sha1na_AMG

So I know many of you do a lot of your own work on your car but I was wondering if I should shell out up front for the prepaid or just do it service by service? Also I was searching through older threads and I just want to confirm but is it ~$1400 or so for the maintenance for only up to 30,000mi? I was wondering if one, it would be possible to get more miles and if so does anyone know the cost? And two, I remember reading awhile ago that the prepaid maintenance price is negotiable? Is this true?

Second question: clear bra. So I know that the dealership is offering a inside and out sealant/clear bra type deal for about ~$1k (I honestly can't remember the exact price). I was wondering if anyone has done this before? And also does anyone know of a vendor that does a sealant type deal on the leather seats like the dealership. I have a porcelain/black interior but I am kinda paranoid about getting it dirty. And lastly, is it better to get the clear bra done ASAP when the car gets here, or it doesn't matter when.

Sorry for all the questions but advanced thanks as always

esses

sealant and clear bra are completely different - sealant is applied similarly to a wax, and it covers all painted surfaces. a clear bra is a polyurethane film that is cut to fit on the front of the car.

sha1na_AMG

Ohh ok good to know. I should figure out which is being offered at ~1000 price. But I am guessing it is sealant though. I know that MBSD is doing the 3M wrap if I am not mistaken but I don't know what the price is on that yet. Which is better? Sorry if my questions are semi-ignorant.

USCGTO

trust me, a dealer will probably never offer clear bra for 1k. Not a mercedes dealer. Not on an AMG.

sha1na_AMG

Haha I know that is why I am thinking, it is too good to be true. Especially since we all know that they are not that nice when it comes to pricing. Do you have an opinion on clear bra vs. sealant type things? And what would you consider a decent price for a clear bra?

esses

definitely bra over sealant as it will protect the paint from chipping, scratching, etc.

depending on coverage, clear bra can be as low as 600 (front bumper, and about 12 inches of hood and fenders), or as high as 1500 for a complete front wrap. ideally, you would want to fully wrap the entire hood, front fenders, bumper and mirrors if you are keeping the car. if its a lease, i probably wouldnt worry too much.

sha1na_AMG

I see. Well I guess I will look into it, after all the car won't be here for a bit, just doing my hw early. Yea I ended up buying the car so that is why i am being a bit more careful. But thanks so much for your advice

CoolBDPhenom03

I don't like how clear bras look on just part of the hood. Eventually, there can be a line of dirt that builds up and makes it super visible. I know that the whole hood is more expensive, but given the choice, I'd do complete body panels.

USCGTO

IMHO, a one time clear bra installed at a premium place will be worth the price.

I have clear bra over
the front half of the car
mirrors
door edges
skirts
wheels well edges

the best investment ever, I smile each time I clean the car. the bugs and the tar and the burnt rubber just comes off like anything. And the car looks brand spanking new.

tfthach13

The sealant is essentially an overpriced wax job. You can get an aftearket detailer to do a better job for less.

I agree with CoolBDPhenom03, I don't like the way the clear bra looks on the hood.

abcut973

I was quoted around 1500$ for a full front self healing clear bra.
Xpel is the brand if i'm not wrong. You might want to check it out too.

sha1na_AMG

Yea I think I would do a full body if I end up doing it. But I am just curious to know how much it will cost. I have considered doing a satin wrap but I think I will hold off and do that when I need to do something to spice up my car.

See that sounds awesome! I got the teflon done on the bmw when I got it and yea I don't feel like it is there anymore so the clear bra would probably suit my needs a bit better.

Hah I have yet to see one. But I trust your opinion. In all honesty I didn't know that you could only do certain parts. It sounds kind of inconsistent in the long run. Like certain parts will be nicer than the others.

I will definitely look into this! Thanks for the tip

CoolBDPhenom03

I think you can get any shop to do a full Opticoat application to your car for a few hundred $. It's supposed to act like Rain-X for your whole car.

SaphGreyC63

I did an opticoat about 2 months ago for the full car. Washing and drying the car is a breeze. Also, I can go longer between washes. I was about once every three weeks now as opposed to washing every week or two before and even now when I wash it its more out of wanting a sparkling car than just a clean one. I think I could go about 5 weeks without it NEEDING a wash to look good.

So far I really like the Opticoat and having it there as an extra peace of mind from swirl marks etc. is an added bonus.

sha1na_AMG

Ohh interesting. I didn't know that they were cheaper I figured they would be around the same price. But an opticoat is permanent right? Like what happens if down the road I want to satin wrap my car, do they just wrap over it? Also I was wondering if you know of or heard of someone getting their interior treated? I am still kind of paranoid about the porcelain. The dealer said they have like a sealant thingy or whatever. But I don't know too much about it. I was hoping you could shed some light and point me in the aftermarket direction potentially

sha1na_AMG

Ohh that is good to know. If you don't mind me asking what was the price range that you paid? Like into the thousands or like CoolBD said somewhere in the hundreds. Also how is the porcelain/black interior holding up? My OCD-ness is kicking in and I am still worried about staining the porcelain parts.

SaphGreyC63

I can PM you the specifics if you'd like but he's right. It's in the hundreds. I sent out several quotes and the absolute HIGHEST I got was $800. I paid much less (though it all depends on the condition of your paint so if its new it should be around what I paid).

It isn't a permanent thing. Think of it as a couple microns thick sealant that goes over the paint. A detailer who is working on the car down the road who WANTS to take it off can using the right tools. Otherwise it's there to stay for at least 3-5 years (depends on your weather but San Diego is great).

As for the interior its holding up great! I'm also really **** about keeping the white clean but I don't really do anything special. I have cleaned the seat out once already using Leatherique and lately I have been driving my car alot to the gym and back so I FEEL like there may be some sweat on the seat (ewwww) but I am also very careful about that before getting in the car so it might just be in my mind. All in all its held up great and I actually want to clean and moisturize it again soon though more of just because rather than because it needs it.

sha1na_AMG

OK that sounds good. I will probably get in touch when I get back from euro and the car is on its way here. Oh I always thought it was a permanent thing. So I am guessing it will wear down after 3-5 years kind of like my teflon exterior sealant thing. Although that felt like it was gone in less than a year. Ok that gives me enough time to enjoy the diamond white then go ahead and do the satin wrap.

Ohhh. Ok so it doesn't sound too horrible to maintain. Yea the gym is a sweaty place to be. I do hot yoga so I totally know what you mean. But I doubt I will be taking the C63 there. Haha. Too much sweat like the drippy nike commercial type. haha. But thanks so much for your input and I will definitely be getting in touch with you about that opticoat

CoolBDPhenom03

Opticoat is like a high-end wax. Just like Rain-X doesn't last forever, Opticoat doesn't either, but as Saph said, it lasts for a while.

sha1na_AMG

Hmm. Good stuff. Plus with the savings I am figuring I can put that towards other fun stuff like mods

cmvash

I have my front end wrapped (~$1,200) and I think it was worth it personally, but I drive quite a bit back and forth to Arkansas. It's a little bit of maintenance, but I think it was worth it. You could probably do without it if you don't drive open stretches or highways a lot.

You'll wish you had it when cruising all through Europe. I came back with a couple of chips, albeit minor ones.

sha1na_AMG

Yea I drive a lot of freeways/highways in San Diego. Mainly because I like driving and I find random reasons to be on the road but I get a lot of paint chips. My parents say it is because I tailgate too much but I can usually still see the bumper in front of me so I figure I am good. But I don't really want to chance it and wait for my C63 to chip before I do something about it.

I was totally thinking about this the other day! haha. Will they fix the little chips at VPC? Or no?

CoolBDPhenom03

Doesn't matter if you tail gate or not. There's always going to be crap on the roads and people will always drive over it. CA roads are pretty bad. SD is better than the Bay Area, but it's all managed by the same broke agency.

cmvash

Probably worth the additional investment then.

To my surprise they did not. Fortunately, they aren't very noticeable chips. I see them as a sort of souvenir or memento now.

roadtalontsi

maint. package is a joke. It doesnt pay the techs crap, doesnt cover wiper blades either. the biggest expense is the 39k - typically b-service/40k and transmission service which is after its already out.