spooked when I told him that there have been several cases of stress fractures on the Model S windshield. Then I got equally spooked when he explained that part of the install process involves using a 1,000 degree heat gun on the glass. Cold morning + heat gun on a somewhat weak windshield = me getting cold feet!

I did proceed to get 20% on the sides and 5% on the back and I really like it quite a bit. I'll post photos as soon as I take some (assuming I can figure out how). I can say that these 20% tints seem MUCH lighter than my previous car's 20% tints due to the large amount of ambient light coming in through the pano roof. They look more like 35% tints when you are out in the sunlight.

 

[efxjim]

On an 80 degree day I taped a black card and a piece of Crystalline 50 on the windshield. After the temps stabilized, the dash read about 120, the dash under the 50 read about 110 and the dash under the black card read about 100. So my take is tinting the front windshield can be very beneficial. The feeling of heat on my hand was very much reduced. Since tinting the front is quite expensive and glass breaking is still a distinct possibility I am not sure what is the best answer.

 

[jerry33]

Since tinting the front is quite expensive and glass breaking is still a distinct possibility I am not sure what is the best answer.

Presumably the tinting should reduce glass breakage.