Best Tint Shops near Potomac, MD?

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Anyone know where the best tint shop is near Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg? I'm looking for a good quality tint job with quality tint that won't break my wallet either. Suggestions please! Thank you in advance! Looking to get 35% all around.

[1M3ANM3]

Originally Posted by ShutUpandDrive

Anyone know where the best tint shop is near Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg? I'm looking for a good quality tint job with quality tint that won't break my wallet either. Suggestions please! Thank you in advance! Looking to get 35% all around.

Tint Tek in Germantown does real good work. Its a one man show in small shop but he did a great job on my M3 and my girls Corvette. I've had the tint for three years and still looks good as new.

F

http://tinttekgmd.com/

[vsky330i]

PM me. I work for aftermarket and could get you a decent hook-up. Located in Gaithersburg,MD//

[1N54E92]

Originally Posted by PoweredBy///M

Anyone know where the best tint shop is near Potomac/Rockville/Gaithersburg? I'm looking for a good quality tint job with quality tint that won't break my wallet either. Suggestions please! Thank you in advance! Looking to get 35% all around.

LA tint in Sterling, VA

No one comes close.

[zacnaud]

Not to resurrect an old thread here, but anyone else have insight? I need to get the new e93 tinted up, and was curious what the going rate was, and if anyone else had some Montgomery county recommendations?

[Superhiro]

I have an appt with LA Tint for this Thursday and they quoted just under $200 for an E92. I can provide pics/updates later tomorrow.

[pseto]

Originally Posted by Superhiro

I have an appt with LA Tint for this Thursday and they quoted just under $200 for an E92. I can provide pics/updates later tomorrow.

Hopefully you're aware of the dot matrix issue for e92. If they don't use a black vinyl overlay to cover the dot matrix, walk away and find someone who will. Otherwise, it'll look like ass &

[markw9]

Also FYI I had my sedan tinted and quickly got vertical scratches on the rear windows. I had the windows retinted and added tint protector mole skin. Seems to be a common problem.

[zacnaud]

Originally Posted by Superhiro

I have an appt with LA Tint for this Thursday and they quoted just under $200 for an E92. I can provide pics/updates later tomorrow.

Yeah, definitely keep me updated, if they do a nice job, i would not be averse to taking the e93 down there to get tinted up.

[Superhiro]

Originally Posted by pseto

Hopefully you're aware of the dot matrix issue for e92. If they don't use a black vinyl overlay to cover the dot matrix, walk away and find someone who will. Otherwise, it'll look like ass &

Hey Paul, I had the same problem with my E46, I'm hoping they are familiar with this. I've also heard heating the dot matrix prior to application can help. Did you have someone you recognized that does apply the black vinyl?

Originally Posted by zacnaud

Yeah, definitely keep me updated, if they do a nice job, i would not be averse to taking the e93 down there to get tinted up.

Will do

[pseto]

Originally Posted by Superhiro

Hey Paul, I had the same problem with my E46, I'm hoping they are familiar with this. I've also heard heating the dot matrix prior to application can help. Did you have someone you recognized that does apply the black vinyl?

It took Driven Dynamics 4 tries to finally get it right. This was several years ago when I had my e92 335i, but it's best to call around and make sure that an overlay is being used before wasting your time.

They tried heat, glue, sanding, tinting over the dots, but it all looked like shit. They will tell you it'll look better after a few days and it still looks like shit.

[Ikendiken]

I had mine done by Tim Cooke a week ago at Absolute Perfection http://www.aptinting.com/ out in beautiful Sykesville, MD. I had 40% FormulaOne Pinnacle done all around. They say they are the only authorized FormulaOne dealer in all of Maryland.

I'm really happy with the results. 40% is perfect for me. Not so dark that it is difficult to see at night, but still a nice drop in heat and brightness in the cabin during the day. Overall it looks excellent.

He did not use a vinyl strip over the dot matrix. I mentioned it to him and he suggested I let him see what he can do without it. Now Paul's and my idea of what ass looks like is probably different, but I think it looks ok. There is a difference in color of the tint at the top 1'' of the window where the dot matrix is heaviest. I'll try to get a picture of it tomorrow in the sun. I bet if you insisted he use vinyl over the dot matrix he would do it.

[Raja Ventureshield]

what is the purpose of those dot matrix anyway?

I need my car tinted as well.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

It's a ways out, but Vega MotorSport did mine and I'm very happy with it.

[cotmfk]

What are the prices people are paying? It's been a long time since I've gotten a car tinted.

It was about $300-ish in VA and $180-ish in MD back then.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by cotmfk

What are the prices people are paying? It's been a long time since I've gotten a car tinted.

It was about $300-ish in VA and $180-ish in MD back then.

I paid $210+tax for 3M ColorStable 35% all around.

The 3M FX series starts at $185.

[Superhiro]

Originally Posted by pseto

It took Driven Dynamics 4 tries to finally get it right. This was several years ago when I had my e92 335i, but it's best to call around and make sure that an overlay is being used before wasting your time.

They tried heat, glue, sanding, tinting over the dots, but it all looked like shit. They will tell you it'll look better after a few days and it still looks like shit.

So I just got back from LA Tint, and am VERY happy with the results so far. Will have to wait a day or two for everything to dry out, but my quick initial inspection before heading back to the office showed clean cuts all around with no gaps. No bubbles, lint to be seen. They did use a black vinyl strip for the dot matrix, and it looks clean (Yes, it is a slightly darker band at the top, but looks fine) and that work was included in the standard cost of their tint job.

Originally Posted by cotmfk

What are the prices people are paying? It's been a long time since I've gotten a car tinted.

It was about $300-ish in VA and $180-ish in MD back then.

I just paid $270 including tax for the Formula One Comfort Series with the vinyl strip for the dot matrix fix. I'll post pics of the work this weekend once it all dries out.

[Ikendiken]

Originally Posted by PoweredBy///M

I paid $210+tax for 3M ColorStable 35% all around.

The 3M FX series starts at $185.

I think the cost is largely determined by the tint you choose. I paid $330 or so for ForumulaOne Pinnacle on my coupe from Absolute Perfection. That's the top of the line tint from FormulaOne.

Here is a picture of the rear window dot matrix without vinyl. The very top of the dot matrix you can see the tint is not perfect, but in person it isn't as noticeable. This is the worst side; you can see a couple of small bubbles around the defroster, too.



The only place, in my mind, that really needs the vinyl is the section starting about half way up from the last defroster wire.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Ikendiken

I think the cost is largely determined by the tint you choose. I paid $330 or so for ForumulaOne Pinnacle on my coupe from Absolute Perfection. That's the top of the line tint from FormulaOne.

Here is a picture of the rear window dot matrix without vinyl. The very top of the dot matrix you can see the tint is not perfect, but in person it isn't as noticeable. This is the worst side; you can see a couple of small bubbles around the defroster, too.



The only place, in my mind, that really needs the vinyl is the section starting about half way up from the last defroster wire.

We'll, it depends what you get. 3M's crystalline is their top of the line and it's like 350 or 400. It's so expensive, not all shops carry it. It depends on what kind of quality you want.

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by Raja Ventureshield

what is the purpose of those dot matrix anyway?

I need my car tinted as well.

Cosmetic. Basically a visually appealing way to transition glass to body. It's also used to cover the seals and protect them from the sun.

[Ikendiken]

Originally Posted by PoweredBy///M

We'll, it depends what you get. 3M's crystalline is their top of the line and it's like 350 or 400. It's so expensive, not all shops carry it. It depends on what kind of quality you want.

I always assume I want the top-of-the-line option. I can't really say I know what that gets me in a tint, though.

[JerezBlkM3]

I also got my windows tinted by Tim Cooke at Absolute Perfection and can vouch for the quality work. I also got 40% FormulaOne Pinnacle Ceramic tint on my e92 and feel that he did a great job with the dot matrix on the windows. Tim was really knowledgeable about tinting M3s and anticipated my questions about the dot matrix from the get-go. He also eased my fears about harming the tint with the slight roll-down/up feature the windows do when opening and closing the doors. He assured me that he applied extra heat on the bottom portion of the window to really adhere the film well to the window so that function would not harm the tint. Overall I was very pleased with the experience and would recommend them to anyone looking to get their tint done. They are very nice and professional people that work there and take good care of your car, which is what I wanted. The facility was very clean too both inside the waiting area and in the car bay where they work. Check out their website for more info. and pics of cars they have done. They also have good Google and Yelp reviews online.