A topic that commonly appears among classic and muscle car forums are how to further improve on cooling interiors while cruising during the hot summer months. Beyond having a fully-functional factory air conditioning system, many users argue over whether to tint the windows on their ride. Now if you own a murdered out resto-mod, it can make sense to go with dark tinted windows to deflect the heat and UV rays, not to mention add to the cool look of the car. However, most automotive purists prefer not to put window tint on their vehicles as they feel it takes away from the factory look, seems out of place for the era, or assume it may devalue the car overall. But what if there was a solution that provided all the benefits of tinted windows, without the tint? Fortunately several companies have developed a great tint solution for your classic car.
The newest automotive window films are currently produced by 3M and LLumar. Their products consist of multi-layer clear film solutions that can block 99% of UV rays while providing a 50 percent reduction in solar heat. Once the tint is applied, it is nearly impossible to see as it still uses the same nano-ceramic construction in regular window tint, minus the window-darkening color. Another advantage to it's transparency is that it can be installed on the windshield, further enhancing the UV and heat protection for the entire interior of the car. A great solution to prevent dash fading and cracking after you just spent quite a bit of time and money to restore it!
So, do you think you would tint the windows on your classic now knowing these options? If you already have window tint, would you consider removing to try the clear tint option?