$2M Glickenhaus 003S Supercar Detail

I’m back at the Glickenhaus factory with owner Jim Glickenhaus to pick up the 003S supercar and drive it back to the studio for a detail. Following the exciting P4/5 Detail from a few weeks ago, the 003S pushes the racecar for the road envelope even further featuring a light weight carbon tub (2600lbs), a 700+hp Twin Turbo V8, and aero producing up to 1900lbs of downforce. Watching the 003S glide down the road with it’s crazy aero and exposed carbon fiber was surreal. My buddy Derek Bemiss (Detailwerks, CA) is lending a hand with the detail so we can get the 003S back to setting record lap times at the Nurburgring. 

First up, we cleaned the wheels using Derek’s MF towel technique he taught me on the Barry Meguiar Ford GT detail a few years ago. Derek prefers to use a microfiber towel to clean the back of the wheel spokes effectively. With the wheel bucket filled with a good helping of AMMO Brute, the wheels cleaned up nicely with Derek’s masterful technique.

With the wheels cleaned up, we pressure washed the 003S as its aero had begun collecting smalls rocks and sand. After the thorough rinse, Derek filled the foam gun with AMMO Foam and laid a healthy layer of suds to clean every panel of the complex carbon body. Derek and I wiped down the paint with 1 use microfiber towels to safely avoid scratching. In the smaller areas we used detail brushes before rinsing again with the power washer. After a quick dry with fresh microfiber towels and compressed air, the imperfections of the paint were more apparent.

For the paint correction, Derek and I targeted specific areas that had minor blemishes and overspray. I decided not to clay bar as the paint was super soft and instead opted for a microfiber cutting pad. The cutting pad removed the overspray spots with ease on the lower spoiler and I finished out with a yellow Rupes pad and M210 Polish. Derek worked on the back panels of the 003S with a 3 inch and 6 inch polisher respectively. The intricacy and complexity of the 003’s design was challenging but super cool to see it come together during the paint correction. 

Afterwards, we examined the now glowing white paint and marveled at the clarity of the polished hood compared to before. White paint hides scratches well because the scratches are the same color of the paint finish, but to the discerning eye of an expert this is merely camouflage. Since the 003S would be shown at Pebble Beach for Monterey Car Week, we strived for the last 5% of perfection to fully realize this supercar’s incredible presence. 

We shifted our focus to cleaning up the interior leather, alcantara seats, steering wheel, and touch screens. I first started on the F1 inspired carbon fiber wheel which cleaned up nicely AMMO Lather and the Interior Brush, and then the alcantara grips with AMMO Shag and the seam and stitch brush. The touchscreens and gauge cluster were pretty cloudy, so I used AMMO Obey to clean up the screens with a streak-free finish. AMMO Obey is safe for electronics as it’s no drip formula minimizes fingerprints for up to two weeks. 

With the screens looking high res again, we focused on the stained alcantara seat bottoms. Same as the steering wheel, I worked with Shag Fabric Cleaner in tandem with the Seam and Stitch Brush to safely lift the stains. I carefully used Steam to increase it’s cleaning power and once blotted dry, the alcantara was stain free. Finally, Derek used an interior brush with Lather on the leather surfaces to bring the interior back to a like-new condition.

With the interior clean now done, the exterior of the 003 had become a bit dusty from the earlier paint correction. We chose to soak the paint again with Foam to carry any compounding residue away rathe than run the risk of scratching with a wipe down. Once 100% dry after compressed air, we applied Reflex Pro to the paint to create a barrier of protection for Jim’s future driving adventures and car shows. I applied the coating and Derek removed it with MF towels which speeded up the process on the 003’s complex bodywork. 

Next we applied Gelee Pro Wheel Coating to the bespoke rims before cleaning the IMSA LMP2 inspired glass cockpit bubble. The overhead traffic light porthole was another cool feature of this already bonkers supercar. The final touch was to add a layer of Mud Gel to the tires and the 003S was ready for Pebble. Jesse Glickenhaus arrived to pick up the 003s and couldn’t believe the stunning condition of the paint. “It’s like a different color of white” he remarked. 

Big thank you to Derek Bemiss for his contributions on the incredible P4/5 and Glickenhaus 003S details. Thank you for supporting AMMONYC and stay tuned next week for a V10 Raging Bull from Italy.