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Subaru Forester (up to 2005)
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Comments
- Joe
Joe
Congrats Joe! Not this Joe, not that Joe either, but the other Joe. ;-)
I don't listen to much AM, even talk radio here is on FM, so even though I have tint I can't comment.
-juice
And I was able to listen to Rush on the way home!
Thanks everyone for the welcome, and the advice.
Joe
Accutire tire gauge model MS-4500BT (Illuminated Tip and Display - Batteries and Pouch included) clearance priced at $4.98 at my local Target today...maybe yours too?
Seeing as I’m OCD about pressure along with everything else...
srp
John
I read some of the posts under Window Tinting and made sure I washed the car, and cleaned windows inside and out before I went to shop. They cleaned them again, plus vacuumed the car before they started. I had just vacuumed, but I think it showed their thoroughness.
I paid $200 for the Hp (metallic) tint. It looks like dyed, its not mirror, just dark smoke.
They wanted $125 for the regular non metallic tint, I think the extra was worth it.
He told me to let it set for two weeks, and not open the windows for about 5 days.
Also came with lifetime warranty.
Joe
-Frank P.
John
I would *not* have the tint removed, I bet that would ruin the defroster.
-juice
-mike
PS: too bad the LI guy couldn't make a treck out to NJ to see Lee who tints most of the subies in the area, grassroots guy.
Ken
My HH was acting up the other day. After two hours of driving in stop and go Manhattan traffic, I decided to parallel park. The only thing is that my hill holder didn't want me to.
I was on level ground and it kept grabbing while I tried to park. I looked like I was just learning how to drive a manual. I'll be asking the dealer if they can adjust it.
-Dennis
I dropped you and paisan an e-mail, BTW.
Ed
Got my Stonguard foglight covers and STi swaybar kit from Jamie T. last weekend. Now to fix these tires. :-)
-Dennis
I have the Stongard on my headlights and fogs. Lesson learned: my next Subie will get the full "rock blocker" front end treatment, probably even before tint.
Ed
Is it a fact that metallic films interfere with radio and cellphone reception?
I've got Madico metallic films on all windows behind the driver and it seems okay to me. I do have the old 98 mast antenna, though.
Ken
Dennis- What size sway bar/s did you get?
-Frank P.
Craig
You may or may not be aware, that any shade of tinting on the front/side windows (ie: driver and passenger seat area) is illegal in NJ.
Len
He said that it would be possible that I would get interference and I think that I do get a little more. It's only in certain areas around town and clears up as I'm driving.
The in-glass reception isn't as good anyway, and I don't think the tint changed it much (if at all).
I got the XT STi swaybar kit from allsubaru.com. It's the factory 20mm STi swaybar and I'll put it on this weekend. You can order the bar alone, but the kit comes with the STi mounts, hardware, etc. You can see pics at the site that is the shortened version of Scoobydomodifications. :-) Got that?
-Dennis
edit: Thanks, Len. That's why I went with the lightest. Most of the WRX's around here have 35 and don't get hassled unless they're causing a problem. I had 50 on the WRX and my wife has had 50 on the OB for a year and passed inspection.
I generally don't like the look of tint but the Forester has so much glass area I'm starting to consider it a necessity, local revenue generators be damned.
I too find the in-glass antenna reception to be less than ideal. There are a couple of spots along my daily commute where FM reception drops almost completely out - annoying when I'm trying to listen to anything except traffic reports on AM.
I guess I should go over to the tinting forum and read up there.
Ed
I'm going with 20% on the Legacy, and have 35% on the SVX and 35% on the 2 front windows on the Trooper. Never been hassled in over 100K miles with the tint.
-mike
Forester gets by as a truck in that regard, and trucks are generally allowed to have dark tint.
-juice
-Frank P.
It's great. The chairs are higher than cars but don't require a step up.
When I had my back sprain, it was AGONY to get into my wife's Legacy, but a piece of cake getting in to my Forester. So we took my Forester, she drove.
Recently our nanny (in her 50s) broke two ribs, again we had to take the Forester. The Legacy was too low and the Miata was just a torture chamber. No complaints at all in the Forester.
-juice
tidester, host
-Frank P.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
35% Johnson metal film is installed all around (except a windshield, of course). No any problems with FM. The only thing I don't like is to turn to a dark alley right from the illuminate street. Some objects can be out of sight through difference of illumination, especially from the left side.
The tint looks just fine on the rear defogger, and the antenna. I was just advised not to use the defogger for at least a week, ill make sure to give it a little longer just to be sure. The detail work around the defroster connections, and the radio connections to the window were precisely cut. I watched the work being done, one guy spent the entire 3 hrs on just the back windows. Lots of delicate trimming.
As far as the 20%, I think it looked nicer, more uniform than going from 35 to 20. And hopefully if i get stopped, the fact that I am a 38 year old with a receeding hairline will prevent me from getting a summons. If that doesnt work maybe some professional courtesy will help (yes I am a Police Lieutenant)
It has been my experience that only driving reckless, at high speed, or agressively or being a wise [non-permissible content removed] will warrant the extra summons for the tinted windows.
As for the dots on the windows, the guy that did mine offered to acid wash them away, to bring the tint right to the edge of the window. I declined, he tinted right up to the dots, and unless you put your nose to the glass, you can't tell.
Ok, please be kind with all the cop comments : )
Joe
Also the tires, I just noticed that the Geolanders have a traction rating of B.
Thank God the snow here in the northeast is gone, but im thinking about next year. Anybody ditch the oem tires right away?
Thanks
Joe
No bad cop comments here. My uncle is on the Job in brooklyn so I've benefitted on a few occassions
-mike
It is convenient in countries where you must keep your lights on all the time when the car goes. This rule is currently in force during Oct-Apr in some Scandinavian lands.
I believe the RX330/300 comes with a Lumlar metallic tint. You can buy films with a simliar sheen to it.
While tinting laws vary by state, most states do not allow a visible tint on the front side windows. However, a "visible tint" has it's own defintion too. In CA, you are legally allowed to have up to a 72% film on the front side windows. It's barely noticeable, but it does a lot to cut back UV and heat. I have them on my Forester and the difference in the summer is huge.
You could take the chance of tinting your front side windows darker, but remember, the 98-02 Forester side windows don't roll all the way down. ;-)
Ken
BUT, with a hood deflector, the droplets get all jiggy. They dance all over the place before exiting the scene... most distracting.
No hood deflectors for me. (This was on a Toyota Tacoma. Your results may vary.)
james
Of course it is, at least for the radio waves impinging from outside the glass. Those radio waves have to pass through the metallized layer to get to the antenna.
Also, metallized films are not a single sheet of metal -- they have very small discrete particles embeded in the film.
As far as the radio waves are concerned it would be equivalent to a sheet of metal since the wavelength is so much greater than the spacing between the particles. A chain link fence is very effective at reflecting radar for the very same reason even though you can easily see through it.
Fortunately, most metallized tinting has sufficiently small amounts of metal that transmission of radio waves isn't greatly affected.
tidester, host
If the tint went on the OUTSIDE of the glass (which it doesn't), then I can see how the metal particles in the film could cause some interferance.
B
However I found my windshield on my SVX to be great protection for Radar Detectors and EZ Pass (electronic toll collection)
Apparently it has a metalic windshield.
-mike
Steve, Host
That's a common misunderstanding. For one thing, who says the radio waves would only come from outside the glass?? If a radio wave came at the antenna from inside the car, the tint film would most certainly be in front of the antenna. But even that is a very bad way to think about it. Truth is, the waves flow through and around the antenna. Anything that blocks the flow, from any side, is going to interfere with reception.
Craig
Len
ltjoe: Don't worry, Lou. I got your back on the cop comments.
Sgt. Len
In any case, the electromagnetic field environment around the antenna will be affected to some extent by the presence of an adjacent conducting plane.
tidester, host