Cut and buff- where can i get the buffing compound

i have sanded down my car with 2000 and was gonna take it to a guy to buff it. now hes screwing me around and i just want to do it myself. can you get the right compounds from auto part stores or would a paint shop be the only place? what wheel do i need to use for each compound?
i would like to finish it before this weekend for battle drag is why i need to find something local (south of Houston)

been doing this for awhile worked with a bunch   get the diamond cut meguires sells with a wool pad.   yellow.    then get some like i forgot the step number of wax.  but the  its pink meguires sells. go over it with a foam pad.   yellow as well.  if you never done it be caareful the foams get really hot lay it flat.   hows the car been wetsanded?   if you go kriskoss and back over it will help alot.   like a X    if you done it circular your fucked. youll be on it awhile     o yeah paint shops have it..     be careful with the diamond its really gritty  it will burn some stuff up to   just be careful. if you was around id help you out   my last post for the month so hope it helps you out.

For the compound and polish I usually go with 3M's cutting compound, and swirl remover if needed.  For polish, I usually use Wizards.  For the first step, I'd use a wool pad, for the second swirl remover, use a foam pad with a little bit of spray wax, and then the 3rd step use a microfiber pad.  Then after you have done everything and its ready to go, Go over the whole car with whatever hand wax you desire.  I been doing it this way for years and always seems to work out great.

your local paint supply place should sell the 3m buffing kit.

thanks for the help. my problem is the only paint shop i know of around here is ran by idiots so i have tried to stay away but ill see what they can get.

a million painters are going to tell you a million different things, but for years, i have been using 3m imperial micfofinishing compound on a meguairs red foam pad for cutting & meguairs professional swirl free polish on a meguairs yellow foam pad for finiishing. i've been using this combo for over 10 years without any problems in custom & collision shops.  most other products i've found like to "gum up" on you.  to each their own, but i'll stick to the old "tried & true". also i think you can only get all of this at paint shops, but i could be wrong...   

not paint shop, paint SUPPLY.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=auto+paint+supply+West+Columbia+TX%2C&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Yea all the places that show up on that search dont sell paint or supplies. not sure why they show up. i work in tx city so the only place close is dickinson. on my way home i stopped at oreileys in angleton. they mix paint and they had buffing pads and meguiars compound and glaze. picked everything i need for $40thanks for the suggestions,        any do's and don'ts for buffers?

You got that shit pretty cheap man. I work at a paint jobber and its hard for me to get someone out the door with two compounds under 40 bucks. Buffer wise make sure you get a variable speed buffer. If you get a cheap cheap one and don't plan on using it much then your alright it will be pretty much good for a few times they are real easy to burn the bearings up on them. Makita makes a good quality one but with the quality comes the price. ATD makes a decent buffer for a lower price range for around 125 or so.