Aerospace 303 – Product Review
May 7, 2022
Detailing cars is where it’s at, these days. Not washing, not cleaning, detailing. By which we of course mean labouring over every, ahem, detail in the pursuit of vehicular perfection. And we can tell you first hand that while it might seem somewhat insane to clean out your air vents with cotton buds, it’s actually really darn satisfying. There is a pleasing satisfaction that comes from having a clean car. And then of course there is the fact that detailing is open to all of us. You don’t need to be a mechanical master, you don’t need a garage full of expensive tools. You do, however, need the right detailing kit, and this Aerospace 303 protectant should be on your kit list.
Tempting though it might be, you can’t just clean everything with one wet sponge. You need the right stuff for metal, the right stuff for glass, the right stuff for paint and of course, the right stuff for plastics both inside and out. And that latter point is where Aerospace 303 comes into play. You can use it on your engine, on your dash on a your doors and much more. It’s incredibly versatile, and promises to be easy to use. But of course, we’re not going to take the bottle’s word for it. Time to test!
The Product
As the name would suggest, Aerospace 303 was – along with other products from the Aerospace brand – designed for use on aircraft and the like. However, it’s not available to those of us more grounded, and it’s become extremely popular as a result. A water-based protectant, Aerospace 303 is a simple spray on/wipe off liquid that can be used on hard plastics and rubber to clean them, to give them a rich shine and that also offers a decent level of UV protection. That’s particularly useful when it comes to delicate dashboards in older cars and the like. It’s got no silicon or oils in it, so there is no residue left behind, instead you’re left with a clean, matt finish. The only consideration is of course based around this being a chemical, so don’t use it in close spaces (open your windows) and try not to drink it or spray it in your eyes. Tempting, but don’t, okay?
The Test
We’ve been using Aerospace 303 for a long time now, mainly on interiors, as it does a brilliant job of keeping interior plastics looking their absolute best. The silicon-free nature of it appeals to us, too, as you get no streaks and no greasy residue left behind. However, for this test we wanted to try it on the engine bay of our Rover Streetwise (don’t get jealous now). The car has done a mere 61k, but it’s evident that since it rolled out of the showroom in 2003, nobody has bothered to clean the engine. This made for the perfect test. We cleaned the bay with some all purpose cleaner, then rinsed off. With the engine bay wet, we sprayed on a coat of Aerospace 303 and left it to dwell for five minutes (remember, its water-based, so the wet rinse actually helps it spread). We came back with a microfibre towel and dried it all off, while also working the 303 into any corner we might have missed.
The Result
As you can see, the Aerospace 303 did a rather excellent job. The hard plastics look deep and rich in colour, the hoses are free of any remaining dirt and they also have a rich colour to them. In terms of effort against result, this product is incredible. We literally sprayed it on, left it, them wiped over the engine bay. That’s it. We could have gone mad with detailing brushes and the like, but, you know… it’s a Streetwise. We wanted to use Aerospace 303 in the most casual way, as that’s how most people will indeed use it. And given the impressive results, they – and we – will keep using it. A couple of weeks later, the engine bay still looked as good as the day we cleaned it. Being under a bonnet does of course make the UV protection offered somewhat moot. However, the product offers around four weeks of protection for exposed plastics.
The Verdict – 4 out of 5
Aerospace 303 is, make no mistake, excellent. It’s so simple to use, and the results are staggering given the minimal effort required. If it weren’t £15 for a just under 500ml, this would get the full five stars. If you can justify the spend though, this is worth it. Dashboard, doors, interior plastics and as we have proven, engine bays will all thank you for this.
