Detailing the World's Rarest Ferrari. 1 of 1 P4/5
After detailing 20,000+ cars, it’s fair to say I’ve worked on a lot of hardware, but a one of one Pininfarina/Glickenhaus designed Ferrari is a rare bird indeed. I’ve maintained some special cars for Jim and Jesse Glickenhaus but detailing the P4/5 has been a dream since its debut in 2006. In preparation for its delivery to Pebble Beach, I had my long-time buddy Derek Bemiss from Detailwerks in Southern CA, lend a hand as this dream turned into reality.
The red Ferrari paint had swirls, bugs, and “love marks” from its time on the road. The first step was a 50/50 mix of AMMO Foam and Brute Wheel Soap in the foam cannon. I also filled my wash and wheel buckets with Foam and Brute respectively. 
After a cleansing rinse and foam of the exterior, Derek and I worked on the wheels with a small wheel woolie, wheel brush, wheel mitt, and scrub brush for the sidewalls. Next, we washed the paint and hit the tight areas with a small brush. As the dirt came off, we saw the full extent of the P4/5’s daily driven “patina”. Derek and I agreed it’s awesome the Glickenhaus Supercars get used for grocery runs.
With a second rinse complete, we dried the paint with damp microfiber towels and compressed air. Next, we focused on the doorjambs, engine, and frunk areas which were equally dirty as the exterior. We used the Pro Foamer with Frothe to safely lift the dirt while minimizing water in these sensitive areas. The Enzo derived V12 Ferrari engine certainly demanded our respect.
Now that the paint was ready for polishing, we switched gears and took a dive into the interior. First off, a vacuum to clear the major dirt and dust off the upholstery. I sprayed Lather Interior Cleanser on the floor mats, then used steam to heat them up for an effective clean with a microfiber towel. I repeated the same steps but with Shag Fabric Cleaner on the sweaty alcantara surfaces. On the steering wheel, I used Lather and an interior Seam and Stitch Brush to get around all the buttons and tight spots.
Satisfied with the 1st round of basic cleaning, Derek, Dan (Turn 7 Auto Care), and I got to the main course of the detail… paint correction. Interestingly, we all had a slightly different polishing system but understand; the slight nuances between our preferred products did not undermine the collective process. We determined that our first step would be compounding the paint and it looked much better on our test panel although still hazy. After finishing the cutting process, we decided to combat the haze with a finishing polish and less aggressive pad. (Check out the video for our individual polishing preferences on the P4/5)
Derek worked his magic on the tight spots with a Rupes Nano and yellow foam pad. The exceptional finish and clarity of the paint was returning with each pass. Derek went the extra mile by hand polishing with Meguiar’s 210 in the tightest areas. Dan lent a hand on the complex rear diffuser while Derek finished up the hand polishing. Afterwards, we closed the AMMO Studio for the night to rest up and take on the interior polishing with fresh eyes in the morning. 
The following day we opened the crazy butterfly doors to reveal the heavily swirled exposed carbon tub. First, we used masking tape to protect the rubber trim and emblems. Derek worked on the tight doorjambs and engine areas while I focused on the wheel wells. The before and after was unreal, as the carbon fiber weave now “popped” with a unique holographic quality.
For the interior carbon fiber trim, Derek used a rotary with a steady hand as the tape would not stick to the surrounding alcantara upholstery. We repeated these steps on the hood and the exposed carbon fiber looked stunning. We were energized by the results of the paint correction, but before moving to the coating step we rinsed the car. Why?... After two days of cleaning and intensive paint polishing, dust collection and sling were inevitable. Rather than reintroduce contaminants to our freshly corrected surface, a rinse ensured we could coat the car safely.
After drying with damp MF towels and compressed air, it was time to coat the P4/5 with Reflex Pro. For the best and fastest application on such a unique Ferrari Supercar, I applied Reflex Pro and Derek followed me around the car with microfiber towels to remove the residue after it rainbowed. Once the outside was done, I focused on coating the one-off bespoke P4/5 wheels with Gelee Pro. The final touch was to add AMMO Mud Tire Gel to help the wheels pop against the incredible red Ferrari paint. 
The result was breath taking as the Pininfarina designed P4/5 sat glowing in the AMMO Studio’s driveway. Seeing the owner Jim’s reaction was totally worth the detail alone. Working on this incredible P4/5 with my good friends Derek and Dan was a pleasure and I’m grateful for their contributions. The Ferrari P4/5 was whisked away to Pebble Beach, but we were far from done…The Glickenhaus 003 would be up next in the AMMO Studio.
Thank you for supporting AMMO NYC and stay tuned for more incredible detailing stories.
See the full detail video below