The biggest benefit of using a rotary over the a PC is that the rotary will be a lot faster and will give you better results, period. The PC is designed for the novice so it is safe for all skill levels and it is near impossible to burn paint. The problem with that is you are unable to work the clear coat like you would with a rotary. As long as you are careful and practice, you should be just fine with a rotary. As for tools of the trade I would go with what Phil recommends as it has proven nothing but great results for me. The only difference is that i use the edge 2000 double sided pads for my metabo and CCS pads for my mikita. As long as you take care of your pads they should last a long time for the average DIYer. Good luck and hope to see some pics of your freshly detailed X.