Spring is in the air, which means it is time to give the cars a good cleaning! One of the many reasons I dislike winter is the Michigan road slop that gets on the cars. It’s hard to keep cars clean during winter, since the salt and grime will negate any detailing efforts.
That’s why I look forward to spring, where I can spend quality time cleaning and detailing my cars. It’s also why I look forward to trying new car care products that make detailing easier and longer lasting.
Last year I joined an automotive group hosted by Rust-Oleum. As part of that membership, I get a chance to sample and review their new products. More detail on that membership and some other products I reviewed are in the related articles below.
Related Articles: New DIY Forum: Rusto Garage; Wipe New Car Care Products
A New Player Emerges
Last week, I was sent Rust-Oleum’s new Wipe New Midnight Black Ultimate Tire Shine System. For more than forty years, I have used a number of tire shine products, ranging from Armor All to the Wipe New Blazing Wet Tire Shine reviewed previously. Most of the products do a nice job of refreshing my tires with a deep, black shine.
After our recent Michigan winter, I was excited to give this new system a try. Sadly, my experience had mixed results.
The Kit
Everything you need to use the new tire shine system is included in the box. As you can see in the picture above, you get two bottles of product, two applicator sponges and gloves.
For starters, the gloves should have been my first clue that this was going to be a messy job. Even knowing that, I was willing to give this a try.
Based on the instructions included in the kit, this looked to be an easy three step process:
- Clean the tires and let them dry
- Apply the Base Coat to each tire, wait 5-10 minutes to dry
- Apply the Top Coat Shine to each tire, allow 5-10 minute to fully cure
The Experience
It is important for me to point out that I really enjoy cleaning and detailing cars. I find it very therapeutic and love the end result. That was not the case with this product.
This was not a good experience. Unlike the ten minute job of applying other tire shines, this process took me nearly an hour. Applying the Base Coat is messy, because it is a thick black liquid. Even using gloves and the sponge, I got it on my pants, wheels and driveway.
My vehicle has all-terrain tires, so the aggressive tire sidewall requires more work to spread the black Base Coat. It dripped onto my wheels, which forced me to clean the wheels before the Base Coat dried.
Luckily, the Top Coat Shine was easier to apply. I suspect I missed some areas on the tires with the Top Coat, but at this point I wanted to finish the task and go have a drink. In fairness, the end result was excellent, but at $19.99 I’m not sure it is worth the time and effort. I prefer the Wipe New Blazing Wet Tire Shine at $8.99.
Final Thoughts & Questions
As I mentioned earlier, the end result was quite good. Time will tell if the shine will last beyond a couple of car washes. If it does, then I might feel better about this product; however, I’m not sure I want to go through the application process again (unless it was on a show car or a fun car that never gets driven in the rain and snow).
The kit comes with enough product to do at least two vehicles. It did not come with enough gloves, so you better buy extra or your hands will have the midnight black look of your tires.
Let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions about these car care products. Please email me at wct.billtaylor@gmail.com, or message me through the Vehicle Nanny Instagram or Facebook pages.