Window tinting options

[hmp10]

I'm perhaps more attuned to this issue because of where I live. Naples is largely laid out on a grid of north/south and east/west major thoroughfares. To go anywhere from my home I have to drive due west for 10+ miles. This means that much of the year I am driving directly into the sun from the late afternoon until sunset. Last month an eastbound motorcyclist was killed when a westbound driver turned left across his line of travel, claiming not to have seen him due to sun glare. I passed westbound through that same intersection while the accident was still being cleared, and without even knowing at that point what had happened, I remarked to my passenger that I wondered if the sun coming directly at us had anything to do with it.

 

[PhotoEye]

I'm perhaps more attuned to this issue because of where I live. Naples is largely laid out on a grid of north/south and east/west major thoroughfares. To go anywhere from my home I have to drive due west for 10+ miles. This means that much of the year I am driving directly into the sun from the late afternoon until sunset. Last month an eastbound motorcyclist was killed when a westbound driver turned left across his line of travel, claiming not to have seen him due to sun glare. I passed westbound through that same intersection while the accident was still being cleared, and without even knowing at that point what had happened, I remarked to my passenger that I wondered if the sun coming directly at us had anything to do with it.

Enough said. Remove at your own risk.

You can functionally achieve a 95% open sight line simply by pivoting the shade to the side and rotating it up. The remaining attachment post effectively is not an obstacle. Then, return it when needed.

 

[bws]

The installer I use for PPF and tinting uses Spectra Photosync, which I love. However, they tell me they cannot do Photosync due to the tightness of the moldings (it is too thick).

Has anyone else ran into this issue? What did they use?
We drove from CA to Arizona and I found there was a lot of heat coming off the front windshield. I found it was difficult to get the car down to a comfortable temperature even with full blast on the AC. Even then, the front windshield was hot to the touch on the inside, and I could feel the heat radiating onto my face. I have never noticed this before in another car, I am wondering if the glass in the Lucid is thicker and retains/aborbs heat more than is standard?

 

[hydbob]

3M Crystalline

 

[bws]

My installer recommended I look for 3M Crystalline or Llumar Stratos (I am not familiar with the second one)

 

[limtless]

I was hoping to solicit some opinions regarding which window tint is best, if any. Doing some research, it looks like 3M Crystalline and Xpel Prime XR Plus are some of the best out there.

I have attached their specs for reference, but it seems like the 3M has better energy and IR rejection, but only slightly. I was thinking 70 for the windshield and front windows and either 50/55 or 40/45 for the rear sides and back windshield.

I haven't price checked the 3M, but I've been quoted at $1200 for Xpel for all the windows, or $600-800 for just the 4 side windows.

Do any of you have recommendations? Thanks in advance.

When I bought our last car I researched this extensively. It comes down to your budget. I only had 3 windows and a small rear window that I didn't tint, not worth it. The best I could find was Photosync it was $600. I went with Xpel, but LLumar is good too. I don't like 3M I used it before. You want a great video on the shades of tint and how they look, you'd be surprised.

 

[Alex]

The installer I use for PPF and tinting uses Spectra Photosync, which I love. However, they tell me they cannot do Photosync due to the tightness of the moldings (it is too thick).

Has anyone else ran into this issue? What did they use?
We drove from CA to Arizona and I found there was a lot of heat coming off the front windshield. I found it was difficult to get the car down to a comfortable temperature even with full blast on the AC. Even then, the front windshield was hot to the touch on the inside, and I could feel the heat radiating onto my face. I have never noticed this before in another car, I am wondering if the glass in the Lucid is thicker and retains/aborbs heat more than is standard?

I just noticed your post, and I have Prestige Film's Spectra PhotoSync on my Lucid on all windows, including the windshield. All the tint has been put in as one piece with no seams. 70% on the windshield. I did this at Cactus Auto Tint in Scottsdale.

I also wrapped the entire car in Prestige Film's Clear Guard Alpa (http://www.prestige-films.com/clearguard-alpha/), since Cactus had experience installing it. It has a special top coat that makes ceramic coating unnecessary.

 

[Sam6062]

Anyone has any recs on installers that can do windshield in one piece? No one in town has been able to tell me they will do it in one piece, I am just looking for one piece that goes up to the visors without removing them but they want 3 pieces, one to the rear mirror and then 2 on each side to the visor. I said no and just did the ceramic tint on all other windows but the front.
Installers in Texas, LA, AK, FL or MS please.

DFW Clear Bra told
Me they would do the Windshield in ONE Piece but would need to remove the visors.

Any one had this done with visors removed and are they easy to detach and re-attach?

I was quoted 550 for their lower end and 750 for the NEXX Series. They are made by STEK.

There is another guy who does a different film and quoted 1150 for all windows except the roof. At least one Licid owner has had their Front end PPF done by this company. They are called “The Coat Lab”

 

[Sam6062]

I had hoped Lucid would keep the "batwings" in the windshield of the prototype as a place to store a folding sunshade. I almost fell off my chair when I saw those clunky new sunshades glued to the glass. I've gotten used to them, but they really do spoil some of the effect of airiness that back seat passengers experience more.

Are they glued to the windshield. I have not had it long to pay that minute of attention to them. Did notice the round plastic thing and the shield itself looks different.

 

[Sam6062]

I just noticed your post, and I have Prestige Film's Spectra PhotoSync on my Lucid on all windows, including the windshield. All the tint has been put in as one piece with no seams. 70% on the windshield. I did this at Cactus Auto Tint in Scottsdale.

I also wrapped the entire car in Prestige Film's Clear Guard Alpa (http://www.prestige-films.com/clearguard-alpha/), since Cactus had experience installing it. It has a special top coat that makes ceramic coating unnecessary.

How did they get around those visors or were they able to remove and re-install?

 

[Demosthenes]

I believe my installer removed the visors and then put them back on

 

[n8236]

Does anyone know if the glass on the car is double pane?

 

[hydbob]

Does anyone know if the glass on the car is double pane?

It is not

 

[Balin]

Has anyone tinted in south Florida (preferably Dade)? Looking for recommendation of a good shop, as I have not tinted my previous cars. Thanks!

 

[Alex]

How did they get around those visors or were they able to remove and re-install?

Yes, the visors are removable. I think it's a T9 hex screw. See https://lucidowners.com/threads/sun-visor-mod.952/post-21745

 

[Slam08]

I would be really cool if Lucid would make the roof go completely black at the touch of a button and then clear.

Like Mercedes’ Magic Sky sunroof, except it would be most of the roof, and it could go completely black.

 

[lisha]

I did the 3m crystalline, 70 front, 50 backs.
Either one is good, it really just comes down to the installer for the workmanship.

I'm thinking about getting 70 front and 60 back too. Do you have day and night pictures?

 

[GMan]

The newest windshield and roof glass that Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian are using is VERY effective in blocking UV and IR radiation. I live in south Florida and have had no problem at all from heat in the cabin with either our Air or our Model S Plaid. That was not the case with our 2015 Model S, in which we put 3M Crystalline film on the side windows (it had the metal roof, and we used the sun mesh in the rear window). The film helped noticeably with cabin heat, but it created a blue-biased rainbow effect when viewing outside objects at certain angles, and after about five years a couple of bubbles developed.

You might want to live with your cars a while to see if you really need to put film on the windshield and canopy.

Does anyone know the default Lucid tinting specs that come with the car?

Primarily looking for all four side windows, back window, and glass canopy.

 

[Neurio]

Does anyone know the default Lucid tinting specs that come with the car?

Primarily looking for all four side windows, back window, and glass canopy.

The is no factory tint on the side or rear windows. The glass canopy has to be around 5-10% - it's DARK.

 

[hmp10]

I would be really cool if Lucid would make the roof go completely black at the touch of a button and then clear.

Like Mercedes’ Magic Sky sunroof, except it would be most of the roof, and it could go completely black.

Lucid originally intended to use electrochromic glass. In fact, the early prototypes of the Air had a switch to control the darkening mounted near the rearview mirror. Perhaps they were expecting developments in the technology before the car entered production, because by the time the car was headed for market the film that was available was not suitable for the purpose.

Electrochromic film has two characteristics that made it difficult to use in an Air. First, the film has limited flexibility, and the bend as the roof descends to form the windshield might have been too extreme. (Boeing had to flatten the window panels to use this film in the Dreamliner, and the MB SkyMagic roof is a relatively small panel with little curvature.)

Second, the film does not go completely transparent, so terminating it above the windshield would leave a visible line in the glass. (Again, the MB SkyMagic roof is framed on all sides, so there is no termination line in play.)

Meanwhile, new tinting technology became available that greatly increases infrared heat rejection by glass. Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian all use this new tinting. In fact, once this new tinting became available, Rivian abandoned its previously-announced plans to use electrochromic glass in the R1T and R1S, claiming that the tinting was more effective than electrochromic glass in reducing heat radiation into the cabin.