The Smell..

[clnilsen]

Hey Everyone, I'm looking for ideas on this. My Car, since I got it, has had a musty smell to it (not bad) that I can't seem to get out/cover up. I think it's just a real strong "old car" smell. It's not bad, but you notice it in the car when you're driving with the windows up.

Last winter I literally removed every interior panel and carpet, steam cleaned the carpets, and hide fooded (is that a word?) the seats and panels.

But it still smells. I don't think there is a mold problem, because it's not terriblly strong, just annoying. And the car's been stored inside all it's life, and has not even been driven much (37,000 for a 1980).

So, does anyone know of a product to cover up odor? Since it will be going into storage, I don't mind putting something in the car that needs to sit for awhile if it will help.

Thanks!

Chuck

[82SC]

there are charcoal/odor absorbant packets you can put in your car while it is being stored...

Febreeze is a household item that can help get rid of many smells

i threw my floormats into the washer dryer amybe throw in a bunch of dryer sheets to get that smell into them

you can also give them a good shampoo...give it a GOOD rinse to get allllll of the soap out...then set them out in the REALLY bright sun (or the clothes dryer) to dry quickly...if they dry slow you will get mildew/mold

you can also spray lysol disinfectant sprays on the carpet first to kill any mold or bacteriat that might be festering in there causing the smell before doing the above mentioned things.

also be careful the product you are gonna use does not discolor your carpet

[MonkeyBoy]

Some of my friends say that a can of coffee beans does a good job of either masking or absorbing odors. I know other people who swear by those lava rock pouches that you can get at hardware stores which absorb odors.

[Joe Bob]

Stuff called Ozium works real well. Comes in a spray can......fog the heck out of the interior, close up the car and walk away for an hour.

It gets the wet dog smell out of my F-350....

[Don Plumley]

Just an idea - open up the shifter access cover and make sure you don't have tranny fluid (or dead varmits) in there.

[JavaBrewer]

Every pre 90's Porsche I've ever stuck my head into had the same smell. So do a lot of older VWs. I always attributed it to the various fabrics that go into the car like the carpeting, seat cushions, headliner, sound deadening material. VW and Porsche must have sourced from the same distributor. Cleaning and washing does not remove the "smell", I think this is the way its all supposed to smell. Very distinctive I agree. The only time it really bothers me is when I have a headache/hangover.

[Ted Stringer]

Get your engine good and hot, and then poor a qt. of oil on the heet exchangers. Guarenteed to take care of any current smell problems and make the car smell the way its should.

[racemor]

Sounds strange, but I used to keep an open bag of pipe tobacco in an old Land Cruiser. I don't smoke so was not trying to cover any bad odors. Gave off a mild, sweet smell without being chemically or fake forestish (I'm sure those are not real words). And it was better than one of those plastic crown air fresheners that you used to see in taxis.

Tom

[joehahn]

i am with Don, my bad smell (among those emanating from me) was bad shift rod seal that leaked down shift rod and dripped off coupler into tunell...very stinky. My grammy just gave me her 1977 bmw 530i and i have had a hell of a time getting that "grammy" smell out of it. my old standbys used to be coffe grinds in a fabric incense bag thrown under front seats or stick a few "bounce" fabric softener sheets under seats.


joe 68 L

[JEB]

Try renting a machine that produces ozone and leave it in overnight.

That is what dealers do to remove most smells.

Jeb
79 930

[Jim T]

Hmm, not sure what you guys are talking about. My old SC doesn't have an old car smell at all, nor did my '70 or my '86.

Hide Food is a horrible product for automotive leather though - it rots the threads and can cause a smell (I guess animal fats will do that to you sometimes).

If I had Hide Food on my seats, I'd give them a thorough cleaning with Leatherique Rejuvinating Oil and Prestine Clean (leatherique.com). If you did that, you are likely to improve the smell inside your car, IMO.

[Jack Olsen]

Originally, I thought it had to do with the slow decay of seat padding or interior vinyl.

However, since I've now replaced all my seats, my dash, headliner and the rest of my leather and vinyl -- I've come to believe the 'old VW' smell might come from soundproofing material around the rear seats and rear footwell.

Do guys who have 'stripped and dipped' their tubs still get it?

[nostatic]

Originally posted by JackOlsen
the 'old VW' smell

My last "old VW" was a beloved '67 that I drove on and off from age 16 until about 23. Living in San Diego before it got totally overpopulated, good days and bad, but very few responsibilities and I could surf all day.

Since odors are a strong trigger for memories, why in the world would I want to get rid of that smell in my SC?

The architect that I have on my latest project owns an '01 996. I took him to lunch last week in the 79 and he mentioned that his 996 has a hint of the same smell. I've kinda grown to appreciate the interior scent - until I open the heat ducts and get a whiff of dino juice.

[911nut]

My kids call it the "Porsche smell". It really does remind me of my old VW, though.

PB

[Decolliber]

Interesting thread. My Carrera has the same musty old smell. My wife always complains about the smell (in addition to the noise) when she rides in the car. I have done most of the things mentioned above: leatherique, ozium, laundry detergent, baking soda, etc. Nothing works for long. I keep the windows open when the car is in the garage, which helps a bit.

[goat43]

My '85 had a terrible smell when I bought it (sure helped me get the price down) and it took me months to correct it. The problem? Mice. They had moved in to the smuggler's box, and were using the ventialtion ducts to move around the car at their leisure. My fix involved cleaning the smuggler's box out with a hose and some mild bleach solution, disassembling and cleaning all the ducts and vents, and then the final clincher: a wire mesh blocking the bottom of the ventilation drain hose (the small hose sticking out the bottom from under the smuggler's box), which the mice were using as their entrance and egress. I also added to few other pieces of mesh inside the vent system, just to make sure that even if they got back in, they couldn't go anywhere. After a few more weeks, the smell had pretty much entirely dissipated (except for an occasional hint when I turned on the AC), replaced by the glorious smells of leather, steel, rubber, oil, speed, cornering, well ... you get the idea!

This may not be your problem, but I guess my point is, the car should smell great, and if it doesn't, there's a foreign substance interfering. Good luck.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by goat43
This may not be your problem, but I guess my point is, the car should smell great, and if it doesn't, there's a foreign substance interfering. Good luck.

If you like musty oily smells then my car smells the best. Here smell my finger...

[vesnyder]

My '67 had mice issues and when they died - WOW! They were in the shifting tunnel. Befor they died it always smelled musty as well! You may want to check?

I now have an '83 and had to pound out a dent in the floorboard, Afterward I resprayed it with sealer and it smells new. It actually smells like paint still almost a year since I had it done - not overpowering.

[RazorRacer]

California Scents

"Newport New Car" scent. Available at grocery stores, dollar stores, etc.

For 2 bucks, it's worth a try.