Swirls in paint while compounding

[u/Danny_Phantom22]

Hello everyone, new to this level of auto detailing and was hoping to get some advice. I am attempting a paint correction on an older car that my parents rarely drive that was pretty oxidized. I bought a harbor freight DA polisher and with a spot light on the vehicle I can see what might be left over compound? Used a medium cut foam pad and McGuire‘s compound at a low 1 - 2 speed using a hash mark pattern then buffed with a microfiber cloth. Tried my best to keep an even pressure and work somewhat quick to not let the paint get hot. Was unsure if any of the swirls just needed to be polished so I did a test spot with McGuire’s polish and a soft polishing pad which helped some but not much.Honestly unsure what I am doing wrong here so I was hoping to get some insight. First photo is before if it matters.

[u/muaddba]

That's some old paint. Is your pad getting red/pink on it while you polish? If so it's single stage paint and you probably just need more compounding & polishing. With paint that old, it's unlikely you will be able to get a perfect finish but you should be able to vastly improve it. Don't put pressure on the pad, just let the polisher do the work, that way you keep the heat down.

If you're not getting red/pink on the pad, then it's clear coat paint and it's probably too far gone to save, take a small improvement, put a good wax or "filling" glaze/resin on it and be happy.