I've been chasing trying to get the best thermal performance out of my 'Cuda while managing the weight I add to it.
If you've driven your classic car at all, you notice that any part of your skin that is being exposed to direct sunlight starts to scald. Your arm, neck, leg, etc. It's there, you have noticed it. With this tint, that transfer of heat no longer occurs. If you can keep the sun from solar loading the car and you, your HVAC will perform better and you will be more comfortable.
Tint PerformanceI recently had the very lightest ceramic window tint that I could find locally installed on all of my glass [windshield included]. The specifications are shown below. By doing that, on paper, I realize the following benefits:
- 72% visible light transfer [that's a light tint]
- 19% glare reduction - I have noticed this improvement during night driving especially
- 59% reduction in solar energy passing through the glass
- >99% reduction of UV rays [think sun-screen for your dash and seats]
- 60% Infrared Energy Rejection
https://madico.com/automotive/window-tint/black-pearl-nano-ceramic (https://madico.com/automotive/window-tint/black-pearl-nano-ceramic)
My Experience
Today was the best test thus far for my tint. I had my family of four in the 'Cuda and today's "real feel" hit 93°F [90°F ambient]. Within just a few minutes the cabin was able to get ahead of the high ambient temps and stay that way. The car is noticeably more comfortable from a thermal standpoint, think of just how much of the cabin itself is glass. Even after full days sitting in the sun at work I can hop in the car and hardly even break a sweat.
The overall aesthetics of the car stays quite the same as it was with clear glass, the tint is light and unnoticeable to the average joe. The look is very similar to the 1969 Dart I had with factory tinted [a/c] windows.
Cost
The mobile tint guy I used covered all of the glass on both my Father-in-Law's 1979 Li'l Red Express and my 'Cuda at the same time. Material included, we paid $325 per vehicle. So far, it's money well spent.