Best compound for original paint?

[pgreensoup]

I really appreciate this thread. I read through it twice. And I took to heart to start with the least aggressive solution first.

I've gone and used Meguiar's "polish" on a fender and on the top of the cab. It shines up pretty nice, but I'm wondering if I should have used the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound which is more aggressive. So I went ahead and did half of the top of the cab first with Ultimate Compound, then did the polish after. Tomorrow I will pull out into the sun and see if the dual system works better than just the polish.

But my question is about the order of events if I end up using the Jescar powerlock, followed by Collinite Insulator wax. Should I be doing the steel wool and the CLR (or other product) first? Before compounding/polishing? Is the point of the Jescar to protect the bare metal? Maybe this is a stupid question, but I'm wondering if the order of events is as follows:
1. Wash
2. clay bar
3. steel wool and clr on spots
4. compound
5. polish
6. Jescar powerlock
7 Collinite Insulator wax

and maybe there is some grease and wax remover intermitently? Please tell me where I'm wrong. I plan to take on a 75 squarebody that hasn't been washed in at least 35 years.