First, the dust situation is minimized with the use of a California duster. This duster has wax slathered in the fibers while most other brands do not, that makes the difference between brands. The wax does not rub off onto the paint but traps the dust so it does not fall back onto the car. Other brands are pretty worthless.
Waxing and a daily dusting will take care of part of the black paint issue but beyond that is where we decide to take the luster one step further. Buffing. This is a step that can not be rushed if you want good results. As a general rule, the more time you take the better the results.
The decision to buff by hand or use an electric buffer is dependant upon how deep the scratches are. If the scratches and swirl marks are light, hand buffing might work. For more extensive scratches, use an orbital buffer. Harbor Freight has them for about $20.
Before starting, wash your car. Use a dewaxer, or if you have not waxed in a while you might get away with just a thorough washing. Once you start buffing you will know you have an old wax problem if the buffing paste is difficult to remove or gums up. At this point, stop and dewax. It will not get any easier if you do not. Remove the hood logo by unbolting from under the hood. Use a magnetic socket so the nuts do not fall off inside the hood. If they do drop off you can use a magnet to fish them out. There will be a lot of filth and muck under the emblem so clean it well before buffing.
To begin buffing, start with the hood. That's the most noticeable and the most fun. You will want to have good light positioned over the area you are buffing. Do not buff outside if you can avoid it. And never in direct sunlight. It will dry out the paste to quickly. If you have recently driven tha car, let the hood cool down before buffing.
I recommend using a buffer because the job will go more quickly. The word "quickly" is relative.
Look over the area you are buffing. Pick an area of about 1 square foot and look at it at an angle that shows the scratches the best. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of paste on the buffing pad. Before starting the buffer, place the pad flat on the surface and move it around a bit to smear the paste on the pad.
Turn on the buffer and with slight circular motions buff away!
Note: It is extremely important to keep your pad absolutely clean. You do not want to introduce more scratches.
After a period of time equal to that which you decide is long enough. Take a microfiber towel and begin polishing the freshly buffed area. Do not let the paste dry. After you have polished with the towel, you will see a difference but it's not quite perfect. Continue this process until you have a factory finish. The effort you make could save you thousands of dollars for a new paint job.
When you are done. Rewax your car and be amazed!
