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      06-08-2013, 02:56 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jphughan View Post
I have Pinnacle F1 Ceramic 35 all around and love it. Heat rejection is great (especially when combined with the Air Blue 80 on the windshield), it doesn't interfere with Comfort Access, and it doesn't have any coloration. It's just a smokey black/gray, very OEM and natural-looking, not purple/orange/green like Huper and others. No experience with 3M so I can't comment on that.

And FYI 35% is dark enough for great heat rejection and an aesthetic improvement without being so dark that the tint draws attention to itself and pulls focus from the rest of the car's styling; it blends in and just looks like it belongs there.
I thought about HO, but decided not to due to the green hue that I noticed. I opted for pinnacle f1 as well. 87% windshield, 20% front, and 5% back. If I had a choice to do it again, I would go 35% front and not 20% as it's a little on the darker side (not legal here in CA). I'm used to the 5% in the back.

Never had an issue with Comfort Access.

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      06-08-2013, 03:43 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire View Post
not going to get into what film is best since everyone thinks that whatever film they have is the best.

what I can tell you is this. I have huper optik all around (including front windshield) and paid less than 600 for all of those items. excluding the windshield it would have been more like 400.

you just have to shop around.
Where in OC did you get huper optik installed?
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      06-08-2013, 12:41 PM   #25
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My car is SG. I use hyper optik. 40% around 50% on the wind shield. Paid $600 at STM in LA. Hahn is the best.
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      06-08-2013, 07:26 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by enigma01 View Post
Where in OC did you get huper optik installed?
In OC there is a shop called perfect window tint, in the huntington beach / costa mesa area. Ask for Sal.

In LA, there is STM. Ask for Han

Hope that helps.
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      06-09-2013, 01:42 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jphughan View Post
I have Pinnacle F1 Ceramic 35 all around and love it. Heat rejection is great (especially when combined with the Air Blue 80 on the windshield), it doesn't interfere with Comfort Access, and it doesn't have any coloration. It's just a smokey black/gray, very OEM and natural-looking, not purple/orange/green like Huper and others. No experience with 3M so I can't comment on that.

And FYI 35% is dark enough for great heat rejection and an aesthetic improvement without being so dark that the tint draws attention to itself and pulls focus from the rest of the car's styling; it blends in and just looks like it belongs there.
Thanks for the input guys. Pinnacle was the conclusion I came to in the past but none of the well known shops carry it around here. I have 20% on my Mustang and like it but I'll probably go 35 for the front windows on the M3 due to the slight tint it already has. I want it just dark enough for anonymity.

I have searched this and many, many other forums. There is plenty of info on Huper and various dyed tints but not so much on the ceramics. There is also a lot of mixed and conflicting info on ceramics and metallics regarding comfort access.
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      06-10-2013, 01:11 AM   #28
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F1 ceramic 35%, that's what I'm getting for my to-be space grey.

See here how it looks...
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145333
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      06-10-2013, 01:12 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1fastdoc View Post
Thanks for the input guys. Pinnacle was the conclusion I came to in the past but none of the well known shops carry it around here. I have 20% on my Mustang and like it but I'll probably go 35 for the front windows on the M3 due to the slight tint it already has. I want it just dark enough for anonymity.

I have searched this and many, many other forums. There is plenty of info on Huper and various dyed tints but not so much on the ceramics. There is also a lot of mixed and conflicting info on ceramics and metallics regarding comfort access.
Can you link any info on ceramic tint + comfort access issues? I should prolly read into that as I do want the comfort access to work.
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      06-10-2013, 05:02 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PetoM3 View Post
F1 ceramic 35%, that's what I'm getting for my to-be space grey.

See here how it looks...
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145333
Thank you very much for that link. I called the only local shop that installs F1 and they won't go below 35%. I have 20% on my mustang and it's never been a problem. After looking at those pics, 35% seems too light. This is a problem. I'm surprised a shop won't go lower than what the law allows.



Quote:
Originally Posted by PetoM3 View Post
Can you link any info on ceramic tint + comfort access issues? I should prolly read into that as I do want the comfort access to work.
I google searched with various terms but mostly comfort access and ceramic or metallic tint. Initially installers were saying ceramic is the new thing because metallic screws up the CA. However, plenty of people on forums have said otherwise. Most of the links were to the other various BMW forums in addition to an Acura forum, Mazda forum and some other midget car I can't remember.
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      06-11-2013, 12:41 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1fastdoc View Post
Thank you very much for that link. I called the only local shop that installs F1 and they won't go below 35%. I have 20% on my mustang and it's never been a problem. After looking at those pics, 35% seems too light. This is a problem. I'm surprised a shop won't go lower than what the law allows.
I would recommend going to see 35% in person; a lot of shops will attach just a square of the tint onto your window as a demo so you can get a feel for it. Photos can be deceiving and a lot depends on the amount of ambient light, the color of your interior, etc. That said, if you like the look of something as dark as 20, 35 may indeed be too light under any circumstances.

Shops typically won't go darker than what the law allows for at least one of these reasons:

- They don't want you later trying to hold them liable for tickets you might get related to the tint. Even if they had you sign a waiver absolving them of liability and you would therefore ultimately lose that claim, they'd rather avoid the hassle of you even trying to make a claim in the first place. And actually the existence of such a waiver would get them in trouble in court anyway because it would be evidence that they knowingly performed an illegal install.

- In some states, including Texas, shops are required to attach a (tiny and hardly noticeable) sticker to their tint jobs that identifies them as the installer, in which case law enforcement could go after them directly for installing an illegally dark tint level. And if they left that sticker off on an illegal job and you got pulled over, I doubt many people would feel obligated to their shop not to tell the cop who did the install, in which case now the shop would be in trouble for an illegal job AND failing to affix the sticker.

- They just want to be honest, law-abiding businesses, even if that means turning down business from people who want them to do something illegal. I don't understand why so few people seem to think that's a sufficiently good reason by itself anymore.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1fastdoc View Post
I google searched with various terms but mostly comfort access and ceramic or metallic tint. Initially installers were saying ceramic is the new thing because metallic screws up the CA. However, plenty of people on forums have said otherwise. Most of the links were to the other various BMW forums in addition to an Acura forum, Mazda forum and some other midget car I can't remember.
I don't know a ton about the technical side of tint, but maybe some ceramic tint has both ceramic AND metallic elements and might therefore interfere with CA? But I suspect that would vary based on the brand of tint, and as I said, I've never had issues with CA or my fob in general with the F1 Pinnacle.
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      06-12-2013, 12:24 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jphughan View Post
I would recommend going to see 35% in person; a lot of shops will attach just a square of the tint onto your window as a demo so you can get a feel for it. Photos can be deceiving and a lot depends on the amount of ambient light, the color of your interior, etc. That said, if you like the look of something as dark as 20, 35 may indeed be too light under any circumstances.

- They just want to be honest, law-abiding businesses, even if that means turning down business from people who want them to do something illegal. I don't understand why so few people seem to think that's a sufficiently good reason by itself anymore.


I've never had issues with CA or my fob in general with the F1 Pinnacle.
Thanks. I do completely understand the issue with legality. Last time I had a car tinted was in the 90's, in Seattle. At that time, frequent cop shootings were a lot more rare and nobody cared if your windows were too dark to see through.

I did have problems getting my car inspected in NC, where shops are supposed to use a tint meter. It took getting to know a shop well and giving them business with several of my cars. After that they'd pass me.

However, I've been pulled over with that car many, many more times than I can count and not once did a cop mention the tint.

I do know that the other shop I looked at, that would use Wincos, will drop down to 20%. I'll just have to go to the Pinnacle shop and see how 35% looks.
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      06-25-2013, 12:59 PM   #33
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Thanks everyone for your help.
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      08-19-2013, 07:31 PM   #34
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I just had 3M metallic tint installed and it interfered with my CA significantly. I had to literally take my FOB out of my pocket and point it at the rear window to open and close my doors. It would also say it did not detect the fob in the car randomly as well. So needless to say I had it removed which took a good 2 hours with those hooligans climbing all over my car. Looking at 3M cryst or Wincos ceramic or whatever it is that doesn't prevent me from opening my doors!
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      08-24-2013, 05:02 PM   #35
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Llumar CTX 30% (ceramic) No interference with comfort access
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      08-24-2013, 05:08 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OOO View Post
3M 20% all around. Pretty good and not expensive.
yes and your avatar is a slam dunk as well.
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      08-24-2013, 08:18 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gatorfast View Post
You are over thinking this. Its all the same stuff. Just go to a reputable place, pick the shade/% you want and call it a day.
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      09-13-2013, 08:13 PM   #38
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I agree go to STM and ask for Han he's the nicest guy and knows his stuff when it comes to tinting.
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      09-14-2013, 08:12 AM   #39
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Finally got the car tinted. Went with the most reputable shop and just went with the ceramic that they stock, which was PanaFlex. 70% on the windshield and 35% everywhere else.

It's a little light for my tastes but given my penchant for speeding, probably wise not to give the cop more reasons to cite me. It also has a very slight greenish tint to it that resembles the color of the native glass, just darker.

Only hiccup is the top left rear window over the dot matrix where it doesn't sit flush.
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