Just looking at one of my panels in the light today and noticed a load of circular scratches across it and the rest of the car - it looks like its been caused by cleaning at one point or another.

They're not deep scratches and aren't noticeable until you're really close up but I'm starting to wonder if the gloss has been scratched over time with cleaning or if its just due for a good polish? It's like the glittery metallic layer has been damaged.

With the harsh winter we've had so far and with these little differences starting to show I'm thinking of getting a decent polishing job done on it for spring and summer, no idea where and no idea exactly what i should be looking for though...

It sounds like a classic case of swirl marks.

Have a read of some of the stickies at the top of this thread to get a better understanding of what they are.

Are you wanting to sort it out yourself, or to get someone else to do it?

I would say your options (just for the paint corection) are: -

• Do it by hand - Clay bar, Meguiars Scratch-X and Autoglym Super Resin Polish (SRP) £30-£50
  
• Machine polish - Buy a Kestrel Polisher and a range of polishes (but budget for at least £200 - £300 by the time you have bought the machine, polishing pads, and range of polishes.
  
• Find a friend with a machine polisher and get them to help you in exchange for a few beer tokens. Price depends how good a freind he/she is!
  
• Pay someone else to do it professionally - Baker21 on here if you are anywhere near him or post up your approx location and you may get some recommendations. I'll guess £75 - £150 for a professional detail, depending on what needs doing.
  

On top of the above which is for the polishing stage, you need to learn about correct washing (two bucket method) to ensure you don't add more swirls, and then consider what sealant / wax you will need to protect your newly polished paint.

Good luck!

Andy has given a good account of what your options are above and to pick up on his last point, it may be worth investing in the right equipment to prevent further paintwork damage as follows:

http://briskoda.net/group-buys-promotions/baker21-detailing-kit-gb-begins/136474/

Andy2407 seems to have covered all the bases!

A polisher is a great investment if you're into the long term care of your paintwork, but if you want to sort it by hand (cheaper) then Poorboys make a great range of stuff like Super Swirl Remover (different grades as well) and Super Resin Polish by AG as has been said is an excellent filler for swirls.

I think Scratch-X is a little too harsh for swirl removal without wanting stick my neck out, I'd go for Fareclá Swirl Remover, or Poorboys as mentioned - ScratchX is for deepish scratches, and used can actually cause more swirls.

Double bucket method is sooo important though

Throw away the sponges and buy a wash mitt as well.