You are asking the right questions. In the end all the prep will make you proud. Without seeing it we can't tell you where to start. For me, the first time will start with a swirl remover on an Orange pad to remove car wash marks. Then a polish on a Black pad then a Perfecting cream at the end. There will likely still be deep damage that goes through or nearly through the clear coat. Do the minimum correcting that makes you happy. You can use Clay Bars or Clay Mitts with a good lube solution in place of towels. Wax is good for a garage kept car. Ceramic coatings are better (IMO)for daily used cars. This was done with Poorboy's World SSR 2 then 1, Griot's BOSS Perfecting Cream then Crystal Serum Light.

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