If it were me I'd make the fronts 20% (lets 80% of the light in). Talk to people at parts supply and custom shops. Find someone with a track record. Ask about other jobs they've done and see if you can contact the customers.
Look for MATERIALS and WORKMANSHIP guarantees for 4 years or more. Don't scrimp. Look for quality. You may pay a little more but it's worth it.
Oh, just noticed your location ... I've had 4 cars done by Camelia City Window Tinting in Sacramento over 15 years. The oldest job is still perfect. Good luck!
Three things:
1. Refferences- Talk to people. If some one has had a good experience with a certain shop, they will be glad to tell you about it. And vis versa.
2. Stability- Go to a shop that's been around a while. Stay away from the guys working out of the back of a van. (generally speaking that is)
Most of the shops will take a piece and show you color on vehicle also. George60 is close 20% only lets 20% of the visible light through (blocks 80%) This and the next steps (15% and 5%) are what they consider "limo tint" and are hard to see into (and out of at night) Stick with 35% for the fronts (normal factory tint on the front windows is about 70%) The dark rear pieces are normally in the 20% range. There is also choices on "colors" grey, charcoal, bronze and others. There is also a difference in heat and UV performance you can get a "metalized" film as compared to the normal "dyed" film. The metalized is not silver (but is available also) it is actually metal particles sealed between plastic layers. The dyed film is injected with color but many have a purplish color when viewed from inside to outside (look black from outside normally) The dyed 5% is GREAT for a 6-8" strip on the windshield where factory strip is. I rarely have to use sunvisors as this blocks sun real nice and hides radar detector without blocking radar waves (like metalized)
Definitely use recommendations and check cars they have done. Many shops by me leave 1/2" gap on top edge for fear of "peeling", corners and points are also rounded for same reason, looks like junk up close. I found a shop that charges a little more but all they do is window tint (cars on weekends, residential and commercial buildings weekdays. NO gaps on edges, corners or anywhere else. Myself and friends 50+ cars over 15 years, none ever peeled.
Originally posted by sequoiasoon Many shops by me leave 1/2" gap on top edge for fear of "peeling", corners and points are also rounded for same reason, looks like junk up close. I found a shop that charges a little more but all they do is window tint (cars on weekends, residential and commercial buildings weekdays. NO gaps on edges, corners or anywhere else. Myself and friends 50+ cars over 15 years, none ever peeled.
well put! exactly what i was gonna say. check the cars that they have done. stay away from the places that leave a gap on around the edges. IMO it looks tacky when the window is open. if they do it right they should be able to tint the 99.9% of the visible window w/out fear of peeling. good luck!
Chris
__________________ 2001 Sequoia 2WD SR5 Mods: Rollers - 18x9 JAOS Super Ziga wrapped w/ 285/65 BFG A/Ts, Suspension: SAW 2.0 Adj. Coilovers, UCAs, Rear Coilspacers I.C.E. - Clarion H/U w/ built in monitor, DVD Player, Drop Down, Headrest Monitors, Exterior: - Stock OEM Foglights, Wings West Spoiler, Engine:TRD Drop-In Filter
Factory tint isn't 70%, but rather 97% or so on the fronts.
I don't think you can obtain a vehicle straight from the factory with anything darker than what they say is tinted (97%). They can say tinted because it does block some, but not even enough to notice.
To get about half as dark as the rears, do around 35%. It will appear to be lighter due to all the light the windshield allows inside.
Even if you got it to match the factory's tint on the rears (17%) the fronts will still look lighter due to the windshield.
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1996 T100, 180,000 and counting
I tinted windows in SoCal for almost 5 years back high school and early college. These are just some of the things you should look for.
-Definitely go with referrals from happy customers.
-Ask how long they've been in business then ask how long they warranty their products and work. If they haven't been in business as long as they warranty their tint/work, keep shopping. Tint shops come and go.
-Go to tint shops that actually have and enclosed shop/building that cars drive into to get tinted. There are a lot of tint shops that work in conjunction with stereo or detail shops that have an outdoor carport or something on the side. The chance of getting dirt in the film is greater because of the wind possibly blowing something on it.
-Look at cars that they just tinted and inspect the window from the inside with a good light source on the other side. Inspect the edges of the tint job. This is where dirt will accumulate if they’re not careful in applying the tint.
-All good tint shops get the film to about a hair width from the top edge of the window. You shouldn’t see any gaps on the sides or bottom either.
-I haven’t checked if the Tundra does this, but on some cars the windows don’t go straight up and down and kind of teeter off to the side when going down. If this applies to your car, ask if they will extend the tint far enough inside the window that gaps don’t appear with the full up and down motion.
This doesn’t apply to the Tundra, but on sedans ask how many pieces will it take to tint the rear window. If they don’t overlap the pieces just right on the defroster lines, gaps will develop due to the film shrinking a little bit. All film will do this to some degree. The more pieces they use results in possibly more gaps near the defroster lines. Shops that have good tinters can usually do rear windows in 1 or 2 pieces for about 95% of the cars.
Hope this helps.
__________________ 2001 Limited Tundra 2WD Ivan Stewart Mods: TRD dual exhaust, TRD headers, Donahoe Racing coilovers, Bilstein 5100 rear shocks, Total Chaos Uniball upper A-arms, Hellwig swaybar, BFG A/T 285's, Line-X, TRD air filter, Jet Accu Speed calibrator, PPD billet TB and fuse cover, Sylvania Silverstar head/fog lights, clear corners,
All good points aguevarra but I wouldn't have them tint my car if they can't do the rear in 1 piece. Experienced tint shops can do 99% of rear windows in 1 piece, if they can't, they haven't been around long enough.
The more pieces you have on the rear window, the better chance they might cut through one of the defogger lines.
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1996 T100, 180,000 and counting
Peid,
Yeah, one piece is definitely the way to go for the rear window. When I left the business about 12-13 years ago, the technique for one piece installation was just coming into effect. I agree, if an installer can't do a rear window for most cars in one piece, they haven't been around long enough.
__________________ 2001 Limited Tundra 2WD Ivan Stewart Mods: TRD dual exhaust, TRD headers, Donahoe Racing coilovers, Bilstein 5100 rear shocks, Total Chaos Uniball upper A-arms, Hellwig swaybar, BFG A/T 285's, Line-X, TRD air filter, Jet Accu Speed calibrator, PPD billet TB and fuse cover, Sylvania Silverstar head/fog lights, clear corners,
Some shops have a machine (I forgot what its called) but you enter the kind of vehicle it is, and it precuts the tint for every window on your vehicle. Most shops that have these will normally specialize in tinting windows only tho.
What to look for in a tint shop...
I wish I had. 
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