My First impressions - Lots to review

[FireVette]

Alright, I apologize in advance for lack of pictures but it was extremely hot yesterday and I was soaked and didn't want to get my phone wet.
I've been lurking on here for a while soaking up the knowledge and reviews of products from fellow users on here.
I decided that I wanted to decon and coat my wifes' white 14 Acura RDX, to have something that would last through our love bug season and more here in Central Florida.
I went a little crazy with the 1/2 way to St. Pat sale and got the following:

• McKee's 37 - Paint Decontamination Kit
• McKee's 37 - Tire Coating kit
• McKee's Turbo Car Dryer
• McKee's 37 - Paint, Wheel and Glass coating kit

Conditions: HOT!!! It's still summer in Central Florida and despite original predictions of rain, nary a drop fell here. Humidity was high as I was drenched and have the sunburn to show where I was wearing my sunglasses!

Product first impressions:

• McKee's 37 - Paint Decontamination Kit
  
  • Nice little box with all items packed in bubble wrap in an unassuming white box that I can hide in plain sight, from the wife, on my work bench!
  • Came with McKee's 37 Xtreme Foam formula Auto Shampoo, McKee's 37 Xtreme Iron Remover, McKee's Detailing Clay and Lube, McKee's Wax Remover for Plastic, Gold Plush wash mitt and 2 Microfiber towels
    
    • Acura has black trim which I had gotten a previous AIO application due to being sloppy, so I sprayed Wax Remover on the black trim and worked in with the low profile tire brush and a small bucket of water evening before full decon wash.
      
      • Again no pictures but I didn't have as much success as others here have had... still spots with white... and I was working it in with the brush hard, but maybe a second application would've helped? Didn't notice any odor, so maybe I didn't spray enough on there?
      
      
    • Bright and early started with the Iron Remover and a dry car... sprayed liberally all over the RDX and used the entire bottle!
      
      • Expected to have some left over but the RDX was "bleeding like a stuck pig", odor wasn't strong but could smell the chemicals... worked as expected!
      • Rinsed the car down as I didn't have a foam gun and began my bucket wash
      
      
    • Xtreme Foam Formula lived up to the name and had a nice Spearmint smell... suds were good and the wash mitt was soaked up well
      
      • I combined the clay with the washing in an effort to save me time and get out of the sun as it rose over the house.
      • Did a panel at a time, first wash by mitt to knock stuff off and then rub against grit guard, then clay panel, and follow up with another wash by mitt before rinsing methodically around entire vehicle
      • Given the conditions and growing lack of shade as I worked around was that rinsing was needed for previous sections as water spotting was happening a lot... not sure if was the shampoo but other washes I've used in similar conditions didn't spot as much
    
    
  • Overall I liked the kit and it did pretty much what it said it would, with a few exceptions I mentioned above.
  
  
• McKee's 37 - Tire Coating kit
  
  • Another unassuming white box, another gift easily hidden!
  • Kit comes with McKee's Tire Coating, McKee's Tire & Rubber Rejuvenator, Low Profile Tire Brush, Carrand Brush & Shine Tire Dressing Applicator, Flex Foam Applicator, 2 All purpose & Wheel Microfiber towels, 2 Black Nirtile gloves
  • Not with kit but bought separately was McKee's Foaming Wheel Cleaner, Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush (large used but got both), Green Wheel Brush, Hyde's Serum Rust Stopper, Recessed Lug nut Wheel Brush. I would suggest adding most of these and the McKee wheel coating as the Ultimate wheel kit! Future discount for this idea?!?
    
    • Sorry for the break up in order but I'm trying to review each kit as I have them in order, not how I used them exactly.
    • After Iron remover and rinse I went to work on the wheels and tires. As instructions say Tire & Rubber Rejuvenator Should be applied to dry tires, which I did the best I could with that.
      
      • Sprayed all 4 tires down with Rejuvenator and began working it in with the low profile tire brush (great little tool, really like it!). Smell of product wasn't pleasing but it was working as I noticed blackish brown staining on the driveway and tire as I worked each one with the brush. Instructions say to continue until white foam shows but my arms wouldn't allow more than a greyish foam and I was done. Seems like it worked as advertised but I don't know about getting white foam while cleaning the first time out.
      • After finishing one tire I would rinse it off and spray on Foaming wheel cleaner on the wheel and move onto the next tire to allow it to set and then come back to work the wheel after finishing the tire, etc.
        
        • Used Pinnicale Wheel cleaner previously and McKee's product is similar but turns greenish blue instead of red, didn't notice a smell but did see the color change. No foam except for the wash I was using (Xtreme Foam). I LOVE the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush, I used the large one.. it got the entire barrel and spots I wasn't able to reach behind the caliper, I'm usually wet when cleaning my cars, but didn't notice any issues with blow back from the bristles. Green Wheel brush did the job, no muss no fuss, but the recessed lug nut Wheel brush was meh. Works good on the lugs on my Vette but the RDX might be slightly bigger lugs and smaller wall because it kept pushing the foam scrubber up the plastic, which made me go slower to ensure I wasn't scratching things.
        • Wanted to try Hyde's Serum Rust Stopper on the rotors because I get tired of working hard and seeing rusty rotors on a freshly detailed car... results were so-so, because I applied after washing and rinsing but before drying, but not sure if that was on the directions exactly (I didn't read them) I got little streaks of rust on the rotors instead of fully rusted rotor, could be because I going back to rinse car to keep it from drying in the sun.
        • After drying things down I started with coating the tires first. First tried McKee's Tire Coating out with the Carrand brush, didn't think it through on the application because I got a lot of the product on my hand without the glove holding the brush. Then when applying on first tire I seemed to be spreading it all over (tire, wheel, wheel well, etc.) which I assume it was my technique, so I went to the nirtile glove and the flex foam applicator. MUCH BETTER! First coat was a little too matte for my tastes (I prefer shiny tires personally) so second coat was a little better, but still not as shiny as I would've liked. I put that down to me and not the product. It was easy to use and I just need to learn how to use the Carrand Brush to perhaps get better results with application.
  
  
• McKee's Turbo Car Dryer
  
  • What's not to love about this tool? Better than lugging around my leaf blower and trying to keep the plastic off the paint by a mile and blasts the water out of every crevice better too! Reviews on here sold me.
  • Only suggestions would be make a better shoulder strap for it or at least a solid connection point to the blower, shorten the hose of the blower - I've got it wrapped around and behind me like a boa constrictor trying to keep it off the paint, the long power cord is nice but I'd prefer shorter one and just use my extension cable for ease of storing the dryer.
  • I think this was my best buy!
  
  
• McKee's 37 - Paint, Wheel and Glass coating kit
  
  • This kit did not come in a white box (hint, hint... it should) and they all came individually wrapped, towels and pads in a large plastic baggie.
  • Kit consisted of McKee's Coating Prep Polish, McKee's Power Wash, McKee's Paint Coating, McKee's Window Coating, McKee's Wheel Coating, 4 Green Microfiber towels, 4 Poly Foam pad applicators, 1 Microfiber applicator pad.
  • Not included but purchased separately McKee's Krystal Vision Glass Cleaner, McKee's Hi-Intensity All Purpose Cleaner to clean the windows and pads respectively.
    
    • Did not use the Powerwash as I had used the Xtreme foam already and felt the waxes in Powerwash might hinder the Coating, but maybe that's just me.
    • After drying the car with Turbo, applied polish on the entire vehicle by hand... UGH! took the most time that now I'm looking for a buffer to make it less time consuming. Polish worked nicely but I probably could've done with a compound to get the best out of the coating. Buffed out with towels just fine.
    • Cleaned the windows with Krystal Vision before coating, Instructions suggested using McKee's high performance glass restorer, but I didn't see this until I was ready to apply, DOH! Coating went on easy with foam applicator but I'll be investing in the Lakewood Foam wedge applicators for these coatings in the future. Buffed out easy with the towels, very easy product to use.
      
      • After doing all the exterior windows and sun roof I threw the pad in a bucket with water and APC to clean for future use, in hindsight I could've thrown it away.
      
      
    • Wheels were polished just like the car with Coating Prep Polish before wheel coating. This was the easiest to apply... just spray onto the applicator and rub onto the wheel, no buffing off or anything else.
    • Paint Coating wasn't too bad either. Instead of spraying on the car I sprayed onto the applicator 4-5 times and just applied to the paint. Did a section at a time and then followed up with towel to buff out the high spots/streaks I left behind due to too much product applied. This was my first time so it was a learning process but not too bad an experience.

After all said and done the wife was really appreciative of the work done liked the nice shiny RDX.
I have some after photos to share that I'll try to post up later but Chrome and AGO don't like each other enough to let me do it right now.
Thanks for reading!

[emmjay]

All this for a first time? Well done man!

And I feel you about being soaked. I spent the last 9 days soaked, doing 3 cars in the heat. So kudos on that!

[Kamakaz1961]

Great review!

[ScottH]

Well done and thanks for your detailed comments. I am sure the SUV looks amazing, and Iron Remover you did to start it all off is very important - so nice job!

ScottH

[FireVette]

@emmjaygti Thanks! It wasn't nearly as hot as you have it there... kudos to you to doing 3 cars... I'm done after doing just this one!

[FireVette]

@Kamakaz Thank you! Hope it was helpful!

[FireVette]

@ScottH Thanks! I agree the Iron Remover was key... Never used it before but same for the coatings, so overall things worked out pretty good!

[briarpatch]

nice...very thorough reviews in the products.....could we see some pics please?

[FireVette]

nice...very thorough reviews in the products.....could we see some pics please?

I've tried with all browsers to add it to my post but keep getting the message that it failed to upload through the board interface. I'll try a photobucket like place to upload... sorry...

[FireVette]

Here is another attempt for photos