Pimp My Ride

Last Saturday was officially Yumi’s day. We spent a great deal of time with her since she needed a good bath, a visit to the tyre shop for her punctured tyre, and a long overdue tinting procedure.

Carwash was relatively easy as we came in early to the gas station so there was no queue. We finished in a jiff and proceeded to the Sharjah Industrial Road 1 for the tyre and tint needs. To be honest, we didn’t have a clue where to bring the car since it was our first time to require vulcanizing services, and we never had her windows tinted ever since.

As soon as we got to this road where all these motor shops are lined up (similar to the one in Banawe, QC back home), we went for the first tyre shop that offers vulcanizing services. We couldn’t care less how much it would cost because what we needed was a shop that has this equipment to automatically take out the tyre from the wheel seamlessly without scratching the rim. Besides, we didn’t wanna go back and forth because the next U-turn slot was a bit far, and traffic was already building up on the other side of the road. Anyway, the vulcanizing service costed us AED 20, including installation, and we’re happy with the result.

Once the tyre was done getting fixed and the spare tyre returned to its original place, we went further down the road to find a shop that installs window tint. During the car show held in Dubai last November 2007, we literally drooled over the V-Kool Tint which had a promotion of 30% off when you book on the spot. But despite the substantial slash from the original price, it still was too pricey for us. We left the car show decided that we will go for the conventional window film, most probably from a reputable brand like 3M. So while we were driving along last Saturday, we were on the look-out for a shop that has the 3M logo.

I don’t know if it were my eyes or if I was just plain stupid for not spotting a single shop that read 3M. We were at the end of the motor shops strip when I saw a big sign that says something related to car window films. It was on the other side of the road but the U-turn slot was just a few meters away, so hubby geared towards the left for the turn.

When we parked in front of the shop, we felt kind of intimidated. Firstly, they were putting on tints inside the floor-to-ceiling glass shop. Nothing of this sort is typical for us as we’ve always seen tints being installed on cars outdoors. Secondly, the vehicles being tinted were brand new Nissan Armada and Mitsubishi Pajero - obviously expensive SUVs that we could only stare at but couldn’t afford. And lastly, the shop exudes this image of professionalism that we were not sure we can afford given our measly budget. We still gave it a shot to feed our curiosity and bravely stepped in to inquire.

As we entered the Nanolux shop, we were cheerfully greeted by a pleasant sales guy who escorted us to the section where samples of window films were plastered towards the sun’s direction. Then, he showed us a demo of the infrared light’s heat emanated from an ordinary glass, a conventional tint, and their top of the line tint called Super Lux. We initially wanted to go for the conventional tint they have called Lux since the price tag is within our budget. But when we were told that we could go for the Lux and Super Lux package combo that can cover the front windshield with Super Lux, and all rest of the windows in Lux film, we were almost convinced. With discount, it was pegged at AED 1,300, a little over the amount we have allocated.

However, we were also leaning towards the Super Lux series package since the benefits were quite tempting. for just an additional AED 500, we could have the windshield and all windows covered in Super Lux film that has 88.98% UV rejection, 82% infrared rejection, 83% visible light transmission, and 46.34% total solar energy rejected. Plus, this package comes with a 5 year warranty so that made the deal more appealing. To check for feedback, we called a friend who’s quite familiar with car accessories, and we were told that the package proposed to us was reasonable, considering that Nanolux is apparently also owned by the same producers of V-Kool, and it’s the next best supplier for window tints. We were totally sold upon learning this, so right there and then, we decided to go for the Super Lux package and filled out our form.

It was quite hefty for the pocket as we had to cough out more than what we have budgeted for, but at the end of the day, we believe we got ourselves a trusty product. It would not only protect us from the blazing heat of the middle east’s summer but would also protect our car’s interiors, especially the leather seats that are prone to cracks and discoloration from heat. The next time we get on to sit in our vehicle in the middle of the day, it will be more comfortable for us and our passengers. That made our purchase justifiable.

Our little adventure last weekend proved to be fruitful, and we’re extremely pleased. We got to do everything we planned as scheduled, and got a good deal in tow.