WINDOW TINT
Points to consider before you tint your windows.
1. All the side & rear windows on a defender are flat, that's good, no fiddly bends to mess on with.
2. Only the roof lights have a curve, I left these un-tinted (was too dark!), you wont notice.
3. It'll cost £200+ to get them tinted by a pro, It'll cost you £60 to buy the top quality tint and do it yourself.
4. A top quality tint will not fade, will keep the temperature stable in the summer and offer a degree of security.
5. Stay legal. The police can test the % of light cut by the tint on the road side.
6. At the time of writing I understand the law allows up to 30% tint on the front o/s & n/s windows and none on the screen.
7. The windows at the rear and rear sides can be tinted with anything.
8. Tinting flat windows is EASY if you follow simple rules.
I did this with the windows in place on the vehicle. I could honestly not justify removing them on the defender for tinting. I chose a 70% tint for the rears only, I left the front side windows clear as I like to be able to see! My initial motivation was because I wanted the car to be cooler when on long journeys, particularly as I always have two dogs in the back. You can get darker than 70%, but you look like a Columbian drugs baron on a mission....
The tint comes with a peel of backing, so make sure you get it the right way round!
1. Wash windows with soapy water, get them immaculate clean the gutters and rubbers also
2. get your piece of tint film, cut it so its 5mm too big. This is best done with a very sharp blade on the wet window. With the window being wet you can temporarily get it to stick so you can size it.
3. Spray window with water (use plant sprayer), place film the wrong way round on the window beside the one your working on, this will enable you to peel of the protective film from the tint. Peel it off carefully without touching the film. Immediately spray the tinted film with the plant sprayer and then turn the film over and "float" it in place.
4. When in place use a very flat piece of Perspex or a rubber scraper to squeeze the water out in between the tint and the glass. I starter in the centre at the top and worked outwards, then worked down the pane. Obviously what your trying to do here is get the water out and not leave any bubbles! You can see a bubble a mile off. The adhesive on the tint works with pressure, so if you don't press it on it doesn't stick.
5. When all pressed on any your happy with it, then trim with a very sharp craft knife. I used the small cheap snap off blade type. At the sides you can get far enough in to cover the glass easily, I tucked the bottom in under the rubbers when I was floating it on. At the top you need to cut it like the picture below.
6. Careful when cutting on the demister on the rear window. You will knack it! I did this below around the connections.
7. The sliding windows are a doddle. Its easier if you cut the tint off at where it meets the rubber seal. Otherwise you get a darker strip if you overlap two lots of tinted windows. It looks really obvious in the pictures, bit not that bad on the motor.
Finally, when done, you should leave three days for them to set. You can use the motor obviously, just don't open the windows.
Be aware that window tint can be scratched if you fill the Landy with thorn trees, wire mesh, etc. Also be aware that you will have less vision for reversing in the dark.
Good Luck, and don't rush it!!!!!