Is privacy glass becoming council?

Is privacy glass becoming council?

Author
Discussion

TazLondon

Original Poster:

322 posts

218 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Decades ago cars would either come with or have the option of tinted glass - usually blue, green or grey and you also had the option of a sun shade-band at the top of the windscreen.

It made the car look a little more elegant and the implementation was tasteful.

Fast forward a couple of decades and we now have privacy glass. There seems to be a race on to have the blackest windows all around the car these days. It seems to be attracting the wrong crowd.

So, is privacy glass, which has become the modern version of tinted windows, becoming council?

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Yes.

My chav-chariot car came with it as standard on the rear windows. When I commented on a one-make forum that it was the one feature I'd have happily deleted, all the txt-spk posters on there thought I was insane.

ClaphamGT3

11,269 posts

242 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Totally - particularly in estate cars where it makes them look like a plasterer or a plumber is a using it for work.

I paid the best part of £2k to get it taken out of our E63

swisstoni

16,845 posts

278 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I hate the way it makes cars look. I avoid it if at all possible.

ambuletz

10,690 posts

180 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
a light tint is ok. getting some 100% limo tint and effectively making the rear half of your hatchback look like a van isn't.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
Becoming?

littlebasher

3,767 posts

170 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I've always found it useful in the summer, especially with kids in the back of the car.


I hear it can also provide cover for other back seat activities......

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
TazLondon said:
So, is privacy glass, which has become the modern version of tinted windows, becoming council?
Becoming?

It's just the factory-fitted equivalent of the pimptint film that's been kicking around since the '80s. Without the bubbles and stretchmarks.

thebraketester

14,192 posts

137 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Standard privacy glass. I like it. Anyone got a link to the council thread? :-)


Glassman

22,501 posts

214 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I've replaced full sets of glass on new and used cars (from dark to standard, 70% transparency tinted) for main dealers, and in some cases even transplanted from one car to another. Happens a lot, especially with Audi and Land Rover cars.

Not so long ago a chap bought a fully loaded Range Rover Sport and had every available RR option added (if it didn't have it already). He turned up to pick it up and went into flipmode because it had dark tints from the B-pillar back. "But that's the car you ordered, sir!"

He didn't care. And I was delighted because the whole lot had to be changed to green tint.

biggrin


gtidriver

3,334 posts

186 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I'm seeing a few cars with a heavy tint on the front windows, thought that was not legal..

TonyRPH

12,963 posts

167 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
Becoming?

It's just the factory-fitted equivalent of the pimptint film that's been kicking around since the '80s. Without the bubbles and stretchmarks.
hehe

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
gtidriver said:
I'm seeing a few cars with a heavy tint on the front windows, thought that was not legal..
It isn't.

People have always done it, though, ever since the sticky-back plastic first became available.

When I bought a P-reg Shogun a couple of years ago, all the side windows had the horrible stuff on them, including the fronts. The back window was almost opaque, not least because of the bubbles. Half a day with a hot air gun, a mass of kitchen roll, and some petrol got the thing driveable.

Hungrymc

6,642 posts

136 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
I always has been. But I still like it (appearance and keeping the light levels down inside a car). I don't think I'd have a car with a lot of glass without it, the less glass there is, the less relevant it becomes (so my 911 didn't and my Evora doesn't).

TR4man

5,207 posts

173 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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Chap over the road has a nice black C series Merc estate, he had dark privacy glass retro fitted to the rear and now it looks as though he has a Mercedes van.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I think the answer is 'depends'. Limo black I'd agree is council, or on the front windows.

However, godsend if you have kids. How sad is your life if you have Peppa fking Pig blinds on the rear windows. NOT UNDER MY WATCH KIDDY.

Current car has them, previous car (5 series) I bought custom fitted blinds/shades, which from a distance look like the same thing.

Moonpie21

530 posts

91 months

Monday 24th October 2016
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I was very happy when getting my new car that I had the option to have no privacy glass. Instead, apparently, the glass came with a green tint. I like it.

Although I did have a first gen mini one when they first came out in black and it had the darkest rear windows (privacy glass) I liked that it looked like a little van as the front ones were clear.

swisstoni

16,845 posts

278 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
A nicer way of achieving privacy in the back is blinds.
My old Vel Satis had them. Did the job when needed and rolled away when not.


TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
However, godsend if you have kids. How sad is your life if you have Peppa fking Pig blinds on the rear windows. NOT UNDER MY WATCH KIDDY.
How the hell did we survive childhood without either...?

benjijames28

1,702 posts

91 months

Monday 24th October 2016
quotequote all
I hate driving a car with rear window tinted, makes reversing horrible especially in the dark without parking sensors.