Where in CT are you? I go into the Norwalk area, and live in White Plains, NY.
If you are close enough, there is gonna be an event next month, I think that it might be good if you are wanting to get some experience, and maybe try some products you haven't try yet, and possibly pick up a trick or two... Check out this thread Poorboy's World Detail Weekend 2011. Hope you can make it, this is gonna be my first time there, and seems like it will be lots of fun!
Just a few pics of a hood I had laying around. Hood is from an unknown year MK1 VW rabbit, most likely an 83 or 84 and has been sitting under a deck for about 4-5 years
Haha yeah that hood probably wont ever see a car, but i used a DW849, yellow pad and ardex alpha grit, green pad and ardex fone polishing compound, white pad and ardex pearl and a top coat of ardex flint glaze wax. Theres an ardex wholesaler near me as you can see and I get the stuff at good prices.