Some of you may remember my post a few weeks ago asking what % tint I should go with on my windows because I was planning on getting my windows tinted in a week or so. Well I finally got my windows tinted and the finalized product is good, but I still need to fix it, even though I payed a "Window Tinting Company" to do it.

First off, I got my tinting done at the Ft. Lauderdale Flea Market/Swap Shop. For those of you who have never been there, the Lauderdale Swap Shop has an entire section devoted just to window tinting, car audio, and other car related subjects. This "Garage Section" basically consists of 10 -11 tents with room to fit about 3 cars in each tent. The only reasons I chose to go to the Swap Shop instead of going with a professional is 1.) the price is only about 65 bucks, which is more than half of the quotes i got where i live and 2) all of my lacrosse buds got their window tinting done there and their tint came out well, however none of them have mustangs.

After my 1 hour drive home from Ft. Lauderdale, I noticed that all the windows looked great except for the front part of the rear window, about the first 4-5 inches from where the window starts from the top of the car. The tint clearly was not sticking there and looked bad. After trying to fix it on my own with a spray bottle of water and a little soap, and the plastic wedge the window tinter ironically forgot in my car, nothing was happening. My buddy and I even tried double stick tape to keep the edges to stay on the window,but nothing was happening. After some research on the Internet, I found these dreaded words I now hate:
DOT MATRIX. The dot matrix on a window are the tiny dots located on the rear window of Ford Mustangs near the top, the exact spot where my tint was not sticking.

Thankfully, through the work of google, I was able to find my solution, Magoops. Here's their website:
http://www.dotmatrixwindowtinting.com

This solution goes over the tiny dots and creates a new suface that the tint is able to stick on. I just ordered this product and hopefully in a couple of days when my Magoops stuff comes, my rear window tint will look a lot better.

The reason why I am telling you guys my story that happend today is for those of you who are either considering doing a tint job yourself or are considering getting your tinting done by a non-professional/certified company. If you plan on doing a tint job yourself, a solution like Magoops is a must so you won't have any dot matrix problems. If you are going to get your tint job done at a Swap Shop, or any other non professional place, make sure who ever is doing your tinting has a solution like Magoops. Only Mustangs, BMWs, some Hondas, and a few other cars have this Dot Matrix feature so there is a good chance a non-professional place may not have this solution.

Sorry for the long post, but I thought my experience would help alot of people so they wouldn't have to go through the annoyance i did.

Brandon.

 

Thanks for the info...mine came tinted from ford over the dot matrix (ford solar tint) but if I were to get new, lower % tint, this info will be very helpful...good post

 

Thanks for the info. Mine also has some kind of tint already over the dot matrix in the rear, but it is peeling and there are little bites around some of the edges. I want to take it off but I doubt it'll come easily and it put up quite a fight. Any suggestions (not to hijack the thread) on what to use to make my **** come off?

 

lol i coulda told you that dude...

the tint place i went to actually warned me that they wouldnt be able to stick that tint there...so they did some special glue...it doesnt look terrible but one day when i am board i will cut it off and put something else like my taillight tints are made out of

 

+1 I went to a professional guy and he told me he could try goin over the dot matrix but it wouldn't come out well at all... So he just did a strip right below it, also remember not to put your windows down....

 

You can also use a razor and scrape down those dots a bit. it will somewhat help with applying the tint and making it look better. this method was used on my dots.....my dots got buzz cuts..haha

 

+2 even with that solution, it won't fill completely in the holes, but good luck.
And also, you get what you pay for.

 

AMEN 140 for me with a lifetime warrenty on both tint fade, and install/bubbles... not bad...

 

Is there more than one Ford solar tint, I'm assuming? Because mine are Ford Solar's and you rip **** on them all the time...

 

UPDATE: After doing some more research, I found that instead of paying 17 bucks for the Magoops solution, or using a razor to shave off the dots, which can scratch your window, another more cheaper option to go with is to use the clear gel Elmers glue that dries clear. Apparently this works almost the same as the Magoops solution and surprisignly wont start to melt if exposed to the hot sun. May be something to try, but I already ordered my Magoops last night.

 

mine has tint all the way to the dots and then I think its called pressure tape over the dots. Its completely black where the dots were. Btw, Stoners Invisible Glass = best glass cleaner out there.

 

next time you need tint let me know... i got mine done professionally for $50 and i only live about 20 or 30 mins from you. i wouldnt buy anything from the ft lauderdale swap shop.

 

ok, after hearing all of your stories I have to clear things up. I got my tints done at a profesional place in Daytona Beach and they told me before hand about the dot matrix, but the thing you have all wrong is why it don't stick. It don't stick because the guy said its made of teflon and the tint won't stick to that 4 inches or so. So he suggested that I have him put 4 inches of black vinal strip across the back and it solved the problems solved. The teflon dots he said come on most new cars. I think it looks even better than if it was tinted because you prolly could still see the dots. I'll post pics tomarrow.

 

It's tomorrow.

 

KILL HIM. :foot:

 

geez sorry, I'm not just gonna skip school and work to put up pics lol

 

Thanks, looks good.

 

In those pics, it looks like u only have the vinyl strip on ur car and ur windows aren't tinted at all. What % do u have?

 

Probably 90%.

 

I have always had a thought... what is the point of the dot matrix, other than to make it a bitch to install tint? Would our cars really look horrible without it? lol

 

:stupid:

 

I could see why they put it there, but why are the dots raised so much as to inhibit tinting, couldnt they be flush like the window defrosters?

 

It looks really light because of my cameras auto focusing bs. But they acually are pretty dark but I might have a friend of mines brother put limo tint in since he has his own car and housing tint company.

Also the point of the dot matrix is its kinda like a stock tint thingy. Well on mine which is an 04, on the front windshield it has the little pony in the middle top in the dot matrix and look how its rounded on the sides. Thats where the sunvisers come down and mesh with the dot matrix. My friends brother showed me that there is a point where the windshield is pretty useless too. Look on all of your cars and on the driver side top corner of the windshield you'll see about 4inches down "a1<arrow down>s" and from this point up dont matter. On his car he put limo tint from this point up on his car and I love it. I pretty much make the sunvisers useless and it looks good. It's kinda like built in sunvisers.

 

Im sure it is nice, but it also is illegal. Your not supposed to cover up the A1 part. Then again, i doubt cops would ever notice it.

My friend got limo tint on his tahoe and he actually did get pulled over and had to pay like a 120 dollar fine or some bs like that.

For all you Florida stang owners, I talked to this guy who owns a tint shop and he said that in a few weeks, cops are gonna start this whole crack down on tints that are made of an illegal film, or are too dark according to florida law, which i believe is 15% on the sides and 25% in the front or something like that. Apparently they are gonna be pulling people over with tinted windows and will be checking the tint with that tint-light measurement device and giving hefty fines. As if cops weren't annoying before.....

Not to be too negative which i really dont mean to be, but the guy also said if you are in a car accident and your tint on your windows is too dark according to your state law, your insurance won't cover you in that accident if the cop sees your windows are tinted too much.

Other than that, its all good!!!!!!!

 

All of you live in Florida, I'm in Miami right now and would like to get my windows tinted. Where's the best place to do it? I really want the entire back window tinted, especially over the "dot Matrix".

 

I would PM Floppy cause he said in page 1 he got his windows done professionally for 50 bucks and he lives in the Royal Palm Beach area. Thats the cheapest I have heard of. I got mine done for 65 at the Swap Shop and they did a good job on all the windows except for the dot matrix part. My suggestion would be if you want to have the dot matrix part covered, go get it professionally, if u don't care about the dot matrix part and are looking to get it cheap, the Swap Shop may be a solution.