Modern Armor Clear Bra Paint Protection VS Repainting

Are you looking to protect your new vehicles finish from being eaten away (along with the resale value) by sand and road debris? Thinking that paint protection film, aka a clear bra is the way to go? You are on the right track! Thinking that it might be cheaper to live with the chips and get the front end repainted every year or two to keep it looking new? No not really a good idea.

When you factor in the decrease in resale value when it is time to trade or sell your vehicle, you might find that you are significantly worse off than if you had paint protection film professionally installed and still had factory paint! No used car manager, or consumer for that matter is going to believe that you had your car repainted simply to fix paint chips. They will all think you stuffed it into the back of somebody and had major work done - even if you have a clean carfax report - and adjust the value of your vehicle accordingly.

Let us say you were in the market for a late model used vehicle and found two different sellers with the same exact vehicle. Both the same year, make, model, color, options, etc. Vehicle A had a full paint protection package protecting the paint at the front of the vehicle, and Vehicle B was chip free having been recently repainted. You have both vehicles complete a pre purchase inspection. Vehicle A comes back with a clean bill of health while Vehicle B comes back clean, but with a sub-note. The front of the vehicle has been painted. They can't determine whether or not the vehicle was in a major accident or not, but are 100% sure the front of the vehicle was repainted at least once. Which would you want? Which would be worth more? Which would sell first? Which would be easier to sell? Vehicle A - the one with paint protection of course! Given the choice, most people would not want a vehicle that had potentially suffered a major crash over one that had not.

Repainting the front of a vehicle correctly is expensive, typically $1,000+ no matter the vehicle. Far more costly than having paint protection film installed. While you might find a cheap place to repaint your vehicle, they will cut corners and likely hurt resale worse than just leaving the chips.

Over the years we have also had a number of people think they can easily get the front end 're-sprayed' a few times for what the paint protection costs up front. A cheap re-spray is just that cheap. Repainting properly is not a cheap process. On top of that you loose the value of the OEM paint, and plant a question in the future buyer's mind - why was the car repainted???
Keep the OEM paint you have and invest in a clear bra!

Still on the fence? Don't end up like this person. Kicking himself that he didn't get it done while he had the chance... Even if you have a couple of chips paint protection film can still be installed, preserving the finish of your vehicle.