Winsheild Replacement/Window Tinting

[Pagal4321]

Hey guys,
Now that I'm making money over the summer, figure it's time to follow through on some work that I want to get done to my car.
I need to get my front winsheild completely replaced and was just wondering if there were any companies that CPers had a good experience with. Becuase when you open up the phone book for this kinda thing there are about 100 companies to choose from.
And secondly, where is a good place to get my windows tinted? I am looking to do my back winshield plus the back windows (both sides) and maybe partially tinting the driver side and passenger side windows.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks guy.

[photon]

I can't recall the name of the place we had ours done at, it was near Chinook mall. Was a good job though. (Window tinting that is)

Be aware that any tint on the front windows is illegal in Alberta, so if you get pulled over don't be suprised if they make you remove it.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by photon

Be aware that any tint on the front windows is illegal in Alberta, so if you get pulled over don't be suprised if they make you remove it.

I know that people often complain about not being able to tint their front windows but they need to realize what kind of potential risk to police officer saftey they could pose. I would imagine that doing a traffic stop on a car with tinted front windows would be really freaky if you couldn't see the occupants or driver of the vehicle. They could potentially have a gun trained on the officer and just wait until he was nice and close then BLAM!

BTW, not implying that Photon is in favour of tinted windows or anything else like that. His post just sparked something in me.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Reaper

I know that people often complain about not being able to tint their front windows but they need to realize what kind of potential risk to police officer saftey they could pose.

I've made the same arguement to friends before. They mention they need to find a place that will tint their front windows for them. I ask if their previos car had them, they say yes. I then remind them of how they wrote the car off by hitting somebody who "came out of nowhere" on a dark night.

There's a reason they aren't legal; they aren't safe.

[Burninator]

My understanding why tinting your front windows is illegal is because your front windows are safety glass. The kind of glass that breaks into a whole bunch of tiny pieces so you don't get slashed by any big pieces. But since tint is a film applied over the window, the safety glass sticks together into one big piece of glass.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Burninator

My understanding why tinting your front windows is illegal is because your front windows are safety glass. The kind of glass that breaks into a whole bunch of tiny pieces so you don't get slashed by any big pieces. But since tint is a film applied over the window, the safety glass sticks together into one big piece of glass.

That sounds a bit flawed to me as the windshield is laminated glass designed not to come apart in the event of breakage. The remainder of the windows in your car are designed to cube when broken - including your rear passenger windows. If it was a public safety issue then passengers would need to be protected as well.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Reaper

That sounds a bit flawed to me as the windshield is laminated glass designed not to come apart in the event of breakage. The remainder of the windows in your car are designed to cube when broken - including your rear passenger windows. If it was a public safety issue then passengers would need to be protected as well.

Thats what an officer told my friend who got pulled over for his tint.
There is no way that the tint used on your windows and the laminate in your windshield are even comparable. The laminate in your windshield is in the middle of two panes of glass and designed for strength. While a tint is film applied to the outside of your side windows.
Also I find it hard to believe that they don't allow tint because people are aiming guns at them from the other side. Such a narrow reason for not allowing it.

[Buff]

Not only will the cop make you remove the tint, he/she will also give you a ticket. My sister-in-law bought a truck brand new from a dealership and the windows had tinting on it. I actually didn't notice the tinting, it was so light. About a month after she had the truck she was pulled over, told to remove it and got a ticket because of the tinting.

She had the tinting removed, had to pay for the fine, and complained to the dealership, but they wouldn't do anything for her.

[Pagal4321]

Hmmm, interesting, I knew full tinting was illegal, didn't know theentire front side was off limits.

WELL THEN...just looking for a place to tint my rear windows.

[Burninator]

I got some tinting down at Tint Master on 17th. Did a good job, and fast too, over lunch time, lifetime warranty aswell. Also did some tinting at this place in the south near fish creek train station, can't recall the name. They did a good job, but I'm never going there again, took way longer than they said it would (3 hours longer) and costed more than they said it would. Terrible.

[Fobby]

Trimline, ziebart, and shadow tinting are the places i would recommend for tinting.

Windshield replacement, windshield surgeons gets my vote.

[Draug]

5 years ago I had an IROC with all side windows tinted. I had owned it for the previous 6 years, and was issued 3 tickets for window tint over that time. They were only $50 back then.

Only the last time, in year 6, did they make me take it off. The cop handed me a razor, and told me to remove the tint immediately, on the side of the highway, or he would tow my car. This particular RCMP officer had moved up to Red Deer, from Didsbury, and was often referred to as the 'Tint Nazi'. Needless to say, I wasnt suprised when he had me remove the tint.

Anyway, shortly after that, someone told me that front windows could be 'smoked' instead of tinted. I was told that 'Smoked' windows were actually made from glass that possesed a darkened color. It was his belief that many new cars came with side windows that contained smoked glass, and that they were legal. He also said he knew of a place that removed your window, and smoked it. Because the tint was part of the glass and not an adhesive on the glass, it was legal. He never did get back to me on the name of the place that could do it.

Do 'smoked' glass windows exist? If so, are they really legal? And, if they exist, can you get it done by an aftermarket company, or buy aftermarket 'smoked' windows?

It might be just an old wives tail, who knows....

[photon]

shadow tinting

That's the name of the place we used.. yeah we were happy with them.

Yeah I've seen some factory windows that have a bit of silver or tint to them, and they must be legal. Good question.

[jolinar of malkshor]

ALBERTA REGULATION 322/2002
Traffic Safety Act
VEHICLE EQUIPMENT REGULATION


Window glazing
69(1) A person shall not install, replace or cover the window glazing in a windshield or in a left or right side window of a motor vehicle that is beside or forward of the driver with a transparent, translucent or opaque material.
(2) A person shall not install, replace or cover the rear window glazing in a motor vehicle with a transparent, translucent or opaque material unless the motor vehicle has outside rear view mirrors on both the left and right that comply with section 72(2).
(3) A person shall not install, replace or cover the window glazing in a motor vehicle with a material that reflects the headlamps of approaching vehicles into the eyes of the driver of another vehicle.
(4) A person shall not install, replace or cover the window glazing in a motor vehicle with a material that reflects sunlight into the eyes of the driver of another vehicle.
(5) A person may replace the window glazing installed by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle with the same type of glazing.
(6) A person may apply clear untinted frost shields to a window of a motor vehicle only if they do not impair the view through the window by discolouring, scratching or damaging the glazing.
(7) A person may apply stickers to the window of a motor vehicle only if they do not limit the driver’s field of vision or otherwise impair the safe operation of the motor vehicle.

[Draug]

Judging by those descriptions, it seems like it might be legal to replace the entire window with one that is made of darker glass.

You wouldnt be installing any glazing or adhesive materials.

[Eddie Bronze]

Originally Posted by Reaper

BTW, not implying that Photon is in favour of tinted windows or anything else like that. His post just sparked something in me.

Haha. Photon, the gangster cop killer!

[photon]

word.