How To Apply Tint To The Door Windows On Your Muscle Car At Home

Dark colored muscle cars like a Dodge Challenger have an air of mystique about them that can grow by putting tint on the windows. The tint not only makes your muscle car look tougher, but it also helps to protect the interior upholstery and dashboard from ultraviolet rays coming from the sun during the day. Ultraviolet rays can dry out the materials used for the dashboard and upholstery inside the car and make them turn brittle and crack. Here is how you can put window tint on your muscle car to protect the insides while making the outside of the car look tougher and meaner.

Check Local Laws

You should check the local laws wherever you are going to be driving your car before you go out and buy the tint. Some municipalities regulate how transparent the tint has to be for the safety of police officers approaching cars with too dark of a tint on the windows. You can get fined for having too dark a tint and you can be ordered to remove it. 

Prepare the Windows

Clean both sides of the window until it is squeaky clean. If there is anything stuck to the window, like tar from the road, you need to scrape it off with a razor blade before you wash the window. Use a window cleaner with a degreaser to make sure you get all the oil and grease off of the window, too.

Sizing the Tint to the Window

Cut a single piece of tint to fit over each window. The piece of tint should be wider and longer than the window by a couple of inches or more. You'll trim the tint to size once you've placed it over the window.

Get a spray gun and fill it with clean water. Roll the window down about an inch and then spray the window with water. The water makes the piece of tint cling to the window while you fit it over the window and trim it to size. 

Place the tint on the window and smooth it down with a damp sponge. Make sure the top of the tint extends past the top of the glass in the window. Trim the top of the tint with the razor so it matches the curve at the along the top of the glass. 

Roll up the window and spread the tint out over the sides and bottom of the glass. Trim the excess tint from the bottom and sides. Remove the tint from the window after you trim it.

Applying the Tint

The tint will come with an adhesive you spray onto the glass to make the tint stick permanently. Spray the adhesive onto the glass and press the tint back onto it. Make sure the tint aligns properly with the top, bottom, and sides. Use a small squeegee to press out any air bubbles under the tint. Let the adhesive dry while you use the same procedures to put tint on the other windows. For additional reading, contact a window tint business in your area.