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.
I've done a good bit of this in my day both on my own ride and on a very select professional basis. I have to say yours is the best response I've ever seen Stanton. It's not unusual for commercial polishers to charge
by the inch.For those wanting to try their own hand, I'd recommend reading The Buff Book on the CaswellPlating.com website. It's a good primer for beginners and will give you a good introduction on various buffs, compounds and how to get the most out of your tools.
