Does anyone have experience with this? I'm sure I have the capacity to do it correctly, I'm mainly looking for tips & tricks or things to watch out for. Also, where do you get your tint/application tools from? It's difficult to justify spending $150 on something I could get done myself on a Saturday!

EDIT: '01z not a coupe!

 

I did it years ago along with audio & security. Pay someone to do it. You will mess up, waste enough tint to do the car at least 2.5 times and still find dirt when you think you're done.

 

I agree with Zorlac 100%
Don't cheap out on something like that.
Good luck.

 

Tint is a lil on the pricey side for what it is, but you pay for the skill it requires.
I did get tint from walmart when I tinted a glass door I have (even a simple flat glass door was a pain ), C5 have small windows, so trial an error will be fairly cheap, hopefully you have a FRC too

 

Pay someone to do it. I was going to try it myself then realized what a pain the rear hatch window would have been. Found a local shop that does exotics and other high end cars. He did it in a few hours and the rear is one piece. Looks good and glad I didn't do it myself.

 

'01z

As for the other replies, I wouldn't consider it "cheaping out". Think of it this way, I like doing my own work on cars I love. It's sort of like me bonding with the soul of the car, as corny as that sounds. I don't like pawning her off on people if I can avoid it. If it doesn't involve paint/body work, frame alignment/repair, wheel alignment, or tire mounting and balancing, I do it all myself! Thanks for your input though!

 

I agree. Having tinted every other car i've ever owned I figured the vette would be a cakewalk considering I will never tint over a defroster again. Two side windows. Easy. Nope. They are actually a series of complex curves which make applying the tint a biotch.

Pick your battles and spend your money wisely. This one is for a professional

 

I've tinted cars before, and you really need to get it done professionally due to the hatch. By the time you buy the supplies, pay for shipping and invest the 8hrs or so it will take you to do it being that you are a rookie tinter, you won't be saving anything.

 

I agree, let a pro do it!
I did the side windows on several previous cars, never the rear. But I was never happy with the results. Now I just use pros who warranty their work and products.

 

x2

It's worth the money to sit back and read a magazine in the waiting room while someone else applies the tint without air bubbles or dirt. Just make sure the tint shop will use a single piece of tint on the rear window, and not a hodge podge of 2 or more pieces!

 

I am sure there are lots of people with the skills and paitence to do a good job, but even though I try to do everything I can on my cars tint is one thing I pay someone for. Three reasons 1. If I did it myself I would know every little thing that wasn't perfect and that would drive me nuts 2. I have no artistic ability and I think some is needed for that kind of work 3. When I did see a place that wasn't perfect I could tell myself that someone else did it and did the best they could and it is a lot better than if I had done it myself.

 

Me - I'd let someone do it that has a lot of experience in applying the tint. If you do try it yourself, best of luck.

 

Do it yourself. You could make it even easier with a precut film kit if you don't think you have the talent to cut it yourself. I've seen kits that include all of the tools and good instructions. What's the use of modding a car if you pay someone else to do all of the work for you. I've done it on several cars and its a extremely easy.

 

I would happily pay someone if they would happily put on illegal tint.

When I do mine I will be forced to do it myslef because I want it dark.

 

If you try to do it yourself on a C5 you may as well do it with PlastiDip.

 

I love it when people ask about a task and some reply that it is easy, no matter what task it is.

It is kinda like that stupid youtube knowledge village video crap where all the guy does is talk about how easy a task is and won't actually do it, or that stupid ehow.com website where they describe changing a fuel filter on a car in three verbal steps. Raise the car, get under the car and get the fuel filter, put new one on, lower the car. Duh. It is easy.

As with anything, if you worked with a task several times with the right tools and good supervision, then yes, over time, it will become easier and results will be great. That is with anything.

I race bikes and I do most of the work on it myself, and accumulated tools for it over the years. I rarely go to a bike shop to have repairs done, but people still bring bikes in for a flat tire repair or replacing a chain, which is an "easy" task.

It would be wrong for me to say that "Changing a chain is easy, you're stupid to pay a shop do it." I've spent time with it, and had many trial and error, so now it is easy for me, but for a first timer, it won't be. You see where I'm getting at?

If you never tinted windows before, then good luck.

 

I love it when people ask about a task and most reply that it is to difficult, no matter what task it is. If some else can do it, you should be able to do it, too. Too many people here are just too lazy or don't have the time to do a little research to respond with any real knowledge about performing the task. If the response here is always "pay someone else to do it" then why even come to the forum to ask . It sounds like the OP is ready to tackle the job himself. I am just providing the nudge he may need to do it. It seems that a lot of the members think otherwise. Oh well, let them pay for it.

 

i did it to my 84 pita, but i paid 140 to have the c5 done. plus it comes with a warranty.

 

All I am saying is that some things require practice and or skill to do. I could probably do the tint myself, or attempt it, but it may look like crap, or it may not be to my satisfaction. If I want to become proficient at window tinting, that is probably what I would have done. Spend couple of greens and try again when I make a mistake. If the OP wants to become proficient at tinting, then by all means, but if he is looking for just tinting the window on his car, why waste his money and risk screwing up if he has never done it before?

Case and point, 3M clear bra. There is a reason why there are "Authorized Dealers" who do these stuff. You can do a DIY, but no warranty, since a complete amateur could do a half *** job and claim fault on 3M's quality when the bra comes off in 4 months.

Can I attempt to tear down a whole engine myself and rebuild it although I have never done it before? Sure! If a mechanic who has been doing it for 10 years can do it, why can't I? As that Top Gear Jeremy puts it, "HOW HARD CAN IT BE?"

 

I tint and install clear bras. Paint protection film took me years to get goo at it. Tint is much more difficult as tiny will wrinkle incredibly easily and when it does, it's ruined. It's also has to be heat formed to the glass with a heat gun. You have to go to a school to learn it and then you still only know the basics. So to whoever thought it is a case of being lazy for most people, go have at it and let us know how it works out. Nothing like having a corvette with a ****** tint job. Please post close up pics as well.

You know with your reasoning anyone of us should be able to do open heart surgery... if we weren't to lazy to go to med school. Doesn't mean we should just go out and do it.