tinted windshield

[tbair]

Does anyone remember the tinted windshields that were kind of copper or bronze? It was the whole windshield on some late model cadillacs or lincolns.I don't remember. how did they get there color? can this be done to any glass? Im sure it was not a film from the factory unless it was between the glass. any help would be great.Thanks Tim

[TPI Monte SS]

Yep! It was called Sungate. My old '96 Impala SS had that windshield. They used them to cut down on the glare from the dashboard big enough to have a picnic on. I believe the film is between the layers of glass, not an add-on. You could check with a glass shop in your area to see if that style windshield is available for your car though.

[Jim Nilsen]

Hello Tbair, While I was at SEMA I talked to a glass supplier about tinted windsheilds and the cost to make a special run for a car make.
The newer Lexus models and several other cars have gray tinted winsheilds from the factory which are DOT legal. This is a special process they have come up with and it seems to work so far.

The cost of getting a windsheild for my 67 Camaro could be around $250 to $350 minimum and as high as $500 to $1,000 depending on how many were successfully made in a special run of them. To get 25 guaranteed good windsheilds they need to make about 45 to 50 of them because they tend not to be good at the beginning of the run and at the end of the run,so they can sometimes get lucky and get more of them that are good which helps out the cost when you have more of them to sell. Making more in the run would bring the cost down for sure.

The big thing is to get enough people together to want one of them and have the money secured to pay for the production run. The cost of the prodution run was around $20,000 at a rough gestimate.Having a profit margin for someone in the process is also a problem.

The good thing is that it is the same windsheild for 67-9 Camaro's and that there are a lot of people out there that might want one? Wanting one and paying for one up front is the big key to the whole endeavor. I personally would pay $300 up front for one without hesitation if I knew I was going to recieve one . $500 is not quite in my ballpark but I might consider it if one was right in front of me and it looked perfect.

I talked to Frank at SEMA about maybe getting a group purchase together. It is something the will take more research and needs to be discussed before it will ever happen.

So if you are really interested in a tinted windheild and have a 67-9 Camaro maybe we could all be in luck and if enough people got together the cost could be in the lower range to get one. If several hundred people would want one it could get them down to a nice price it would seem.

I know that Tbair is talking about a 62 Impala and it will be more difficult to get enough people together for that model of car,might not be impossible? but once we get the process started and some interest in them maybe someone would be interested in doing more cars.

Now that this is now a subject of interest ,lets see if we can respond. I know that it would be really nice to have a windsheild that went along with the smoked gray side and rear glass that I have now.

Jim Nilsen

[Travis B]

The windshield on my daily driver truck is tinted....35% it is nice during the day...It's also illegal in most states unless you have a doctors note...which I do!

[smittys69]

I just had the windshield tinted (I believe ~ 30%). Why pay for some special production run when you can just have the film applied?

[Steve1968LS2]

I just had the windshield tinted (I believe ~ 30%). Why pay for some special production run when you can just have the film applied?

Safety?

Putting a film on your windshield defeats the safety glass aspect. All sorts of nasty things can happen if you have a bad accident.

[Jagarang]

I just had the windshield tinted (I believe ~ 30%). Why pay for some special production run when you can just have the film applied?

"What we're dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law!" as he might say!!

[Travis B]

Safety?

Putting a film on your windshield defeats the safety glass aspect. All sorts of nasty things can happen if you have a bad accident.

How would it defeat the safty of the windshield other than the reduced visabilty???

[tbair]

Thanks for the replys, I don't think I could find anyone thats looking for a tinted windshield for the 62 but if this helps out someone else thats great too.

[smittys69]

Safety?

Putting a film on your windshield defeats the safety glass aspect. All sorts of nasty things can happen if you have a bad accident.

How would the safety aspect of the windshield be affected by the addition of window tint? If anything, I would think it would help hold the little stuff together even better. Enlighten me - maybe I made a bad decision and I would like to know. Thanks

[Jim Nilsen]

In Illinois where I live you would be breaking several laws with the film on your window. If the glass is altered and not DOT approved you are in trouble. The tint alone at 30% would be illegal also. You don't want to mess with the state police on this issue or any other police in Illinios. Tickets can be issued and usually warning tickets are given at first (just ask my nephew) if you don;t comply the fines keep going up and if you persist they will impound your car. Do you get the idea YET?

The film on a winsheild placed on the inside will alter the effects of how the saftey glass is made to function in an accident when you go throught it. I am not certain it help or hurt the ability for it to do what was intended but the DOT doesn't think so.

The fact that there are more than one state that feels this way and many would rather comply with the law it is reasonable to believe that at least 100 or so people might consider it?

I can recall when the antenna were in the windsheids of some cars years ago that the cost of some of them was over $500 dollars or more and people paid for them screaming about it but they paid to be legal.

So if you might be interested ,speak up and we will see where this goes.

If you live in a state where you can do other things like window film you should feel lucky but you luck might not hold out forever and they might change your law someday and then where will you be?



Jim Nilsen

[Steve1968LS2]

How would it defeat the safty of the windshield other than the reduced visabilty???

Windshield or "safety glass" is desiged to turn into tiny bits of reletively unsharp glass when struck. It's made to "break away" when something like you head impacts it.

The film bonds the glass together and keeps the glass from "doing its thing". Now when you head hits the glass it just bows out and more force is applied to your cranium. I have also heard of a case where someones head went through the glass but the glass didn't break away. Instead the head went through (picture a tear in the windshield) and then when the body tried to come back to the seat the persons head was stuck on the outside. I guess the result nearly decapitated the body.

Anyways, That's what I heard.. :shrug:

[Damn True]

I have also heard of a case where someones head went through the glass but the glass didn't break away. Instead the head went through (picture a tear in the windshield) and then when the body tried to come back to the seat the persons head was stuck on the outside. I guess the result nearly decapitated the body.

Anyone got the email address for Mythbusters? That would be cool to see if it were just their crash test dummy.

[Travis B]

Windshield or "safety glass" is desiged to turn into tiny bits of reletively unsharp glass when struck. It's made to "break away" when something like you head impacts it.

The film bonds the glass together and keeps the glass from "doing its thing". Now when you head hits the glass it just bows out and more force is applied to your cranium. I have also heard of a case where someones head went through the glass but the glass didn't break away. Instead the head went through (picture a tear in the windshield) and then when the body tried to come back to the seat the persons head was stuck on the outside. I guess the result nearly decapitated the body.

Anyways, That's what I heard.. :shrug:

windshields are laminated so they don't explode....side glasses are designed to shatter and break aprat but windshields are not they will shatter but will not break apart..this is to try and keeo you from getting ejected from the vehicle. Ever hit a windshield with a bat? You have to hit it a bunch of times to get the lamination to tear. The only saftey factor I see with tint on the windshield is visability...I could be wrong though

[toxicz28]

Windshield or "safety glass" is desiged to turn into tiny bits of reletively unsharp glass when struck. It's made to "break away" when something like you head impacts it.

Uhh Steve, I belive you are talking about tempered glass, used in doors, quarters and rear windshields. The glass is substantially stronger, but it is designed to break and fall away. Winshields are laminated, two layers of glass with a layer of plastic in between, meaning that they are designed to stay together when they break. Also, if you head goes through it due to an impact, and your body stays inside, when your body gets thrown back into the seat there is a very good chance of your head remaining on your hood. Putting tint on a windshield would probably increase the force of an impact. I don't recommend it, due to visibility issues, but it was never said if the 30% was light reflectiveness (would be pretty light, practically legal), or light transmittance (pretty dark, deffinitely illegal).

[bretcopsey]

While were on the subject...


My 51 Chevy truck project will need all new glass. Since it is all flat, I can get everything with a gray tint in the laminate. This could include the windshield. The thing I am concerned about is legality. Where do you find what is allowed/not allowed in not only your own state, but also in states you may travel to?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WINDS...temZ4515200932

By the picture, this glass looks to be too dark for a windshield and I would only consider after seeing it in person first.

[Travis B]

Uhh Steve, I belive you are talking about tempered glass, used in doors, quarters and rear windshields. The glass is substantially stronger, but it is designed to break and fall away. Winshields are laminated, two layers of glass with a layer of plastic in between, meaning that they are designed to stay together when they break. Also, if you head goes through it due to an impact, and your body stays inside, when your body gets thrown back into the seat there is a very good chance of your head remaining on your hood. Putting tint on a windshield would probably increase the force of an impact. I don't recommend it, due to visibility issues, but it was never said if the 30% was light reflectiveness (would be pretty light, practically legal), or light transmittance (pretty dark, deffinitely illegal).

the 30% is pretty light...20% comes on factory vehicles on every window except the windshield and drivers and passengers doors. Here is a pic of my truck it has 5% on the back glass 20% on the sides and 45% on the windshield.

If you look close you can see the steering wheel and my hat on the dash

[Steve1968LS2]

Uhh Steve, I belive you are talking about tempered glass, used in doors, quarters and rear windshields. The glass is substantially stronger, but it is designed to break and fall away. Winshields are laminated, two layers of glass with a layer of plastic in between, meaning that they are designed to stay together when they break. Also, if you head goes through it due to an impact, and your body stays inside, when your body gets thrown back into the seat there is a very good chance of your head remaining on your hood. Putting tint on a windshield would probably increase the force of an impact. I don't recommend it, due to visibility issues, but it was never said if the 30% was light reflectiveness (would be pretty light, practically legal), or light transmittance (pretty dark, deffinitely illegal).

It is true.. I could be confusing the two.. I don't break a lot of glass.. lol

[ProTouring442]

Uhh Steve, I belive you are talking about tempered glass, used in doors, quarters and rear windshields. The glass is substantially stronger, but it is designed to break and fall away. Winshields are laminated, two layers of glass with a layer of plastic in between, meaning that they are designed to stay together when they break. Also, if you head goes through it due to an impact, and your body stays inside, when your body gets thrown back into the seat there is a very good chance of your head remaining on your hood. Putting tint on a windshield would probably increase the force of an impact. I don't recommend it, due to visibility issues, but it was never said if the 30% was light reflectiveness (would be pretty light, practically legal), or light transmittance (pretty dark, deffinitely illegal).

On the other hand, Cadillac (and some others) have made optional "safer" windshield through the years that have an extra layer of laminate on the inside to protect your face from the shards of glass. Apparently, it's not the impact that tend to damage the occupant, but the glass shards that priject from a shattered windshield. These windshields were very expensive, and had warnings on them because they were easy to scratch on the inside.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill