Tint Installer
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Tint Installer
New C5 owner and first post. Bought an '01 a couples weeks ago. Really enjoying the car but with no tint on the windows she's looking kinda plain. Have read the posts (many) about the back glass being a nightmare for even seasoned veteran tint installers. Can anyone recommend an installer anywhere from Houston to New Orleans? I don't expect miracles but as long as there is nothing wrong with the money I hand over there should be nothing wrong with the tint job I get.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Thanks for the Welcome!
Why do you recommend against using the defroster? I have had many vehicles with tint over the defroster and if installed correctly never had and should not have a problem.
Why do you recommend against using the defroster? I have had many vehicles with tint over the defroster and if installed correctly never had and should not have a problem.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Appreciate the "heads up" on this, but I had a '95 vette and MANY Z-28's with similar back glasses. Used the defrost on all of them with no issues. The bubbles in your pic, especially on the flat areas, indicate a very poor tint job. EXACTLY what I'm trying to avoid.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,333
Likes: 1,311
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Pro
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 646
Likes: 11
From: San Antonio Texas
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Still no luck finding a tint shop that even sounds like they know what they are talking about. MOST have said "sure we do them all the time...your tint will just be white around all those dots...". Really? I cannot believe people can stay in business like this.
Still open to suggestions or referrals. Willing to drive from Houston to New Orleans to get this done right.
Still open to suggestions or referrals. Willing to drive from Houston to New Orleans to get this done right.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 831
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque NM
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Yea, I will. I'm thinking "white where the dots are" means tint not touching the glass or the dots...
Been digging through the C6 section and it seems that there is a shop called Pablo Blue that has just about 100% reviews and another called Xtreme and also had pretty good reviews. Both in Houston. Guess that's the direction I will be heading when it warms up a little. Having that back glass done when temps aren't up well into the warm range is asking for trouble...
Been digging through the C6 section and it seems that there is a shop called Pablo Blue that has just about 100% reviews and another called Xtreme and also had pretty good reviews. Both in Houston. Guess that's the direction I will be heading when it warms up a little. Having that back glass done when temps aren't up well into the warm range is asking for trouble...
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Found a shop in Austin, Austin Tint I believe, that says he can do it. About a 5 hour drive though.
Was thinking of having the C5 emblem "inlayed" in silver tint under the standard tint on the back glass. Looking for opinions. What say you guys? May look good? Or too much? Much better than any graphic installed on the outside as you can still see through the inlay just slightly darker from the inside.
I had quite a bit inlay work done on vehicles back in the 80's right here in town. Now it seems there is not much of it going on. Wonder if its "out of style'.
Was thinking of having the C5 emblem "inlayed" in silver tint under the standard tint on the back glass. Looking for opinions. What say you guys? May look good? Or too much? Much better than any graphic installed on the outside as you can still see through the inlay just slightly darker from the inside.
I had quite a bit inlay work done on vehicles back in the 80's right here in town. Now it seems there is not much of it going on. Wonder if its "out of style'.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,333
Likes: 1,311
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
Yes, pretty sad really. I consider myself pretty good with my hands and fairly creative. I have a heat gun and have watched Youtube videos of the "shrinking of a C5 back glass"...about ready to take this on myself. If I can find a retailer of quality ceramic tint it just may happen.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Yes, pretty sad really. I consider myself pretty good with my hands and fairly creative. I have a heat gun and have watched Youtube videos of the "shrinking of a C5 back glass"...about ready to take this on myself. If I can find a retailer of quality ceramic tint it just may happen.
HTH
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 832
Likes: 14
From: Lake Charles Louisiana
I used Executive Tint on Hillcroft with good success. They're a full time year-round companies that does this work, and not one of those fly-by-night outfits that pop up every spring when the weather turns warm and disappear in the fall, along with their "guarantee" or "warranty". They have a wide range of window coatings to choose from and have about 4 bays to bring vehicles into and use a digital x-y plotter to cut the film. xmhoustondotcom. There's another location out on FM 1960 as well.
HTH
HTH
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: Clarkston Michigan
I bought a 2000 C5 recently with tint from tinthouston.com, as it says on the window sticker. The tint looks great all around. I can't tell you how old the tint is since the car was purchased used but a couple years old at least.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,333
Likes: 1,311
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Seems there is still a bit of water and moisture trapped under the tint. The tint guy was able to squeeze some out, the rest has to evaporate. One mistake on my part was that the car should have seen more sunlight after the tint job. The sunlight is necessary to cure the tint properly. Much much better than earlier today.