Well here's my 2 cents (from my personal experience)
If you do it yourself, invest in a BIG, quality Baldor buffer and the big wheels and the compound kit (TP Tools have a great package deal). Small, cheap Harbour Freight buffers and wheels just aren't up to the task.
Don't expect great results in a short timeframe. After you hit the first piece you're going to see a million scratches you didn't notice before. Each one has to be SANDED out with multiple grits before its ready to be buffed.
Dents are a whole other issue.
In the end you will have either:
a) spent half your life buffing the stuff
or
b) wish you'd left well enough alone
Regardless, you'll have spent a bundle on tools and you will have a clear understanding why the guys who do it charge so much.
Very well said, in my experience this is exactly right. I'll do small pieces myself, but am just fine paying someone else to do the rest
