Tinting or blacking out stock windshield

[Gearhead82]

I've read some mixed results of people using come kind of tinting spray to darken the stock windshield.  Has anybody tried just taking it to a shop that does automotive tint to see if it can be covered with regular tinting film?  I just had all 5 windows in my car tinted recently for $200 so I think it would be cheap, if it's even possible.

Also, does anybody have a pic of one that's just been blacked out?  I have no problem seeing over the top of the stock screen ('09) even in the fully raised position.  I'm just thinking that painting it completely black might be a little too dramatic but I'd like to see how it looks.

[Conrad]

I tried tinting mine and ended up blacking it out instead, the valve on the tint can started sputtering and I couldn't get an even coat.

I bought a CalSci Shorty instead, here's some pics of the shorty installed. You can get some idea what a blacked out shield looks like from at least one of these pics.

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=6.msg3999#msg3999

[Jeremy Mitchell]

I chopped my stocker down to where it is about 2 inches above my dash in the down position, and I used tailight tint spray on the backside.  The paint has cracked a little where the brackets mount, but it still looks good IMO.  I don't see why tint wouldn't work though.  It would be difficult to make the spray look uniform when it is light enough to see through it.  I did mine fairly dark and I can still see some blotchiness.  I think the spray pattern is limited by the can, if professional equipment and and quality materials were used it could turn out pretty nice.

[OregonLAN]

Honestly, that tint crap sucks. If you take your time, you can make it look decent, but it will never look factory perfect.

Spend the $125.00 and buy yourself a factory tinted windshield.

[muguvian]

If you never look through it, plastic-specific paint is much better than the spray tint.  Film tinting will not work on this tight of a complex curve.  Using Krylon Fusion:

[stevewfl]

There is a product just for blacking out plastic on cars and bikes yet retains clearness.  Google "VHT tint". Its what many of us have used with huge success. None of these pics are mine but here are a few examples.

[Conrad]

There is a product just for blacking out plastic on cars and bikes yet retains clearness.  Google "VHT tint". Its what many of us have used with huge success. None of these pics are mine but here are a few examples.

That's the stuff that I used, or tried to use, to tint my shield. Like I said, the valve sputtered and ruined my attempt at a uniform coat. After that I put a bunch of coats on.

[tyler1015]

I have a friend that has a tint shop and said it wouldnt work. It might look good for a little bit, but would start to bubble. The glue wont stick to the plastic very well. He said in a very short time it would look like crap.

[stevewfl]

That's the stuff that I used, or tried to use, to tint my shield. Like I said, the valve sputtered and ruined my attempt at a uniform coat. After that I put a bunch of coats on.

valave sputtered - way to avoid that with any rattle can paint is spray some out into air, hold upside down, spray till it blows air. then you have a clean free valve from that moment on.

I have a friend that has a tint shop and said it wouldnt work. It might look good for a little bit, but would start to bubble. The glue wont stick to the plastic very well. He said in a very short time it would look like crap.

yea tint glue on plastic will produce horrendous results. plus when i've seen people film tint bike screens before the glue hoses up for some reason they've turned purplish

[Conrad]

valave sputtered - way to avoid that with any rattle can paint is spray some out into air, hold upside down, spray till it blows air. then you have a clean free valve from that moment on.

That's exactly what I did Steve. I even test painted a piece of plexy that I had laying around. It worked ok on that but about two passes into my shield painting was when the valve started to mess up on me. After I saw that there was no way to get a even coat, I got pissed and just blacked it out.

[shotgun]

Sounds like a mess there Conrad.
There is a little teckniqe involved and if you FK9 it's not the end of the world as stated.
To get the tint dark enough to not see "splotches/haze" took 3 coats of the spray tint IME.
Wouldn't want to use it as a "Have To See Thru" afterwards.I can see over the fu*ker fully up so no matter here...
Chopped Givi Sport.

[jjsC6]

Sounds like a mess there Conrad.
There is a little teckniqe involved and if you FK9 it's not the end of the world as stated.
To get the tint dark enough to not see "splotches/haze" took 3 coats of the spray tint IME.
Wouldn't want to use it as a "Have To See Thru" afterwards.I can see over the fu*ker fully up so no matter here...
Chopped Givi Sport.

Looks great!

[Conrad]

Sounds like a mess there Conrad.
There is a little teckniqe involved and if you FK9 it's not the end of the world as stated.
To get the tint dark enough to not see "splotches/haze" took 3 coats of the spray tint IME.
Wouldn't want to use it as a "Have To See Thru" afterwards.I can see over the fu*ker fully up so no matter here...

Yeah, it was a mess. For some crazy reason, I thought that I could get a really nice uniform coat if I took my time with it. It didn't happen. Oh well.

[stuckinohio]

As suggested earlier, just get some krylon, clean the windshield really good with soap and water and spray the inside with a couple coats.  Works great and is very cheap.

[joelc1400]

I use 500 deeg flat blk paint from Advance Auto part, it took 3 cans but it came out  good....