Did you have any film on the front windshield?

 

I found some inexpensive ammonia free window cleaner at K Mart the other day- I finally cleaned the inside of my windows--been almost a year they weren't too bad, but you are right about the heat and the evap--I had to redo them early this morning to get ride of streaks.

I had a strip (about 10" long) installed at the top of my windshield--it is a bit longer than what is legal here, but it really helps with the sun.

 

Out of question, does any tint maker produce a gradated tint for the front window? That is, a tint that goes from 100% (i.e. fully transparent) to 35% or whatever. I think the full bar of tint looks a bit off and would prefer something that transitions from one to the other.

 

I agree with you, I was a bit upset about the straight line w/o gradual transition--cuz that is what my other cars have had but -the only windshields I have seen like that come oem or when the windshield is replaced.

 

With as much glass the Fit has, I couldn't imagine not having tint. I have 32% on the windshield and front doors, and double limo on everything else.



This is the view looking out. It's not as bad as you'd think. Not only does it help with heat, it also reduces glare.
057.jpg?t=1312139673

 

Oh definitely in AZ! Good shots. Good thought on the inside-out shot though hard to distinguish the effect (that's the idea right?). What's a double-limo?

 

I'd stick with a recognized name brand, like llumar, 3m, or Huber Optik. A quality shop should carry one or more of those manufacturers and offer a manufacturers warranty, not just a shop warranty. You can learn more about various types here:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...nt-thread.html

 

It's against state law to tint windshields here... Double limo tint is about as dark as they make. They only allow it to be on the rear windows here.

 

The car has 2 sheets of limo tint on all the back windows. It's Solar Guard HP Supreme 4. I have had double limo in the past so I'm used to the darkness as well as the windshield being tinted. In AZ, you can paint the back windows black if you want, but the fronts aren't supposed to darker than 32%. If you aren't driving like a tool, the cops leave you alone.

 

for this purpose, there are security film... the security film acts exactly like a window tint, but it also adds strength to the window itself... so it's harder to break... in the event it breaks, it won't shatter and most likely just leave out a hole in the shape of the object hitting it... i saw a demo once using an axe, and it gives a hole on the second strike... but the glass didn't shatter right away... it took a couple more blows to create a hole big enough for someone to grab through... and all those time, the glass holds... it shattered allright, but the film keeps it intact... making it harder for the thief to break through... but i don't know where you can get this type of film in the US...

i've heard there are certain security films that can even stop a bullet... but i've never seen this type...

 

Subie, I wish someone could post a pic of that one...That's insane...

 

I am curious, what would ammonia based cleaner do to the tint film apart from invaliding warranty?

 

Turn it purple.

 

Heheh! This was in Manila Vinny, a few years back. Sorry no pix. Maybe some of the Fit Freaks from there can send us some pix. Some of the front driver/passenger sides would have dark tint only on the top half. Some would have what amounts to port hole cutouts just for the side view mirrors. The front windshields would be tinted with what looks like metallic (one way mirror) and supposed to be polarized to darken and lighten (so they say) but definitely was hard to drive at night. Then again you don't drive as fast (US speeds) there either.

Hey if you've driven in Japan and the Philippines, I think you can hold your own anywhere else.

 

Try Jakarta and India... they're a bit worse than Phillipines.. I know.. I live in it... You might be not good at shifting gears, but you'll be damn good in swerving through traffic...

and as for the cut-out thing, i can back that up... although not many people do it nowadays, there are still some old cars have cuthole in the tinting... i'll try to take some pictures if i happen to see one here..

 

Thanks K! Pix would be good. Have plenty of practice swerving with the Fit and learned to drive with a stick looooonnng time ago. My other car is a 5sp Rex btw so I can probably hang but patience and blood pressure might not.

 

as i promised, this morning i happen to see one with cutout on the tint. excuse for the crappy picture, i took them from inside my car while driving.. go figure... also, if you look in the mirror, you'll know why i said you'll be damn good driving through traffic in Jakarta.. (a slight edit: i forgot to mention... this is supposed to be the freeway... and i paid to go in there... the regular road is preety much MORE f**ked up than this, with small motorbike squeezing into any open space between the cars..)

 

Wow! That is as bad as North Central Expressway in North Dallas during the evening rush hour... I never understood why they would call a slow moving parking lot that covered the road for 3 hours 5 days a week "rush hour". My car will not stay clean either.. I think it is the wide tires and the need for mud flaps.. My wife's Forester never looks dirty and it has better wheel coverage.

 

Thanks for posting K. Hope Vinny can see this. Heheh, been there done that. I remember taking a side street one time and having to fold my side view mirror so the oncoming car and I can squeeze by each other (half of rt. tire hanging over pavement next to the ditch). NUTS but made it. I was driving one of those flat-nosed Mitsu minivans (heavy tint).

 

that's about the sum of it...