window tint removal
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 43
Likes: 5
From: hammonton nj
window tint removal
my 80 has the rear window tinted but it has hundreds of tiny bubbles all over the place. does anyone know the best way to remove the tint or get rid of the bubbles without damaging the defroster lines?
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Vero Beach Florida
I have the same problem - no bubbles, but it's starting to turn purple. Old/poor tint I guess. 
I'm tempted to take a razor blade and have at it - along with the defrost wires (half of them don't work anyway).
How 'bout it guys? Maybe a heat gun?
...Alan K.
I'm tempted to take a razor blade and have at it - along with the defrost wires (half of them don't work anyway).
How 'bout it guys? Maybe a heat gun?
...Alan K.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Don't razor blade the stuff out...you'll not only make the job harder but you'll spend a lot of time scrubbing adhesive off the windows.
You'll need a heat gun, a bottle of light adhesive solvent, and some thin plastic scrapers.
Start at the top, and work your way down. Go slow, and don't peel or scrap down unless the area has been heated up and some solvent sprayed on it.
You'll need a heat gun, a bottle of light adhesive solvent, and some thin plastic scrapers.
Start at the top, and work your way down. Go slow, and don't peel or scrap down unless the area has been heated up and some solvent sprayed on it.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Just keep the heat low. Don't go crazy, hold the gun further away. The rubber of the weather stripping can handle a little bit of heat, so just be careful.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,577
Likes: 2
From: Long Island New York
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Vero Beach Florida
supervette77,
Good site - thanks! As soon as I finish this complete kitchen renovation I've got going I'll give it a try!
July should be prime time for the Florida sun to heat the tint!
...Alan K
Good site - thanks! As soon as I finish this complete kitchen renovation I've got going I'll give it a try!
July should be prime time for the Florida sun to heat the tint!
...Alan K
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,113
Likes: 669
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
The local tint shop uses a mix of ammonia and water in a spray bottle and she/he uses a plastic scraper to remove the tint a few minutes after spraying the glass. I wouldn't use a steel scraper as most of the back windows have a defroster element laminated to the glass and you'll destroy it useing a metal blade.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 204
From: Lincoln CA
Lose the heat gun. Use a high wattage hair dryer. It won't melt anything. Heat the window from the outside and begin removing the tint by getting an edge up. You can remove any remaining adhesive with Goo Gone.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Vero Beach Florida
Well, it seems we have "hair dryer" vs "ammonia"!
I've a solution. Since the door tint also needs to go, as well as the rear bubble window tint, I'll do each door using each proceedure.
I'll report back in a couple of months and let the group know which worked better!
...Alan K
I've a solution. Since the door tint also needs to go, as well as the rear bubble window tint, I'll do each door using each proceedure.
I'll report back in a couple of months and let the group know which worked better!
...Alan K
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Not really a VS thing, you use both. The heat helps to soften both the tint and the adhesive, and the solvent, as specified as water and ammonia or something like Goof-Off, will help break the hold of the adhesive as you scrape it off with a plastic scraper.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 2
From: Melrose Florida
I had the purple problem on my '74 coupe, was so concerned about it, I started taking the windows out of my parts car...
Then, I got an edge up with my fingernail, and the tint on each window came off easily, in one piece!
I probably have some cleanup with GooGone on adhesive, but the removal was far easier than I had feared.
Steve
Then, I got an edge up with my fingernail, and the tint on each window came off easily, in one piece!
I probably have some cleanup with GooGone on adhesive, but the removal was far easier than I had feared.
Steve
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,113
Likes: 669
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
Durango boy has the best advice, using the ammonia and some mild heat will work swell too, we're just trying to help you save the glass. Any metal blade is going to damage the glass. It's like ice scrappers, get a scrapper with a brass blade, or plastic. They do a good job and you don't have to take a chance of scraching the glass.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Coastside California
I had the same problem with my '81. The tint started bubbling up and really looking bad. I used Simple Green, a black plastic garbage bag, a razor, and good 'ole fashion sunlight.
First, I waited for a sunny day. Then, I cut open the black garbage bag and taped most of the rear window from the inside. Next, I sprayed the window interior with the Simple Green (an ammonia/water mixture works too) and saturated the tint.
I waited about an hour for the sunlight to "heat up" the Simple Green solution on glass. Remember to apply the solution periodically to keep the glass/tint wet all the time.
Finally, I used the razor to start a corner and began to peel carefully. The secret, I learned, was to make sure to keep the tint material wet with the heated solution. This makes the tint material soft again. Otherwise, the tint film will actually separate from the adhesive material on the glass when you go to peel it off.
I got lazy and didn't continually re-apply the solution, so some sections dried out and hardened again...
First, I waited for a sunny day. Then, I cut open the black garbage bag and taped most of the rear window from the inside. Next, I sprayed the window interior with the Simple Green (an ammonia/water mixture works too) and saturated the tint.
I waited about an hour for the sunlight to "heat up" the Simple Green solution on glass. Remember to apply the solution periodically to keep the glass/tint wet all the time.
Finally, I used the razor to start a corner and began to peel carefully. The secret, I learned, was to make sure to keep the tint material wet with the heated solution. This makes the tint material soft again. Otherwise, the tint film will actually separate from the adhesive material on the glass when you go to peel it off.
I got lazy and didn't continually re-apply the solution, so some sections dried out and hardened again...