Thanks for the post Mark,
Currently I do not have a polisher but I do have access to my friends Cyclo Orbital Polisher but I'm not sure if this would be a good choice for me as a beginner. I'm wondering if I should purchase the Dual Action Polisher just to be safe. Do you think I will need to use all three steps of Wolfgang to achieve the best results?
As AC in OC said earlier, WG Uber Compound might be all you need? From my experiences with Uber Compound on both my vehicles, I've found it to be a bit better than WG Total Swirl Remover for eliminating some deeper sleeks, which folks here might refer to as light "RIDS" (Random Isolated Deeper Scratches)
But Uber finishes down just beautifully on it's own, ready for sealant-wax-coatings. Truly a great benchmark product they made when they brought this product to market. Now on a Black vehicle, this might be a slight game changer, meaning on black you see everything. While I strongly doubt you would see any polishing hazing left with Uber (provided proper technique and pads were used), there is a very slight-small chance with Black. Tough to say? Usually the Chevys have fairly hard paint finishes, and that's a plus.
I never used the Cyclo machine, IMO looks a bit awkward and unwieldy to me, but many use these machines, and with proper use, and pad selection they can probably correct a finish just as good as any other DA Type Machine.
I would say if you like detailing, perhaps anticipate a need of future useage of such a machine, a possible chance of also doing other's vehicles such as family members, friends, etc, then yes, it might be wise in the long run to just purchase a machine to have on hand to use.
Two of the better liked reasonably priced machines here are the Porter Cable 7424XP (which I have) and the Griots GG6. Both are good buys for the less money invested, and are good all around machines for the hobbyist. Team either with two Urethane Backing Plates, such as a 5", and a 3" or 3.5", and you'll have a versatile setup for getting at basically any area of a vehicle.
Perhaps a few LC Orange and white Pads in both 5.5" and 4" and you're basically set.
8oz of WG Uber Compound, and 8oz of WG TSR will be more than enough to do a full size pickup. They are a bit cheaper in larger quantities such as pints. Shelf life is almost indefinite provided they are stored in the proper place.
Mark