[Bobble]

Fisher hit it on the nail. I would however suggest an IPA wipe down before sealing to aid bonding. Also if you use a glaze prior to sealing make sure that glaze is compatible, usually on the bottle or companies web site.

Again Clay depends on how contaminated the paint is, I had have two just in case.

Pads last about 10 to 15 washes/uses. Basically when they start to break down you'll see it visibly and do not use a chewed up pad. Plan on 2 to 3 pads of same color per car, clean in between and let them air dry on a flat surface. I find the more cut of the pad and the polish used the quicker they degrade. I also mark my pads in ziplocs so I only use that pad with that specific polish. Probably overkill but only do my own cars. Depending on which products and whether you're doing a one step ot two step correction you'll probally want at least 3 different types of pads IE White, Black, Blue.