After washing the car twice with Dawn to strip all the wax off I want to use 3M IHG to help get rid of any light swirls. Then I want to use a sealant like Klasse system or Zaino system in several coats to provide protection. The use a good Caranuba like Blitz 1 grand in several coats a week later to provide more depth and shine. Is that about it?

Also, is it ok to do all of these steps by hand or is the sealant best applied with my Craftsman buffer?

IHG will prohibit your klasse or zaino from bonding properly to the paint. IHG is loaded with oils and fillers, not a good thing for klasse or zaino.

What you should do:

Wash with car wash soap. Leave the gawddamn dawn in the kitchen!!!

clay

polish the swirls out with a porter cable random orbit polisher and a good polish like 3M FI2.

klasse aio

klasse sg

carnuba (if you want. it's only for looks. sg is a much better protectant)

All of this can be done by hand, except the FI2 part. Leave the craftsman in the shed, it won't help with swirl removal. The motor on those things bogs down as soon as it hits your paint, making it useless.

If you don't wanna buy a PC then just live with the swirls and do all the other steps in the order outlined.

Read my how to articles for proper technique.