I don`t do the aluminum, we have a guy who comes and does a whole truck for very little money and he is a true artist. The fuel tanks especially are very easy to mess up, they are thin aluminum and if you aren`t extremely proficient at "cutting" aluminum the tanks turn out looking wavy. The guy who does our aluminum polishing uses an 8" makita grinder with special airway pads from a company called zephyr, the rouge he uses is from a brand called maverick. He always uses an acid on all the aluminum to remove all the oxidation first but it leaves everything looking white, then starts the polishing. Usually just doing the rims, grille, battery boxes, and tanks takes him 2-3 days to perfect, and that`s all he does all day every day. As far as getting the top of the truck I always open the hood and stand on top of the engine and use a very soft brush, I`m a big guy and have never had a problem standing on the valve covers, just stay clear of the intake piping. I definitely recommend poorboys polish with sealant it`s a great one step that can be used outside. I don`t have a long throw polisher because it`s not that often I do one of our big trucks, but after looking at Brandt`s rupes 21 this weekend I think it`s an item I see coming my way in the near future.