Color sanding--Rough paint

My buffer was $250 by itself with no pads or velcro buff quick attach.

If all you are going to do is the one hood, I wouldn't recommend buying the tools. However once you have them (we tools nuts are always looking for a reason to buy tools) you will be able to use it to buff other things. Dead paint on a car or tractor. Buff out the next paint job. The list goes on.

ONE WORD OF CAUTION USING A BUFFER. It will eat throught paint before you can say "OH CRAP". Then you get to paint over again anyway.

I would use a "nib" (a small, square section of corse toothed file mounted on a small block of wood) to remove any large surface bumps.

Wet sand with 1000 grit followed by 1200 and then 1600. Use a few drops of liquid detergent in the water to help the water stick to the paper and paint as well as help flush away the sanding sludge.

Buff with a variable speed buffer using a course compound. Clean the pad often with a screw driver or similar tool.

Change pads and then buff with a fine grit compound. Again keep the pad clean.

Don't try to buff a very large area at one time. Usually about a 12" X 24" section is about right. Clean the buff and then do another section.

This is by no means the only method. Others will give differing opions as to what works for them.