My paint needs serious help!!!

[BigRig]

My truck is nearing 4 years old. The paint is in need of some serious attention. There are considerable swirls and also the paint seems hazy. I haven't done anything to it short of washing and waxing it on a regular basis.

My question is obviously, what should I use to bring my paint back to life? i have never clayed before, and was wondering if this would do the trick, or do i need some paint conditioner? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Brenton]

Clay will remove bumps, polution, and light tar from your vehicle--a great and rewarding step before waxing. It is available readily from Meg's or Mothers OTC, or through any of our sponsors. Poorboys has a kit that'll last a long time, and AutoGeek just launched a sale or new clay of some kind, for example.
Polish depends on:
1) Product availability/willingness to buy online
2) Machine availability: do you have a PC?
3) Paint condition.

You probably do need reconditioning if it is 4 years old. Without a machine I like Poorboy's Polish with Carnauba by hand, or Klasse AIO for more aggressive work. It takes of a layer of scratching using chemicals, nice result but not very deep.
To go deeper, you need a machine, and then products. It goes something like this.
1) Wash & Clay
2) Tape most sensitive trimmings
3) Polish
4) Finishing Polish
5) Sealant/Wax

There are some other things you can do, but that's the basics.
Step #3 can be a couple of steps depending on your paint damage.

I'll tell you my system, and you can hear the opinions of others.
1) Wash & Clay
2) Tape
3) Poorboy's SSR2.5 with light cut pad
4) SSR 2.5 with polish pad
5) SSR 1 with polish/fine polish pad
6) Sealant (EX-P)
7) Natty's Blue/Pinnacle Souveran.

cheers
brenton