i just painted my ej1 last week and today i finally have some time to wet sand and polish but what do i use( i have a veriable speed buffer and some mothers stage 1 polish i got from auto zone) i will post up pictures of before and after when im done

 

Go back to Autozone and get some of the 3M liquid rubbing compound. For an entire car you may even want to go to an autobody supply store and get a big jug, you'll get alot more for your money. You can save the Mothers polish for later or get some swirl mark remover for the second step. You can either denib your work with wet 1000 and then go over everything with wet 2000, or just use wet 1000 on everything. 1000 makes the best finish, 2000/1000 is alot safer, especially for the inexperienced. You mostly just sand the larger flat areas and stay away from any edges. Don't try to sand all of the orange peel off, the buffer will get the rest of it. Don't worry if some small areas aren't sanded and don't sand too much. Show quality jobs involve sanding more of the surface and getting close to the edges but that makes it more likely that you'll rub through the clear when buffing. Sand only what you are sure you'll finish buffing the same day so that when you buff, the surface is completely clean. Tape off ALL nearby corners and edges with either a double layer of quality masking tape or one layer topped with a layer of clear plastic tape. If you buff off the edge of a panel and hit the edge of another, you'll ruin the finish. Tape off nearby unpainted parts as well. Being very careful is the number one priority. Always let the buffing wheel roll off of the panel you are working on, never let the pad turn into the edge. Use the wool pad, don't press to hard, let the compound do the work and most importantly, DO NOT take off too much of the clear coat with the buffer. You can always buff more later. Remember that the surface won't get to a perfect polish during this step. After the rubbing compound, wipe the surface with a clean towel and use the swirl mark remover with an appropriate FOAM pad. Finally, if you desire the glossiest finish, wipe the surface again and use a fine polish with a foam pad (preferably different from the one used previously). This last polish needs to be performed with stuff a little finer than what you have right now.

 

^funny signature.

Anyways, nice write up I agree with just about everything.

Additional detail, wear some clothing you don't mind throwing out, because it'll ruin clothes.

 

Another additional detail- whatever buffing compounds you use, shake, stir and/or knead the bottle very well before using. The grit in the liquid tends to settle and clump up on the bottom.