After doing a few trips with my new windshield, which came without the tint at the top of it, I needed to install something to deal with the heat and sun while driving. I decided to go with a reflective film used for houses because it will be easily removed if I end up not liking it. I got the tint from Home depot for around $30 for way more than I needed. You can get in on Amazon to here: Gila Reflective Privacy Window Tint.
Tools Needed for the Job:
-Window Tint (at least 12" by 66")
-Squeegee
-Tint Solution (Spray bottle, water, and baby shampoo (3-4 drops))
-Razor Blade
-Paper Towels and Towels
-Tracing paper or similar
-Heat Gun (heat gun I have, works great for heat shrink also with the attachment)
They also make kits like this one that have almost everything in it.
First thing I did was make the template. I used packing paper I had, but wax paper would work way better. I taped the paper up and measured 6" down from the top all the way long the windshield.
The only edge that needs to be perfect is the bottom edge, the rest can be touched up later as there is overlap on the sides (leave overlap!).
Once the outline is drawn then cut it out and lay it on the protective side of the tint (the side that has the clear cover that is removed).
Tape it down then trace the outline in highlighter (it will wash off very easily). Once traced remove the paper and trim the tint following the highlighted lines. Again overlap the side, but make sure the bottom is a smooth even line.
Once trimmed, clean the window very well!!! Tint solution, razor blade, and squeegee. Then wet the outside of the windshield and place the tint on it, squeegeeing out the water.
The next step is to use the heat gun to remove fingers, which is hard to show in pictures so I will link you guys to the video I followed:
Once you follow his guidelines it should end up fitting well. I waited till mine was laid out inside the windshield before I cut out the mirror part. Due to me rushing the heat gun/finger part, mine did not fit the curve right. To correct that I just cut a gap in the middle. Doesn't look great, but looks better than a giant finger there. The rear-view mirror removed very easily by just sliding it up.
It looks decent and I may add a small strip to cover the gap under the mirror. However I think the gap actually really helps break up the uneven line across the bottom. It is very hard to get a perfect curve so the continuous line is noticeably off, but with the center gap it actually looks more in line... We will see how it appears with time.
Another thing that really important is wrapping your hard card in paper-towels and "bumping" it towards the outside of the tint to help remove all the moisture.
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