hope you're feeling better, waizzz.
yah the 3" is almost a requirement to do the roof sidepieces, side sills/rockers, and rear.
since my car is relatively swirl free i just used a sealant with polish, called One-Step Sealant from Griots. it leaves behind a teflon like slick (and hard) surface. lasts a long time.
i dont like spending much time on my dd's.