Super Tanooki

Thanks guys, I'll take all of your tips and give it another go tomorrow morning.

Few more questions:

1) Once dry, do I use the detail spray before waxing, or use a specific polishing product?
2) How often do you polish and wax? I see good waxes last six months. So do I just was twice a year, washing over it otherwise?
3) Do I re-polish over wax every time I wash, or do I only polish when waxing, and otherwise ONLY wash the car with soap water and dry?
4) Oh, also, I want to clear out the swirls made by the previous owner. Is SwirlX the one to go for or is there a better, less invasive product (or will polishing it alone do the job anyway)? And should I Clay before getting out swirls, or is that not necessary? I don't want to cause too much stress on the clear coat.