Factory tinted window scratch repair windows#

The price difference was about $100 with the latter being more budget-minded. I also had the choice between 3M Color Stable versus another tint they offered, called Johnson Renegade.

Factory tinted window scratch repair windows#

I heeded his advice and decided to go with 35% on the front windows and 50% on all rear windows. The person I spoke to recommended that I did not do 50% on the front windows as it would be barely noticeable. When I dropped off the car, I spoke with them about types of window tint and about the VLT that would be best for me. They are a busy shop, and for good reason. Shopping around, I found that Best Image in San Mateo, CA had better pricing, more available appointment times, and excellent reviews. So I went into the tint shop with 50% all around in mind… Best Image – Window Tinting I think it looks terrible when cars get limo tint on the rear windows.

For the rears, I believed it would be best to get a 50% as I did not want the rears to be “blacked out” like limos have. I went into the tint shop with 50% in my mind to be safe. I certainly didn’t want the front windows to be too dark to where I would get stopped by the police, but I also didn’t want such a slight tint that it does not produce the effect of heat reduction (UV projection didn’t matter as it does not change with tint level). My desired tint came down to two decisions: This was hard to pinpoint as to what layered tints would look like, and so I would have to go with what I thought would look and work best. Tinting the rear windows over the factory tint would amount to a slightly darker tint to varying degrees. You can tell that the front windows are slightly darker than the rears, which confirms the fact that the rear windows are factory colored/tinted at approximately 20-30%. A good reference photo is the second photo above which shows a 4Runner owner who tinted only the front windows at 20%. This difference in tint is very apparent from the factory (first picture above). Specifically with the front windows looking like they have much less tint than the rear windows, therefore I wanted to make sure the front windows were tinted enough to avoid this effect. I don’t like the look of the front windows contrasting so much with the rear windows. Here are some good references that I found on the T4R forums:Įxample: 20 Percent Tint on Front Windows Only Searching on the 4th Gen T4R forums, you can find examples of various tints so you can decide accordingly to your own liking. The factory rear and tailgate windows have an approximate 20-30% factory tint. You’re not just simply throwing the same percentage window tint on for a consistent color/tint. Because of this, it makes it a little more complicated to figure out what window tint to go with. The 4th Gen Toyota 4Runner has a factory “tint” (actually colored glass) in the rear windows and the tailgate window. What is the Factory Tint on a 4th Gen Toyota 4Runner? Rear/Tailgate Window – Any VLT% allowed.Rear Windows – Any VLT% (visible light transmission) allowed.Front Windows – Must allow more than 70% of light in.Windshield – no tint allowed except for tint strip on top 4″ of windshield.California Tint LawĪt the time of getting my tint, California Tint Law indicates that the following tints are allowed: Because of these main reasons, I finally went forth with having my 4th Gen 4Runner windows tinted. I also wanted to reduce the amount of heat that entered the vehicles through the windows.

Because I’ve been spending a lot more time on the road, I wanted to make sure my family and I were safe from the effects of UV rays that come from the sun. Learn MoreĪlthough getting your windows tinted can make the appearance of a car much nicer, I got it mainly because of functional reasons. I am not responsible for any action you take as a result of reading this. Also, these posts are based off my own experiences. When you make purchases through links on this site, The Track Ahead may earn an affiliate commission.