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My $.02 from having a 981 Boxster professionally ceramic coated vs. not having my new-to-me 986 ceramic coated.
First, if your paint is in anything less than pristine condition (or cannot me made such), I don't think it is worth professionally ceramic coating it. I had a number of scratches fixed on my 981, plus the bumper resprayed, so that the paint was in near-flawless condition before they did minor paint correction and ceramic coating.
Second, I loved the ceramic coating on the 981. The shine on the car was great, and it was like having a hard shell on the paint. I went with Owners Pride, and they offer 5 or 7-year ceramic coatings (I chose the 5), and after having it for a couple years, it looked and acted just like it was freshly applied. Water would bead right off when washing the car.
Why not have the 986 ceramic coated? First, it would take a few thousand dollars to get the paint in shape to be coated, plus another thousand or so for the coating itself, and for a 20-year-old car, I don't think it's worth it.
I have looked into DIY ceramic coatings. A lot of people wonder why they are paying $1K to have someone else do it, when they could do it themselves for the cost of the coating. What I have discovered is that there is definitely an art to it - if you do it incorrectly, you can get high-spots or have it dry too quickly, and it makes your car look like it has polka dots, and if you are using a professional ceramic coating, it is not easy to fix it.
If you do want to go down the DIY ceramic route, I have heard good things about Gyeon Can Coat - it is easy to apply and can last up to two years. For a good one-year product, Adam's Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating is supposed to be easy to use and durable. If you are looking for a 5 or 7-year ceramic coating, I would recommend a professional.
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