Back when I had a car I cared about ('99 Audi A4 Avant, laser red, sigh) I used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze before waxing. It was apparently a very fine abrasive with some kind of oil or polymer that would fill micro-scratches in the paint. At least that's what I think was going on. It yielded an amazing surface even before the wax, the red on my car would almost hurt your eyes. At the time 3M seemed to have 3 levels of compound/polishes for hand application, IHG being the finest, with Scratch Remover and Rubbing Compound above. Looking at the 3M site IHG is still available if you search, but it's not listed among their automotive polishes so it may be phasing out. I gave my bottle to a car detailer on a film shoot...need to get some to try on our bikes!