05 - Windshield Sunstrip

Here are the tools needed for this project:

• • towel (to place on top of your dashboard)

  • roll of paper towels

  • spray bottle containing a weak soap solution (Use just a few drops of mild liquid detergent, then fill the bottle with distilled or filtered water. Filmvantage recommends Johnson's Baby Shampoo since it's very mild.)

  • rubber edged squeegee

  • soft plastic spatula (you can use a credit card in a pinch, but they tend to scratch the film)

  • razor blade

  • scissors (not shown)

Clean your windshield inside and out. On the inside take special care to remove stickers or adhesive residue.

The sunstrip is installed on the inside, so you have to remove the rear view mirror. This is done by pulling the bottom of the mirror base slightly away from the windshield while simultaneously pushing and rocking the base towards the headliner, in a direction parallel to the windshield. The base will then slide upwards and off the mirror mount. Here is a view of the underside of the mirror base, showing the spring clip that clamps onto the mirror mount.

The sunstrip is shipped rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube. Here is how it looks unrolled. Using the scissors, I cut the sunstrip away from the surrounding sheet to make it easier to handle. I sprayed the inside of the windshield using the soap solution, then did a test fit. Using the razor blade, I cut out a hole in the sunstrip for the mirror mount. When I was satisfied, I removed the sunstrip from the car. I removed the carrier film from the sunstrip, exposing the adhesive, and sprayed on soap solution to avoid fingerprints.

After positioning the film inside the windshield (adhesive side towards the glass) I sprayed on more solution to act as lubrication, then used my squeegee to smooth out the film against the glass and remove excess water. I used the plastic spatula for tight spots. A detailed how-to video is on the Filmvantage website.

(For this photo, I hung a bedsheet in front of the windshield to make the sunstrip easier to see.)

When done, reinstall your rear view mirror.

Here's a shot of the sunstrip shortly after the installation was completed. Filmvantage says it takes about 30 or even 45 days to dry and cure, depending on the weather.