Should I make the jump to a paint coating?

[rcg703]

I'm going to be buying a new truck soon and wonder if it's worth it to upgrade to a paint coating. It will be Ford's magnetic metallic gray paint. I currently already have the Griot's sealant, wax, rinseless wash, and spray detailer. I've been thinking about going to McKee's 37 but will have to purchase the paint prep, coating, N914, and the spray detailer. Am I going to notice that much of a difference if I make the investment to jump to the McKee's line? Thanks in advance.

[Desertnate]

It all depends on what you hope to gain.

I didn't notice much difference in appearance. To my eyes, McKee's 37 coating looks a lot like Collinite 845. It's a very glossy, wet look.

The biggest difference I've experienced was in the maintenance of the vehicles. I've found the vehicles stay cleaner longer since a hard rain will often knock off the dust that would stick to some waxes and sealants. Washing/cleaning is much easier as well as dirt easily comes off with a gentle pass of the wash mitt and bug splatters/bird droppings also come off much easier and don't stick nearly as bad. Finally, I've found that rather than waxing/sealing the car every six months, I'll only have to do it every 12~18 months. Right now, it is holding up well enough I'm planning on the 18 month cycle.

[rcg703]

I'm definitely contemplating the move to McKee's. I can probably get all the products I need for around $100 but I just need to justify leaving half full bottles of Griot's products on the shelf in my garage.

[Desertnate]

I'm definitely contemplating the move to McKee's. I can probably get all the products I need for around $100 but I just need to justify leaving half full bottles of Griot's products on the shelf in my garage.

That's the hard part and I fully understand. I've got a 1/3 bottle of Collinite 845, some Klasse bottles, an AIO or two, and a glaze laying around that only get used for odd family jobs or on wheels. I'd donate them if I could find someone willing to take them. Sadly, around here everyone views car detailing as running their vehicle through a coin operated tunnel wash at the gas station...even the high end vehicles....

[vobro]

Most local fire departments will take your old stock! I was in the same spot as the op when I first got into coatings but since I made the move I don't regret it, at the time I had 4 family vehicles that included a Ram. The time savings that I seen after the coatings i.e. maintanence is enough for me to recommend the move to coatings. I still do a weekly wash on all cars but it's easier to maintain, if you're one that washes every 2 months or hits the car wash than no the coating won't have benefits over a sealant.

[BudgetPlan1]

I believe you can use N914 as a panel wipe at the correct dilution, (As Paint Prep Dilute 1:8), eliminating the need for the paint prep product (so long as you have polished/corrected before coating). After correcting/polishing I have always just wiped down with a paint prep/panel wipe before applying McKees Paint Coating.

For the cost, McKees is a nice choice

[rcg703]

Yep, I noticed that when looking at the products earlier. Even though it will be a new truck, I'm still going to polish it and get it as close to perfect as I can before applying the coating. You guys are selling me on McKee's 37! I'll just wait for a sale or promo code and put in my order.

[FUNX650]

I'll suggest that, if you do make "the
jump", to keep Dr. David Ghodoussi's
Optimum Gloss-Coat Coating in mind.


Bob

[goldendodo19]

Whichever route you decide to go magnetic gray has A LOT of metallic in it and will look amazing once its fully polished up and freshly waxed/sealed/coated. I enjoy using a nice wax in the summer months and a sealant right before winter hits, just my personal preference.

[chet31]

I applied Optimum Opti-Coat two years ago to the front half of my car. To this day, it is still shiny, looks great from a few feet away. However, the moment after I applied the coating, it got bird-bombed, swirled, tarred, sapped and hit with embedded particles just like any clear-coat would. The front half of my car is rough to the touch and has modest swirling, but is shiny. The back half of my car is smooth to the touch and 90% swirl free. This is because I can clay and polish the back half of my car. I'm afraid to do this with the coated front half of my car - don't want to wreck the coating. So it depends on you. If you are a perfectionist and like to fuss with your car, don't do a coating. If you want the car to be shiny, and don't care if the finish is not so awesome on close inspection, do a coating. Kind of comes down to that.