2006 Dodge Charger
Formula One Window Tint
03/18/06
It was time to have the windows tinted on the Dodge Charger. I did some research before going and found some interesting facts to share with everyone. The antenna for the AM/FM radio is located in the rear window. If you put metallic film on the back window, your AM radio reception will go away. Not only that, the FM reception will be degraded. Most tint shops use metallic film. A popular brand you'll hear about when you call tint shops is Llumar. http://www.llumar.com/ The type of tint they'll try to sell you is the ATR (regular) or Platinum Plus (more expensive) series. Some people don't care about AM radio reception, because they have Sirius, but I listen to the AM talks shows, so it matters to me. On BMW cars, the metallic film causes all sorts of problems with the Nav system.
So what's the answer to this little problem? Use Ceramic tint. At the time of writing this web page, there are two companies that make it. One, a German company, the other is Formula One. http://www.formulaone.com/ I went with the Formula One brand because they had a dealer list on their web site, and many people in the Charger Forums recommend it. The brand of tint to use is the Pinnacle series.
Florida law states that the limit for the front windows is 28%. The lower the number, the darker the tint. The Pinnacle series comes in two tint grades, 35% and 15%. I decided to do the car in one color (35%), because I didn't want that look where the back windows are darker than the front. I wanted to stay legal and not worry about having to do a re tint if the cops stopped me. Gone are the days when people could tint their windows so that no one can look inside. The police want to be able to see inside the front window, so they can tell is someone has a gun or not. Sure, I could have done the back windows dark, but I didn't want that jet black look, instead, I wanted one color.
Before.
Above are the pictures the morning I took the Charger to be tinted. I had washed the car the night before, and as you can see, the Zaino polish job is still holding up strong.
Located in Hollywood FL is Rhodes Complete Auto and Radio. Their address is 1187 N State Rd 7, Hollywwood FL 33021. Their phone number is 954-989-5141.
In the 3rd picture, you can see the samples they will show you. On the left is the darker 15%, which can only be used on the back windows in FL. On the right is the 35% which I used for the entire car. In the 4th picture, is Tiadad, she installed the tint and did a great job.
After.
Above are pictures taken after the car was tinted. The entire car was done at 35%, yet the back windows look slightly darker than the front. I've since read that this happens because there is less light in the back of a car, and since the window is smaller, there is the illusion that the back window is darker. I tried to get a close up of the tint, but in most of the pictures, you see a reflection of the house instead. The tint is dark enough to keep things private, keep the heat out, yet it's legal. As I drove away from Rhodes, I was happy to find that my AM radio stations still worked. I was going to have a strip put across the front windshield, but Tiadad decided against this, saying it didn't look good.
After getting your Formula One tint, they'll tell you it can take a week to completely dry, and not to freak out about the way it looks. They'll tell you to leave it out in the sun.
The price of the tint job was $240, with tax the OTD price was $254.40. Shops up north charge more because they have a slow season in the winter and have to make up for it. So don't be surprised if you call a shop and find the price is close to $400. I'm lucky I live in Florida and found Rhodes.
I'm happy with the tint job, knowing I got it right the first time. If you're looking to use Formula One Pinnacle, visit the http://www.formulaone.com/ web site and they have a dealer list. You may have to drive farther to have the job done, but it's worth it. I hope this page will help you make a good decision when tinting your car.
End of Report. Thanks for reading.
Email me at nogodforme@bellsouth.net.