Auto body repair & detailing: polish vs. wax?, jeep cherokee, foot spot

Question
I have a '96 Jeep Cherokee and the paint is fading from red to a pinkish tone.  Can I use a wax or polish to help restore the original color and luster until I can save up for professional detailing and a paint job?

Answer
You can try to polish it out, but man, without a buffer it's a ton of scrubbing. Try some rubbing compound on a 1 foot by 1 foot spot, and see if it polishes up, and the compound comes off. Sometimes, the old paint will sop up the wax or compound, and removal of the haze will be impossible. It will actually look worse than when you started. It really needs power buffed and waxed by a professional detail shop, but it will go hazy again within a few months. Bill