Date:         Wed, 16 Jun 1999 08:32:44 -0700
Reply-To:     Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tinting Westy Sliding Windows
Comments: To: Steve Macaulay <smacaulay@INFINTIUM.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I ran into a similar problem when I took my van to a professional tinter. I
ended up removing the rear cabinet so that the tinter could get to the left rear
side-window. (Boy that was a job because you have to take out virtually every
cabinet to remove the read side cabinet)  While I had everything out I cut
larger holes in the rear speaker portion of the cabinet and fitted 5 1/4
speakers in the rear.

My tinter did not tint past the vertical felt strip on the side windows, so
there is a small untinted strip - but you do not usually notice it.

BTW, I got the limo tint with the metallic coating and it is really nice -
though I hear that metalic-based tints can block radar detectors. Not a problem
for me since I do not own one.

Todd
'88 Westy

Steve Macaulay wrote:

> Yesterday I took my van to a professional window-tinting shop.  This shop
> has a great reputation and the owner is supposedly the 1998 East coast tint
> champion and has been voted the best tinter in Virginia for the last 5 years
> (I don't know who gives out these awards).  After looking at my westy and
> the sliding windows, he turned down the job.  This guy was such a
> perfectionist, and he said the only way he would do the job is if the side
> window and the back window besides the closet was removed.  Otherwise, he
> couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't peel off since he couldn't tint past the
> vertial felt strip on the side windows.  Even when I told him to do the best
> that he could without having to take the windows off, he said he had a
> reputation to protect and he wouldn't do it unless he could do it perfect.
> The closet window was simply to restricted for him to get to in the way that
> he needed to "do it right".
>
> The guy was definitely good, and his work is flawless.  However, he is too
> much of a perfectionist.  Time to find a new tinter.  I don't really want to
> pay for the windows to be removed just to please this guy, when I can live
> with the little imperfections that he was concerned about.
>
> Steve
>
> 89 Westy