After market car window tinting?

Why would anybody tint the windows in a Miata?!?!

Because they live in Florida...

-cliff- ('90 with tinted windows)

I guess during the summer it is often too hot to have the top down.

A couple years ago (it was August, IIRC) I spent an hour or so at one of car rental places at the Miami airport. I saw quite a few Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder's leaving the lot top-down full of grinning tourists. They must have made it about 5 blocks before giving up. Every time I saw one again after that, it had the top and windows up.

The good side is that it can work if done right, the bad side is that it IS a plastic film on the windows and no matter how caring you might be some idiot at some point will smack the passenger side seat belt end into the window, chipping the film.

Good luck, Chris

The stick on films almost always look amateur. My brother got baked on tinting and it looked like the windows were made that way. I'd guess that many paint shops do it.

-John

I see

Thanks for the heads up.

Dumb question but all tinted film is on the inside of the windows, correct?

Always on the inside, except the sight glass on your A/C compressor.

Did anyone notice that me6 is talking about a Protege? Seems to me that window tinting would be more applicable to a sedan, since they have far more glass to tint than a Miata.

D>I have a 2000 Mazda Protege ES.

Just out of curiocty, what color(s) are Miata windows tinted. Dark smoke gray is one, but are there other colors that would look good.

I'm thinking of an amber to match the tan top or a blue to offset the white color of the body.

I just saw a NB with heavy window tint. Naturally, I'm in south Florida. There can be a problem on the NBs -- It seems that there is some sort of pad on the inside of the door that rubs against the glass. This would scratch the film. Other than that, and the possibility of the film reacting with the top rubber door seals, It looks like the film would work,

I've had tinted windows on ALL of my cars since 1979......Maybe because I'm in the glass business I had a jump on everyone else. I live in Fla and cannot live w/o it. Here in Fla they are on every other corner (tinting places) Just find someone that can show you a car that they have tinted, look for a nice clean look w/o ANY small bubbles, nice clean cut edges and also a lifetime warranty on film/tint.....3M and Lumar are the best brands of tint/film.

Also gray is usually the color of choice. And there are different shades....5% is the darkest and also illegal in most states and then it goes to 15% (which is what I have) 20%, 35%, 50%.....The lower the number the darker the tint. Also remember the darker the tint is the harder it is to see out at night.

AND, in some states it is illegal to have your driver/passenger windows tinted, period. (Cali)