SmithsonGA- Besides doing more research (this stuff isn't rocket science but it *is* a bit more complicated than one might think), IMO you need to really *evaluate* the paint.
The reflections on the hood look OK, but the limited depth of field in the photo and the generally flattering lighting conditions make it impossible for me to truly evaluate it. Even in my shop, with numerous types of lighting, it can take me a while to determine the true condition of a vehicle (and I'm very good at it...if it takes *me* a lot of work then it's just not that easy).
Get some lighting that shows the paint's true condition. Try using magnification if you need to (I use a lighted 15X magnifier now and then). See *what's not right*. I'd suggest incandescent lighting in an otherwise dark environment, varying the illumination and viewing angles/distances. This works better with two people than with one, and it's not something that'll only take a minute or two per panel.
Something must be less than optimal or you wouldn't be wondering; when my vehicles are done there's no doubt in my mind that they're about as good as they can get.
Oh, and I'd caution you against putting too much stock in the opinions/claims of others
I never care *what* anybody else thinks regarding how my vehicles look and I take every "it came out SOOOO glossy!" claim with a grain of salt. All that matters is how *you* think the vehicle looks. That said, a white BMW with Zaino oughta come out just about literally blinding in bright sun.
It seems to me that a once-over with ZPC (which I've never used), isn't *really* all that much when it comes to the correction of most vehicles. On an '07 I'd expect that to yield something in the ~75% range but that's just a wild guess as I know nothing about the clear on that car.
There are either scratches/marring too severe for the ZPC and/or the ZPC didn't finish out finely enough (that's not all *that* likely IMO) or something in-between. Something is causing the light to refract instead of reflect.
If you need to use something aggressive to get out severe/moderate marring, you'll have to use a proper follow-up product afterwards. And then you might want to use a final polish (maybe the ZPC).
That process you quoted a) involves quite a few steps, b) the correction was *done via rotary* and c) it ended with a completely different final approach. I dunno if I'd compare what you're doing to that in any way, it's not even remotely the same type of job IMO.
I'm not familar with your paint or the products you're using, so I can't offer any sure-fire specific combos :nixweiss
