Window Tinting Quandary!

[Mcobinad]

I would be travelling to Monaco & St.tropez with the family this summer ending of June. I want to get my windows tinted because the south of France is usually hot during the summer period. My twin boys are 3 years of age so i want to make them comfortable during the course of our journey to France. Secondly, i have recently bought 2 IPads (II) for them to watch cartoons or films during the journey. I still want a little bit of privacy atleast to secure away the IPADs so that bandits don't break in to steal the entertainment system. Probably, the tinted windows will dissuade them from attempting.

Where the problem lies is settling for the right film for the tint. I want the same sort of film for the whole windows. I don't like cars with back and rear windows tinted and the driver and passenger windows are left out. I know quite well that the regulation of the country stipulates that 70% of light should go through the front windows. I saw a guy this morning for the job and he showed me two different films. One light @ 50% and the other smoke @ 65%. The 50% film looked quite identical to my windows. The guy said all newer cars come with a slight bit of tint basically i wouldn't see much of a difference if i settle for the 50%. The smoke film @ 65% was not bad because i could still see through the car and it's nice seeing that nice beige interior. But i don't want my car to look to blacked-out like a black funeral car.

I love the way my CLS looks without any film. The fact that i can see through the windows and admire my lovely interior is what is putting me off from getting it tinted. But at the same time am still realistic that France will be very hot in the summer and therefore we need atleast an extra UV for sun protection.

If i get it done, i want something very light. But the light film @ 50% is not making any significant difference from my normal windows. Here is a photo of my car and please can people point me towards the right film for black car with a beige interior? I want a homogenous film for the whole windows. Mercedes was quoting me £665.00 to get it done while a local guy in MK is quoting me £210. Is this price right? Would anyone here refer me to a real tint specialist?

Do you guys reckon i leave my car the way it is or proceed with the tint? Am really in a state of quandary.

 

[television]

If you have it done you will need a guarantee that it will not interfere with the radio and locking elements in the rear window

 

[Naraic]

As you say, the windows are already tinted, and adding film to the whole car means only a very light tint or you will be over the limit for the fronts.

I would get some temporary blinds to protect the boys from the direct sunlight...it's what we did...the cost is low and the blinds will be a better job than tints.

This type of thing:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_760101_langId_-1_categoryId_165490

Though I would prefer the ones in black.

 

[Mcobinad]

If you have it done you will need a guarantee that it will not interfere with the radio and locking elements in the rear window

Wow, this is now going to put me off. The guy i spoke to this morning regarding this job said that my rear parcel shelf is coming off to gain access to the rear window. I started scratching my head.

 

[Benz17]

Me personally would leave it as it is, not a fan of mercs with tinted Windows, especially the ones with only the rear Windows done. But this is your call, and it will stay with the car when you come back from your holidays, where its use will not be required.

I like those small modifications you made to your cls, there were subtle, and not over the top.

 

[Mcobinad]

As you say, the windows are already tinted, and adding film to the whole car means only a very light tint or you will be over the limit for the fronts.

I would get some temporary blinds to protect the boys from the direct sunlight...it's what we did...the cost is low and the blinds will be a better job than tints.

This type of thing:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_760101_langId_-1_categoryId_165490

Though I would prefer the ones in black.

Nice one Naraic despite the fact that you do bully me from time to time lol

 

[Remenham]

I wouldn't do it. In my experience having driven to the South of France with small children in the summer it is not necessary. If there is an issue with bright sun on the skin buy a couple of the pull down blinds to stick on the inside of the rear windows.

Your car looks very classy and to tint the windows you could ruin its looks for no real benefit.

 

[Naraic]

I wouldn't do it. In my experience having driven to the South of France with small children in the summer it is not necessary. If there is an issue with bright sun on the skin buy a couple of the pull down blinds to stick on the inside of the rear windows.

Your car looks very classy and to tint the windows you could ruin its looks for no real benefit.

What I said.

 

[Developer]

Nice one Naraic despite the fact that you do bully me from time to time lol

You're waaaaay to cool to be bullied Mcbd.

 

[daveyjp]

Be prepared for three year olds pulling stick on blinds off the windows. UV doesn't penetrate glass so no chance of sunburn.

 

[Mcobinad]

Be prepared for three year olds pulling stick on blinds off the windows. UV doesn't penetrate glass so no chance of sunburn.

Lol that's funny. Anyway, watching Tom & Jerry and Dora the explorer on the IPADs will occupy them and prevent them wrecking my windows.

 

[Cardinal Biggles]

1) tinting your lovely CLS is a NONO!

2) I got some self-stick roller blinds for the side windows, a bit like the £14.99 ones on the halfords site, but mine were black, not white, and which would match your car a treat.

3) Im sure you can find full width rear blinds too.

4) Tinted windows = thief magnet!!!

 

[Alps]

Pentagon are the only people ive ever used and been good both times each time a different outlet.

http://www.pentagonglasstech.com/contact/uk.asp

 

[Wheeler3108]

Be prepared for three year olds pulling stick on blinds off the windows. UV doesn't penetrate glass so no chance of sunburn.

Sorry but that's incorrect. You will get burned through the windows but you can't get a tan.

 

[whitenemesis]

Not sure there would be sufficient levels of IR the physically burn you but certainly enough to cause discomfort.

 

[cleverdicky]

Why dont you get a low tint but one that has a hint of reflective chrome.
It doesn't need to filter much light, but if it reflects only a little it will be harder to see in.
I had this done with a mini bus I once had. It looks really cool and you hardly notice it from the inside.

 

[roofless]

from experience I would recommend buying a few spare sets of headphones for the kids & a spare charging cable.

 

[Mcobinad]

from experience I would recommend buying a few spare sets of headphones for the kids & a spare charging cable.

Am getting Nextbase car mount for the IPADs. They come with a wireless bluetooth headphones. I guess kids below 5 years of age would not support having headphones on them for more than an hour. They easily get bored. Here is the IPAD car mount that am buying for the car. The IPAD mount comes with a rechargeable cable. It charges the IPAD automatically while the car is in motion.

 

[mikestrivens]

What a good idea and far more useful than a simple DVD player

 

[Mcobinad]

What a good idea and far more useful than a simple DVD player

Yes, i had the Alpine monitor screen on the headrest of my Audi A8. After 8 months of usage, the unit was no longer functional and the money spent to get it fitted to the headrest was futile. Trying to repair it means taking the unit off the headrest and leaving a hole with the naked cables. It's not esthetically pleasing. I decided to take a different approach for the CLS. IPAD has versatile functions compared to DVD players that just play only movies or audios on the headrests.

The good thing about the IPAD mount is that you can take them off when leaving the vehicle thereby securing the IPAD unit.