Window Tint For Classic Trucks - Cool & Clear

VLT (or visible light transmitted) The percentage of visible light that passes directly through the filmed glass. The higher the number, the lighter the film.

UV Rejection The percentage of ultraviolet light that is repelled by filmed glass. Ultraviolet light contributes to sunburn and other harmful skin conditions from the sun and to the fading of fabrics and leather.

Solar Energy Rejected The percentage of total solar energy rejected by filmed glass. The higher this value, the less solar heat energy is transmitted by the glass.

Keep in mind, however, that the law changes from state to state as far as how dark one can go. Most states allow up to 70 percent VLT on the front door glass, while any darkness can be used for the rear doors and back glass. That makes using the Crystalline 70 on both doors and that big window out back perfectly legal on old trucks, and that’s just what I did. After talking with the folks at 3M regarding the product that was available and most logical for the vintage truck crowd, they turned me on to Ryan Tounsley and his company Protective Film Solutions. Ryan educated me further in all aspects of the automotive window film world and I have to admit I was quite impressed by the vast options available to automobile enthusiasts.

We decided to go with the Crystalline 70 film on the side glass and back window for the ’68 to keep the appearance relatively original, with a slight tint. A lot of our old trucks had “tinted” glass from the factory, be it slightly green or smoked, and I found that the Crystalline actually accentuated the factory tint nicely. But it’s really the end results in the creature comfort category that had us impressed. The following weekend after Angel Diaz tinted the truck, I headed out to Anaheim, California, for the F-100 West Coast Nationals.

It was a pretty warm day and the sun was beating down on us unmercifully on the ride out and back. Usually, at highway speeds at this time of year, I’d have the A/C cranked up full blast, but with the new window treatment, I could actually turn it down quite a bit and still be comfortable. That was enough to make me a believer, but the radiant heat that used to be present coming through the glass is also remarkably lower, making the truck truly comfortable driving down the highway even when the sun is beating straight through the glass.

So if you’re suffering from the summertime blues thanks to sweltering temperatures inside and outside of your classic truck, take a ride to your local 3M-certified installer and see for yourself the difference a little tint job’ll do!

I decided to put my temperature gun to the test before and after the truck got tinted. Pretty impressive results and the numbers speak for themselves. Here are the results:

Ambient outside temp: 73