I have a recently purchased 2003 530i with 93K miles on it that is in near perfect condition. I would like to maintain the paint and am considering a clear bra or ceramic coating. Has anyone tried this brand? https://www.ceramicpro.com/products/ Any thoughts or recommendations?
I guess you'd have to see what it costs and consider that relative to the car's current value, what you might expect it's projected value might be in time or for how long you intend to keep it, or if you're ok with whatever it costs because you want it. I have never tried it so no experience to share; I can say it doesn't take too long to rack up a substantial chunk of change with premium car care products and supplies from quality places like Griots though! I'd say worthwhile to do some more info searching to get perspective from others who've tried ceramic coatings or a clear bra.
I did a ceramic coating myself on our 2000 540iT last year as i found a decently rated one on amazon. They claimed 2 years of protection at minimum. It lasted me about 1 year and 3 months before the water beading and shine was gone.. for 60 dollars, it was worth it even if it only lasted for about a year.. but it was only one coat as well. Of course it depends on where it's driven, garage kept, how often it's washed etc.. I think ours did not last as long since I am forced to park it under trees at my condo that puts out horrible sap onto the paint which requires frequent washing. I will definitely do a ceramic coat again, and may even pay someone do to multiple coats since you really should claybar and maybe paint correction before the coat. ( i only did clay bar before i did the ceramic coat) Also, doing multiple coats, i could definitely see the protection lasting 5 years.
Hard question but it depends on the current paint condition the vehicle has and how you will drive it. The clear bra does protect better than ceramic. But it does show rock chips and paint defects. Bra works better for vehicle driven daily and used normally. Ceramic coatings I see done on vehicles that have great paint already and are secondary cars.
I will chime in to reinforce what was said about paint condition by charlson89. It certainly depends on that, because getting your paint corrected by a detailer can often be more expensive than the coating, depending on how many passes are required with the DA buffer. Having said that, I have done the full treatment with paint correction and G-techniq coating on a 2001 Audi TT and it cost about $800. I think it was worth it, especially since it's garage-kept and is mostly a weekend car, so the coating will definitely last a couple or three years.
