If you buy a second hand car with privacy glass* can it be easily removed i.e. returned to a degree of normality or is it all part of the glass like tinted glass?
I'm talking about the factory fit option, not aftermarket stuff, which I know has a film applied, which can be removed.
*drug dealer in a ghetto glass
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>> *drug dealer in a ghetto glass
Suits you, sir!
(slinks rapidly round corner with collar turned up and takes to heels)
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As far as I know, it *is* tinted glass. You could try and get several hundred pounds off, and use the money to change it back.
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IF it is an added tint, can be removed with a hairdryer and LOTS of patience.
Heat a bit on top of the window, see if you can peel it free, then grab that bit with mole grips, wrapped in a sock. The weight will pull the tinted film downwards as you continue to use the hairdryer on softening the film. the sock prevents damage to paintwork.
Once the film is free, a spray of lighter fluid into the gap between the film and the window will speed things up.
But FFS be careful.
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This stuff seems to be standard equipment on some models of three-door Focus. It's naff enough on any car but buy one of these in black and your neighbours will think it's a van.
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If I bought a car with black glass I'd be too idle to change it unless someone said it was illegal and threatened to run me in. You might think it looks a bit hoodish and naff but as long as you dump the spinner wheels you'll more or less blend in.
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As I drive a KIA with privacy glass and drug dealer wheels I must be a poor drug dealer. I was not sure about the (standard fit) dark glass but it does help to obscure any thing left in the car from the scrotes and stops the grandkids from frightening the locals. :-)
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My Ignis had tints on the front windows aswell as rears which are of course rather iffy legally so I paid £60 to have them removed by a window tint company - you would never know they were there.
They also offered a discount for doing a larger job, down to £20 a window for 5.
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>>buy one of these in black and your neighbours will think it's a van<<
I live quite near to a Crematorium and if I see a black car with privacy glass, I naturally assume it's another poor sod for the heater.
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>> This stuff seems to be standard equipment on some models of three-door Focus. It's naff
>> enough on any car but buy one of these in black and your neighbours will
>> think it's a van.
Actually I think black privacy glass on a three door black focus looks rather cool actually.
The Altea looked pretty classy with dark tinted windows and black paintwork.
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>> Actually I think black privacy glass on a three door black focus looks rather cool
>> actually.
>>
Actually before and aft!! Are you related to my Missus? It's her word of choice and it PMO.
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And actually it PYO actually.
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>> And actually it PYO actually.
>>
Don't wake up the pedants!
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>> And actually it PYO actually.
Tell me abaaad it...
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Actually chaps, let's not mock those who say actually in the same annoying way that others say 'You know?' or "HellO-O!'
I do it myself actually.
Oh, and I don't always mind the way black glass looks on cars. Actually. Depends on the car and what colour the rest of it is. And what other aftermarket bling it's carrying (none is best).
I don't like it on bodykitted Range Rovers or brutish-but-feeble Cadillac Escalades.
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I have had privacy glass on my last two cars, and it is now something I would positively look for in a car. Mainly for the enhanced security aspects - scroats can't casually see what's inside the car.
I don't care if people think I'm a drug dealer/pimp - I'm not that insecure!
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>> I don't care if people think I'm a drug dealer/pimp - I'm not that insecure!
And you can actually earn a few quid actually.
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Worth checking if you can get a razor 'tween the film and glass, not all cars are actually smoked glass actually, tints are often actually applied at the import centres at the same time as the other bits that make 'em up to UK spec are applied, actually.:-).
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The privacy glass fitted to my KIA is marked 30% transparency, the tinted glass is marked 70% transparency.
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I wonder what you all class the tinted back windows in a Passat CC GT? Am I about to be classed as a sad person? Not that I care... might be putting the order in on Monday. And then have to wait about 6.5 months for it.
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Well, with white bodywork its going to look awful. Rather like a stretch limo that's shrunk in the wash.
If you want privacy glass you need black paintwork.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 22:39
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>> Well, with white bodywork its going to look awful.
>>
>> If you want privacy glass you need black paintwork.
>>
I agree with Z, privacy glass with white or even a lighter colour like silver looks awful.
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But I was thinking of Island Grey :-) Too many black and white Passat CC's. Although I did see a very nice dark brown Mocca Anthracite. But Humph would probably hunt me down and sell me some weird shoes to match.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 22:57
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You did say you were going to have a white one!
Island grey is nice and dark, will go well with privacy glass.
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>> Island grey is nice and dark, will go well with privacy glass.
>>
And better still with normal glass.
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>> And better still with normal glass.
Park it in Salford...see what it looks like with no glass !
Ted
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>>
>>
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I parked one near Media City on Saturday (at the Lowry). Still there when I came back to it four hours later.
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Why is it called a CC by the way, when it is neither a coupe or a cabriolet?
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>> Why is it called a CC by the way, when it is neither a coupe
>> or a cabriolet?
>>
Carbon Copy - all VW's look the same now........
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>> >> Why is it called a CC by the way, when it is neither a
>> coupe
CarCraft !....We've sussed him now !
Ted
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I did say I might get a white one (saving about £8 per month overall). But decided no I didn't want to save £8pm and end up with a white one. And it only looks okay with the panoramic roof (cost £12pm to me)... which I don't want.
So if I get one it's probably Island Grey. And probably with a 170PS engine, bi-xenons and a few other extras.
The CC was originally Concept Coupe (at a motor show) and became Comfort Coupe. It's not a coupe and neither is a MB CLS. But it's a nice car. I won't get a BMW or a Mercedes (could get a base BMW 520d SE for less than the car I am after) but don't want a Beemer.
And ruled out the Skoda's on looks and stupid names. Leaves Audi's but I tried out the stupid MMI interface and decided it was crap. Ruled out the A4.
Now the privacy glass on a Passat CC is pointless. You won't have tall people in the back ;-) Roofline rules that out. I joke. It's not that bad.... reminds me when I passed a car (right next to me) and saw that short French PM next to his taller wife in 2008. They were on the way from Windsor to London. Funny seeing them later that day on the news and him not appearing quite so short. He's tiny.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 5 Apr 11 at 01:01
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BTW it was seeing this particular car earlier this week that made my mind up on colour:
cars.volkswagen-inchcape.co.uk/vehicles/w800_h533_ML10YCA_1.jpg
cars.volkswagen-inchcape.co.uk/vehicles/w800_h533_ML10YCA_3.jpg
Although I will go for black leather climate seats.
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BTW for anyone else looking at VWs.... like my old Mondeo it has a design flaw...
You cannot put the fog lights on when the lights are on auto.... it was interesting when I tried on the Woodhead Pass (the top bit with freezing temperatures last Friday)..... in turning and then pulling the light control the lights briefly went off!! I'd gone over Snake and then Woodhead evaluating the directional bi-xenons... they were good and I am getting them. But now I know about that 'flaw'.
Anyone else ever come across this 'flaw'? :-)
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 23:32
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>> BTW for anyone else looking at VWs.... like my old Mondeo it has a design
>> flaw...
>>
>> You cannot put the fog lights on when the lights are on auto.... it was
>> interesting when I tried on the Woodhead Pass (the top bit with freezing temperatures last
>> Friday)..... in turning and then pulling the light control the lights briefly went off!! I'd
>> gone over Snake and then Woodhead evaluating the directional bi-xenons... they were good and I
>> am getting them. But now I know about that 'flaw'.
>>
>> Anyone else ever come across this 'flaw'? :-)
>>
Is it really a flaw ?
You cannot switch the front fog lights on unless the headlights are switched on, you have not switched them on (the switch is still in the off position) so why would you be able to turn the fog lights on ? I would imagine the logic is you want full light function then you have to switch them on.
People used to complain about Volvo doing a similar thing. The P2 cars have day running lights which were the dipped headlights. When people tried to use main beam the lights would only flash because the headlight switch position was still off.
On the subject of Privacy Glass, prefer blinds myself. Put them up and down as needed.
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 2 Apr 11 at 12:12
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The lights were on auto so the main headlights were already on. It then became foggy so to turn on the fog lights you had to go via side lights to manual on and then pull the light switch to turn on the fog lights.
I was not trying to turn on the fogs without main headlights - it was about midnight at the time on the top of the Woodhead Pass.
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You had not turned the lights ON though. The car did this for safety.
When you turned the side lights to manual, this overrided/overrode (?) the auto function so you got the previously mentioned issue of "in turning and then pulling the light control the lights briefly went off!! ". This was because you had now turned the car to sidelights with fogs.
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>> The lights were on auto so the main headlights were already on.
As Gmac said, your lights were NOT on.
They were as you stated set to AUTO.
IMO the switch is exactly as it should be, if you want full functionality set the lights to ON.
If you had been able to turn on the fogs, in auto mode, then they would have gone off when the sensor switched of the headlamps, only to come back on (maybe without your knowledge) when the sensor turned the headlamps back on.
Again, IMHO I don't see the point in auto lights/wipers, I have a perfectly good brain that tells me when its dark/raining.
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>> Again, IMHO I don't see the point in auto lights/wipers, I have a perfectly good
>> brain that tells me when its dark/raining.
>>
I could not agree more. My Focus had auto lights and wipers and they are no more than a toy. The auto lights do not work in fog or motorway spray when the "no light idiots" and everyone else would best benefit from them. Fords auto wipers give a single wipe on engine start if the stalk is left in auto after the wipers have auto stopped, great if the wipers are frozen to the screen.
The Ceed has a better system of lights, the headlights go off with the ignition, the sidelights with the drivers door opening. I you want the sidelights to stay on switch them off and on before opening the door. The lights come on at engine start, if they are switched on. It has manual variable speed wipers that do what I want not what they feel like doing.
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>> The Ceed has a better system of lights, the headlights go off with the ignition,
>> the sidelights with the drivers door opening. I you want the sidelights to stay on
>> switch them off and on before opening the door. The lights come on at engine
>> start, if they are switched on. It has manual variable speed wipers that do what
>> I want not what they feel like doing.
Exactly the same with the Lancer. Plus as long as the side lights are on I can select any combination of front and/or rear fog lights that I want, and they reset to off after the ignition is turned off.
Complete simplicity and logicality.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 2 Apr 11 at 12:58
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>> Exactly the same with the Lancer. Plus as long as the side lights are on
>> I can select any combination of front and/or rear fog lights that I want, and
>> they reset to off after the ignition is turned off.
>>
Same with the Ceed, except only the rear fog resets to off, I hope it is not infected with Lancer. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 2 Apr 11 at 13:09
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It has Lancer heritage ON. An unruly and slightly untidy offspring.
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I would seriously consider the 520d myself, or perhaps a 3 Series with options ...
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That's you though. I don't want a BMW. Sat in a 5 series and did think it nice and the spec is okay too. But the 3 series feels a lot cheaper to me. If I wanted a 3-series saloon in the EfficientDynamics spec I'd be quids in. I could get a 5-series with a lot of options. I can pay up towards a car 33% but if the car is low in CO2 emissions some of that I don't pay.
But I don't want one. And what options would I get that I won't have on the Passat CC? I know there's some interesting ones on the 5-series but until the new 3-series is out later this year it's not up there technology wise.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 23:38
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>>And what options would I get that I won't have on the Passat CC?>>
The driving experience perhaps?
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What up and down straight roads/motorways ;-)
I don't personally want a BMW. I could have one but don't want one. I have said on here I really liked the 5-series as it felt really nice. The 3-series though is nowhere near as good in terms of quality as the 5-series.
But we also have to take into account my wife thinks ;-) No Mercedes for sure. And also BMWs. But I thought about it and don't want one either.
So apart from the driving experience what could I say get on a 3-series that I cannot on a VW? Interested to know.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 23:46
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>> So apart from the driving experience what could I say get on a 3-series that
>> I cannot on a VW? Interested to know.
>>
Rear wheel drive
IF I was in the market for a new car, that would rate highly in my 'want' list.
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>> Rear wheel drive
>> IF I was in the market for a new car, that would rate highly in
>> my 'want' list.
>>
It depends on your driving - if it's dual carriageway/motorway, the only difference with rwd is less interior room because of the transmission tunnel.
I've just gone fwd S-Max after a string of rwd Mercs, and I have to say the fwd is more fun to drive. The front end grip is so good I've yet to encounter the frustration of understeer, which is my predominant memory of fwd from years gone by (with skinnier tyres).
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I found the front end grip on the 18" wheels of the Passat quite good. I don't want a RWD either. Now all wheel drive is another matter but paying for that will cost a bit more (e.g. Audi Quattro system), especially benefit in kind due to emissions.
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>> I've just gone fwd S-Max after a string of rwd Mercs, and I have to
>> say the fwd is more fun to drive. The front end grip is so good
>> I've yet to encounter the frustration of understeer, which is my predominant memory of fwd
>> from years gone by (with skinnier tyres).
>>
I used to think like that until I got something with 389lbft of torque, then RWD was definitely an advantage, the preceding car with 'only' 269lbft was FWD and you were never in any doubt which wheels were being driven, exiting tight bends in the RWD car showed the difference most noticeably.
I'd agree that 90% of the time FWD is indistinguishable and possibly even preferable in most cars.
My RWD car also had factory fit privacy glass as an option which I specified, I like the aesthetic effect and I thought it better than blinds for my kids, in truth they seem to get travel sick with privacy glass (or have in the 3 cars we've tried with it) so I won't go out of my way to get it again. It makes the load bay of an estate car more secure though - pity you can't opt for it on the rearmost/load bay windows only as most manufacturers fit it to the rear passenger windows too....
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>> Rear wheel drive
>> IF I was in the market for a new car, that would rate highly in
>> my 'want' list.
Given the snow we have had the last two years, its way down on my wish list!
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>> >> Rear wheel drive
>> >> IF I was in the market for a new car, that would rate highly
>> in my 'want' list.
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>> Given the snow we have had the last two years, its way down on my
>> wish list!
>>
Given the fact my FWD had to be reversed out my uphill drive in the snow, thus making it RWD, due to lack of traction (weight transference?) I'll go with RWD thanks!
Never had any problems driving (forwards) out my drive with the Omega I had....
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Being pushed up briskly to cruising speed is infinitely more enjoyable than being pulled. Turning corners with a balanced rwd car is way more natural feeling than a fwd which always has a numb feeling at the back of the car. Not even mentioning things like the far superior turning circle possible with a RWD.
That being said, modern FWD are better than they used to be. Electronic aids can be used to impressive effect, the braking of one inside wheel trick makes a FWD turn way better than the centrifugal pull tells you it should.
There's a good example of that at Knockhill, where you come out of McIntyres and you need to get to the left of the track for Butchers, the grip experienced there defies belief, still doesn't compute in my brain, it's easily 40% past the limit my brain tells me should be there.
For feeling of enjoyment though, it's hard to see FWD ever overtaking RWD.
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Speaking as someone who likes restrained car styling and hates overt bling...
The *privacy glass* at the rear of my C5 Tourer looks entirely in keeping with the dark metallic grey... but I've seen a metallic silver one where the glass looks like aftermarket bling.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 1 Apr 11 at 22:58
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>> *drug dealer in a ghetto glass
Just don't try snorting the powder on the floor. You know what the Top Gear analysis of used cars found ....
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I haven't just posted and 'run for the hills', I was hoping someone had enough knowledge to state whether a manufacturer specced vehicle's privacy glass was changeable if you bought one and didn't like it, ot whether you'd have to change all the windows, which would no doubt be a prohibitive cost.
For me it would be a deal breaker. I couldn't bring myself to drive around like it...
although I take Lud's point about the wheel spinners...;-)
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My privacy glass is definitely heavily (30% light transmission) tinted and the front glass is 70% transmission, as stated in the manufacturers details etched into the glass.
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>> I haven't just posted and 'run for the hills', I was hoping someone had enough
>> knowledge to state whether a manufacturer specced vehicle's privacy glass was changeable if you bought
>> one and didn't like it,
usually, where its standard, its tinted glass and you cant strip it off. Chnging the glass is the only way
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>> usually, where its standard, its tinted glass and you cant strip it off. Chnging the
>> glass is the only way
That's definitely the case with the factory spec "sunset glass" on Octavia's. Not bling enough for an up and coming drug dealer though :-)
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I quite like privacy glass in the back windows anyway. Handy in estate cars especially when you have to leave stuff in them overnight. My current car doesn't have it but having had it before I'd probably specify it given the chance next time. Can't really begin to worry about what other people think of my car or me as a result.
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I had some temporary privacy film in the rear screen and rear 3/4 windows to keep the dog cool. It looks ok and is useful so I will do a more permanent job this year.
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It was ace when we were camping. Keeps the inside cool in direct sunlight so your wee plug in fridge doesn't have to work overtime.
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Most of the roof of my Qashqai is made of privacy glass. The rest of the car is black so you can't really see that the roof is glass from the outside which for some reasons inexplicable I like. Driving it though is vaguely like being in a convertble which I also like. To get the authentic feeling you just have to wind the AC down a bit. Tough to flick your fag ash through it though. Not that I smoke much now...
:-)
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One thing the Mazda6 seems to be missing is heat reflective glass. Or maybe it just needs a slight tint. It's the first car I have had in ages where you can feel the heat from the sun.... not that I've felt it much in the last 3.5 years! :-)
So for keeping the inside cool, if/when I get a Passat CC the rear privacy type glass will be useful as will the VW heat reflective glass. And the climate seats.... it's leather and I don't want got seats if we ever get a warm/hot summer. They're not that much extra either.
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Followed a 59 plate Mercedes GL wagon thing today and something about it looked strange.
And then it dawned on me - it had no blacked out or even dark tint windows. Not even the back passengers or the boot.
All totally transparent. and it was a black car.
Somehow I thought it just didn't look right, many bog standard cars now have heavy tinting even in the hatchback and this didn't, you could see clearly through to the driver.
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Privacy Glass - Armel Coussine
