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| Manufacturer | Rootes Group |
|---|---|
| Production | 1955-1976 |
| Predecessor | Sunbeam Mark III |
| Successor | none |
| Body style(s) | saloon, coupé, convertible |
| Related | Hillman Minx Singer Gazelle |
The Sunbeam Rapier was the first of the "Audax" range of light cars produced by the Rootes Group. Announced at a motor show in October 1955, it preceded its Hillman Minx and Singer Gazelle counterparts by several months.
A four seat, two door hardtop coupé – designated Series I with the introduction of the Series II in 1958 – it was completely different from the Sunbeam Mark III, the car it would eventually replace. Although designed "in house" by the Rootes Group, it was inspired, via the Raymond Loewy design organisation, by the new-generation Studebaker coupés of 1953.
How to have your car windows tinted, tastefully
Instructions
Difficulty: EasyThings You’ll Need:
- Make/Model/Year of your vehicle
Understand Window Tint so you can make an informed decision:
1. An English lesson for some-- when your car is tinted, or you wish to get your car tinted, you have "window tint" on your windows. Some people say "yo I wanna throw some "tints" on my car" but this is actually incorrect English. This is not very important, but it's better to walk into a tint shop NOT speaking like a moron. (I'm in the business so I know how many people make this mistake).
2. The darkness of window tint is measured in percentage. The lower the percent the darker the windows will be because the percentage actually represents how much light can pass through the tint. For instance, 20% window tint will allow 20% of visible light through the window. There are not many different percent levels, and most shops will offer 5%, 20%, 35%, and 50%. Occasionally you will find a few percentages in between these.
3. There is really no such thing as "legal tint" because most window tint is illegal in most parts of the country. In New York, for instance, the legal tint is 75%, which is so light you can barely see that it's there. Police do not want to approach a blacked out car and have no idea that a gun is being pointed at their face, so this law is understandable. Most SUVs come from the dealer with 20% tint on the back windows only, the two fronts are not tinted because of these laws. You have to make a decision of whether or not you want to break the law-- if you drive carefully you can usually get away with it, unless you're driving a car with huge chrome rims, 5% tint, and tons of bass rattling your trunk.
5. Tint looks different depending on your car. If you have a dark colored interior the tint will look darker. Typically the smaller the windows on the car the darker the tint looks as well. Also most tint jobs do NOT include the windshield (understandably so). If you DO tint your windshield the other windows will look darker as well because less light is entering the car overall.
6. Colored tint is not covered in this article because it looks cheap in my opinion. This article covers the "smoke" family of tint, which can give your car a sharp look, while also preventing glare.
Step2
Choose what windows you are tinting, and how dark:
If you have an SUV and you want to match the two front windows to the factory tinted rears, you will most likely need 20%, but let the tinter determine what matches. Some SUV owners want to "blend" the front windows to the rears but do not want them as dark. This is achieved by tinting the front windows a little bit lighter than the rears, which tends to look OK, while giving you less exposure to the long arm of the law.
If you have a car and you want to tint the windows, consider how dark you really need it to be. I will say that most of my customers want 20%, and are very pleased with it. I guess people feel like they are getting their moneys worth if they go dark, but personally I like 35%. Like I stated earlier, how the tint will look really depends on the car. Most of the time 20% will look very dark, but you will see a mild silhouette of the driver from the outside of the car. 35% will give a much better view of the driver, and will upset law enforcement LESS, while still offering protection from the sun. 50% is more reflective than dark. Of all the times I have seen 50% used it was usually on a windshield, which most shops will not even agree to do. 5% is also referred to as "limo" because it's what is used on a Limousine.
A math lesson for those of your tinting over your SUV's factory tinted rear windows to make them darker. Your factory window tint is baked into the glass, it is not a "film" like the tint added to vehicles later. This makes it possible to tint over the factory tint to make the windows darker. Your SUV most likely comes with 20%, so adding more 20% to the windows will make it 10%? WRONG! 20% of 20% is 4%, so your windows would be 4% after this process. Salespeople in the industry and even tinters make this mistake all of the time.
Step3
Understand the process and know what to look for:
Windows are tinted using a film that comes in big rolls. The film is placed on the outside of your car, measured, cut, shrunk (to fit contours in the window), and then placed on the inside of the car with a soap water solution and a series of tools designed to push the bubbles out. When the tint is being measured on the outside of the car I have seen many tinters mark up the weatherstripping! (the rubber part where your window meets the door). Make sure you can see a car or two that was tinted by the shop of your choice, inspect the weatherstripping for excessive dents, cuts, and marks.
Window tint takes at LEAST 3 days to dry. During this drying period you cannot roll your windows up or down. Bubbles, waves, and imperfections usually disappear during this period. If you still see imperfections after a week, bring it back to the place you had it tinted.
A good shop will charge $150 and up for a basic 4 door sedan, and usually about $75 or so to match the front windows on an SUV. My shop charges $175 but we're located on Long Island which is notoriously expensive. Compared to the other shops in the area we are neither the cheapest or the most expensive.
Only get a tint job with a warranty!!! A MINIMUM of 3 years is a good warranty. A 5 year warranty is better, and a lifetime warranty is best. Re-tinting a car is extremely expensive and messy. Often times your defogger grid will break when removing the tint from the rear window, so get it done ONCE! My shop gives a "limited lifetime" warranty which means we will re-tint a window that peels, fades, or bubbles during the lifetime of the car with the original owner. Most warranties will not cover damage caused by the customer, so be careful! Let the shop take their time, and give them the car for the entire day! Don't put anyone in a position where they will have to rush to get your car done.
Step4
Caring for your tint:
Be careful when you get out of your drivers seat, many people "flick" their seatbelt against the window and eventually put little nicks and dings in the tint. Good window tint is durable and will hold up to a few seatbelt flicks, but constant abuse will always damage the tint.
Don't use ammonia based cleaners! Dish soap and water in a spray bottle is fine, or ammonia free glass cleaner. A good car wash knows not to use ammonia, but ask anyway! Your tint could eventually fade, or even turn purple.
Try not to park in the sun. I know this isn't always possible, but the more sunlight your vehicle is exposed to the faster the tint will fade. Don't let this scare you or anything, just park in the shade when it is an option.
