Retro Purple Tint Removal

I have som serious issues with this purple tint that was put on my RT before I bought it... Its so old that when I tried to remove it the conventional way it bubbled cracked and chipped off... now I can only get about 3-5 mm of tint off at a time with a razor.... Does anyone think aircraft paint remover will work ?? I dont wanna hurt my rear defrost strips... help anyone :x

Comments

  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    :!: Do some research on the web.DON"T pull it off.The way to remove it is with some type of spray & peel as you go.DON'T JUST PEEL W/A RAZOR!I did it your way and ended up cutting 4 deggor lines and it took fooreverrr :x I would ask a tinting place what they charge to remove it.
  • vtecn8ivevtecn8ive Senior Wagonist
    ^x2 on asking a tinting place to remove it. Its a headache. I know they sell some stuff that removes it, but I wouldn't even spend a week trying to peel it off :D
  • JL56TCJL56TC New Wagonist
    I tried TINT OFF and it dint work that why i though about a more abrasive solvent
  • vtecn8ivevtecn8ive Senior Wagonist
    You should try and let me know :D
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    The two best friends you could possibly have for removing tint:
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    I took my purple tint of about two weeks ago. And I've had a handful of people ask me how we did it. There's before and after pics on my members rides thread.

    First- get drunk, cuz it's gonna suck!
    Second- heat your windows up with a heat gun to the point where you can't hold your hand on it
    Third- peel

    I started by using my mom's hair dryer and a razor. That was a FAIL on an epic level. I spent an hour, and did half of my drivers window.

    The next day a buddy of mine came by with the heat gun pictured. This thing saved the day. Take your time, go slow. Heat the window up in 6"-8" increments (my buddy heated the outside, I pulled on the inside). If it's freezing balls in your neck of the woods, like it was in mine, the window will cool fast. So heat in sections (this is much easier to do in the summer when glass stays warm). Start at the top. You can use the razor to help you get started. But honestly you wont need them except to start the peeling. Definitely have some handy though.

    If you're heating in sections to start, you should be able to pull it down about 6"-8" (SLOWLY) from left to right. At this point, you can use the heat go to go the length of the tint (side to side). It will peel off EXTREMELY easy (but SLOW). The key is making sure the area you are peeling, is hot as shit. I'm not kidding. Your fingers will hate you. But your wallet will be impressed. If it's warm enough, most of the glue will come off along with the tint itself.

    After you get the film off, now you get to work on the glue. If you take your time like I mentioned, most of the glue will come off with the film. If you got antsy and pulled the film before it was hot enough (or used wrong leverage), chances are you ripped it multiple times. And most of the glue is still there. I used a product called 'Goof Off' because it's what we had at my house, to get the glue off. It worked OK. I used it a few years ago in the summer time to remove glue. It worked much better then. If you use this, make sure you use a mask. I was an idiot and didn't... then I spent the night with a killer headache (being drunk didn't help). There are countless products on the market that will achieve the same effect.

    If you take your time, and follow my steps (and your tint was in good shape to begin with), each windows film should come off in one piece. Doing my wagon, the only real problem we experienced was the rear window. It was covered in air bubbles. So it ripped, time after time. We just got it super hot, and peeled slow. Usually with fingernails around the rear defroster lines.

    I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Also check youtube... there is a TON of videos on how to do this. But, there's how I did mine.

    Took me about 6 hours all together. About 3 with help of a friend. Could possibly be done faster in warmer weather, and having drank less beer lol
  • leWolfleWolf Senior Wagonist
    another way is with an air compressor, lightly peel a bit off in the center of it and use a fine air compressor nozzle to blow air under it. I just did it on my 4 door and it took 5 minutes for all the windows.
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    another way is with an air compressor, lightly peel a bit off in the center of it and use a fine air compressor nozzle to blow air under it. I just did it on my 4 door and it took 5 minutes for all the windows.

    That doesn't make any sense to me.

    How did the glue come off? I can see it maybe cracking and breaking off. But you should still be left with glue (I think?).

    PICS!!
  • JL56TCJL56TC New Wagonist
    i think i will try the heat gun theory
  • vtecn8ivevtecn8ive Senior Wagonist
    You should test all the theories and let us know which one works best :)
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    JL56TC wrote:
    i think i will try the heat gun theory

    It ain't a 'theory' when it's a proven fact that it works :D

    But ya, take some pics so we can see ya do it. I wish I would have.
  • sorry i didn't see your post earlier. and yes, heat gun works. i tell ppl not to use it. they alway burn rubber gasket and interior part. tinters like to use clothes steamers about $40.00 at walgrens or professional grade jiffy steamer @$200.00. for back glass steamers work wonders in saving defrost lines. steamer is much safer than a heat gun.
  • oxbeardoxbeard Wagonist
    when i removed my tint most of it came off in one piece and thank god the back window wasnt tinted for some reason.
    but then i was left with the glue. i tried several things but what ended up working best was rubbing alcohol.
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    About now is when you wish you bought that little steam thingy on the infomercials.
  • leWolfleWolf Senior Wagonist
    Charb1618 wrote:
    another way is with an air compressor, lightly peel a bit off in the center of it and use a fine air compressor nozzle to blow air under it. I just did it on my 4 door and it took 5 minutes for all the windows.

    That doesn't make any sense to me.

    How did the glue come off? I can see it maybe cracking and breaking off. But you should still be left with glue (I think?).

    PICS!!

    Ask PeterPansWagovan, he saw it, for some crazy reason it worked! I was origionally trying to blow dust out of the dash and just blew air at a hole in the tint and POP! It all came up. Maybe shitty tint?
  • The steamer method is the best I have seen so far. Gets all the glue off easily.
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