Colors matter... especially if you live in the desert

[Mr Miami]

My windows are pretty heavily tinted, don't know if factory option or dealer local Nevada "upgrade" job. I guess I should find out... My old Gladiator being a NC Jeep did not have tinted windows. Probably part of the problem.

Probably a regional thing. When I first moved here to Florida from NJ about 35 years ago, I was shocked by how much the windows on cars were tinted. No way they would have allowed that in NJ.

Several years ago, I went to get windows re-tinted on my wife's BMW at a very large, well-known place, and the first thing the guy asked me was how much I wanted them tinted. They had 5 levels: 2 legal and 3 illegal. I asked him if there a problem with the illegal ones and he laughed and said only the number 5 (heaviest tinted, basically black) that you may have a problem with if you get pulled over by a cop and you are doing something illegal. Otherwise, the level 3 or 4 are fine. I got the level 3 which is still about as black as most people would ever want.

When I bought my '24 JTR, it was on the lot and like others, the windows were dark, I mean dark. From the factory, I found out that the tinted window thing is only for the rear windows and not for the front. On the dealer "add on" sticker on the side, it included tinting for some crazy price which of course I laughed at. But I must say, the windows in my JTR are about as dark as I could ever want. I can't believe they are legal but it is a Jeep dealer and no one seems to care anyway.

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[BourbonRunner]

My JTM was a GA owned, FL bought. Tint on the front was 20% but the DPRMD doesn't allow anything under 30% so it had to come off for the state inspection. PITA to remove is an understatement. Yes, it would be "illegal" but it's not a primary offense here and frankly they don't enforce even serious moving violations anymore. If you do something stupid they will tack it on.

My laziness has prevented me from getting it re-done along with the windshield but now that I have some chips in it, my laziness has paid off I suppose.

 

[WambliSka]

My JTM was a GA owned, FL bought. Tint on the front was 20% but the DPRMD doesn't allow anything under 30% so it had to come off for the state inspection. PITA to remove is an understatement. Yes, it would be "illegal" but it's not a primary offense here and frankly they don't enforce even serious moving violations anymore. If you do something stupid they will tack it on.

My laziness has prevented me from getting it re-done along with the windshield but now that I have some chips in it, my laziness has paid off I suppose.

Sometimes procrastination works in your favor. At least that is what I keep telling my wife every time she gets tired of asking me to do something and he does it herself.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Only tint we can do legally in SoCal is an “Eyebrow” top 4” of the windshield. I’ve thought about getting it done as I don’t really have usable sun visors anymore. Haven’t even looked into a place to do it. I know I’m not going to do that one myself. For some reason I suck at those kinds of projects.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Sometimes procrastination works in your favor. At least that is what I keep telling my wife every time she gets tired of asking me to do something and he does it herself.

It do be like that.

That said, I've been telling her that for years and never once does it not come with an eye roll and a response of "Bullshit."

Only tint we can do legally in SoCal is an “Eyebrow” top 4” of the windshield. I’ve thought about getting it done as I don’t really have usable sun visors anymore. Haven’t even looked into a place to do it. I know I’m not going to do that one myself. For some reason I suck at those kinds of projects.

I've only once attempted to do tint. That was in 1996 on my first car and it lasted all of a week before I took it off. There are some things best left to the pros.

 

[NotSo Bright White]

I have always bought or ordered white vehicles as it was a family tradition. But having a Full Panda, white JT with black flares and roof, really limits the amount of cooling from owning a white vehicle. A Half Panda with black flares and white roof would have been a better option. Or the Albino Panda with white flares and roof would also work well but I still love the Full Panda look! As previously mentioned, the Hotheads do help with the hardtop on the JTRD but the softtop on the JTM gets hot! Thankfully, I live in a cool place.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I have always bought or ordered white vehicles as it was a family tradition. But having a Full Panda, white JT with black flares and roof, really limits the amount of cooling from owning a white vehicle. A Half Panda with black flares and white roof would have been a better option. Or the Albino Panda with white flares and roof would also work well but I still love the Full Panda look! As previously mentioned, the Hotheads do help with the hardtop on the JTRD but the softtop on the JTM gets hot! Thankfully, I live in a cool place.

They make a liner for that as well….

 

[NotSo Bright White]

I saw that. Do you know if they work as well as the ones in the hardtop?

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I saw that. Do you know if they work as well as the ones in the hardtop?

I’m not sure but just thinking on R values, you’re bound to see some difference in temps just due to the mass. I would GUESS that you’d see right around the same amount of temperature drop that you do with the hardtop liner. Have to take into account that the softtop version is a 1 piece unit vs the hard top is in 3 (or more) pieces. A solid barrier will always be superior to a broken barrier if at the same thickness and consistency of material.

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