Keeping that special old car smell...

[Mr.Woolery]

So after buying my '71SE last week, one of the things I've grown to love about this car is that special "classic car smell" that the interior has. It's a rich perfume of oily, musky smells that can be found in many survivor cars...and one of my favorite smells in the whole world.

The problem is that the interior needs to be restored. The carpets are shot, and seats need to be completely recovered. I've set aside some portions of the old stuff after it was removed, though, in an attempt to preserve this smell. Luckily the car still has some of the smell after removing the seats and carpet, but I'm afraid if I remove much more I'll banish the sweet aroma from the car forever.

Any tips?

[Back N Black]

The smell i remember from the old muscle cars are the pine fresheners hanging from the mirror. I kinda like it.

[Mr.Woolery]

Nah, this smell isn't the pine air fresheners smell...there's no hint of that in it.  No pine smell at all (that I can detect).

This smell pre-dates those pine fresheners.  This is the smell that you generally only get from unrestored or older restored cars that have seen daily driver use.  It's created by years of upholstery & leather exposure to dirt, oil, fuel fumes, smoke, cyclical growth of molds, etc.  It's not quite a musty smell.  I've smelled variations of it in cars as old as model A's up to muscel cars.

[Old Moparz]

Cut up a bunch of the old interior parts into tiny pieces, put them in those little baggies & freeze them. Make sure you use a name brand ziplock bag like "Glad" or equal, so it seals in the 40 year old freshness. If you get some generic imitation like wally mart's own brand, I can't guarantee the smell will last more than a couple of days or the parts won't get freezer burn.

Be sure you mix a little bit of everything in each bag to get that correct combination. Put a small chunk of carpet, a piece of dried out vinyl, a patch of the headliner, a cotton ball sized piece of seat foam, a few inches of corroded wire with the rubber on it, & most importantly, some petrified french fries from a fast food chain that was in business back in the day.

Everytime you take the old car out for a ride with the new interior, grab a ziplock bag from the freezer & dump out the special mixture under the seat. If you don't want the mess, poke some holes in the baggie to let the stench permeate into the car, but you'll have to plan ahead & do this the day before so the odor has time to ripen up a bit. If you can't do it a day ahead, then leave the windows up & park it in the sun.

If your sense of smell isn't too good or you're a smoker, you might not get the entire effect from this method & will have to be creative. Get one of those things you put loose tea leaves in & place the baggie contents into it & hang it from the rear view mirror. While driving, turn on the defroster so the air flow passes the tea leaf holder & pushes the odor directly towards your nostrils.

If you still can't smell it, you can try hanging it around your neck. 

[CB]

If you still can't smell it, you can try hanging it around your neck. 

I really like that smell too but won't go that far though

[Bob]

Cut up a bunch of the old interior parts into tiny pieces, put them in those little baggies & freeze them. Make sure you use a name brand ziplock bag like "Glad" or equal, so it seals in the 40 year old freshness. If you get some generic imitation like wally mart's own brand, I can't guarantee the smell will last more than a couple of days or the parts won't get freezer burn.

Be sure you mix a little bit of everything in each bag to get that correct combination. Put a small chunk of carpet, a piece of dried out vinyl, a patch of the headliner, a cotton ball sized piece of seat foam, a few inches of corroded wire with the rubber on it, & most importantly, some petrified french fries from a fast food chain that was in business back in the day.

Everytime you take the old car out for a ride with the new interior, grab a ziplock bag from the freezer & dump out the special mixture under the seat. If you don't want the mess, poke some holes in the baggie to let the stench permeate into the car, but you'll have to plan ahead & do this the day before so the odor has time to ripen up a bit. If you can't do it a day ahead, then leave the windows up & park it in the sun.

If your sense of smell isn't too good or you're a smoker, you might not get the entire effect from this method & will have to be creative. Get one of those things you put loose tea leaves in & place the baggie contents into it & hang it from the rear view mirror. While driving, turn on the defroster so the air flow passes the tea leaf holder & pushes the odor directly towards your nostrils.

If you still can't smell it, you can try hanging it around your neck. 

[Mr.Woolery]

I was thinking about grinding up all the old carpet, padding, etc that was going to be thrown away and creating an "old car smell" mulch pile that would be much more compact than in it's original form(s).  I could put this into a burlap (or appropriately non-airtight bag) and keep it under the seats or in the trunk.  Weird solution, but I think it might work.

[69*F5*SE]

I think you might be right.  LMAO   

[Brock Samson]

Cut up a bunch of the old interior parts into tiny pieces, put them in those little baggies & freeze them. Make sure you use a name brand ziplock bag like "Glad" or equal, so it seals in the 40 year old freshness. If you get some generic imitation like wally mart's own brand, I can't guarantee the smell will last more than a couple of days or the parts won't get freezer burn.

Be sure you mix a little bit of everything in each bag to get that correct combination. Put a small chunk of carpet, a piece of dried out vinyl, a patch of the headliner, a cotton ball sized piece of seat foam, a few inches of corroded wire with the rubber on it, & most importantly, some petrified french fries from a fast food chain that was in business back in the day.

Everytime you take the old car out for a ride with the new interior, grab a ziplock bag from the freezer & dump out the special mixture under the seat. If you don't want the mess, poke some holes in the baggie to let the stench permeate into the car, but you'll have to plan ahead & do this the day before so the odor has time to ripen up a bit. If you can't do it a day ahead, then leave the windows up & park it in the sun.

If your sense of smell isn't too good or you're a smoker, you might not get the entire effect from this method & will have to be creative. Get one of those things you put loose tea leaves in & place the baggie contents into it & hang it from the rear view mirror. While driving, turn on the defroster so the air flow passes the tea leaf holder & pushes the odor directly towards your nostrils.

If you still can't smell it, you can try hanging it around your neck. 

   i truly love this man.. 

[ipstrategies]

My headliner held more of that "OLD CAR SMELL" then all the rest of the interior, I took it out as I do not like the smell much myself.

[bull]

Take a dity gym sock that you've rubbed on a wet dog and tie around your neck when you drive it.

[Charger1973]

Or just use the old bedding from a mouse cage.   

[Brock Samson]

the part that got me was the old french fry... 
don't forget to spill some milk in between the seats... maybe empty a few old ashtrays and butts and grind them into the console area... 

[Mr.Woolery]

Man, you guys' cars must really smell bad.   

[Chatt69chgr]

The interior of mine was covered in mold so it didn't smell so nice.

[UFO]

Jeez If I only knew you wanted that old smell.Could've sent you what was left of my carpet and crushed velvet interior.
I went out of my way to get rid of it.

[Silver R/T]

you mean that "grandpa" smell. Some of the old cars Ive worked one literally stunk like @#$)$

[SFRT]

He may be talking about the smell of the solvents in the plastic outgassing. every older car company has its own 'smell'...all 60's mopars smell the same, all 60's VW's....I like the VW smell.

stinkiest cars: 1970's era fords. something about the foam.

[aone415]

Cut up a bunch of the old interior parts into tiny pieces, put them in those little baggies & freeze them. Make sure you use a name brand ziplock bag like "Glad" or equal, so it seals in the 40 year old freshness. If you get some generic imitation like wally mart's own brand, I can't guarantee the smell will last more than a couple of days or the parts won't get freezer burn.

Be sure you mix a little bit of everything in each bag to get that correct combination. Put a small chunk of carpet, a piece of dried out vinyl, a patch of the headliner, a cotton ball sized piece of seat foam, a few inches of corroded wire with the rubber on it, & most importantly, some petrified french fries from a fast food chain that was in business back in the day.

Everytime you take the old car out for a ride with the new interior, grab a ziplock bag from the freezer & dump out the special mixture under the seat. If you don't want the mess, poke some holes in the baggie to let the stench permeate into the car, but you'll have to plan ahead & do this the day before so the odor has time to ripen up a bit. If you can't do it a day ahead, then leave the windows up & park it in the sun.

If your sense of smell isn't too good or you're a smoker, you might not get the entire effect from this method & will have to be creative. Get one of those things you put loose tea leaves in & place the baggie contents into it & hang it from the rear view mirror. While driving, turn on the defroster so the air flow passes the tea leaf holder & pushes the odor directly towards your nostrils.

If you still can't smell it, you can try hanging it around your neck. 

That's F'n awesome

[Rolling_Thunder]

old car smell can be easily obtained....        mix all these things in an equal amount

1. Aged piss
2. Vomit (only in the back seat area)
3. ass/back sweat
4. Spilled Beer
5. Weed smoke

[lexxman]

old car smell can be easily obtained....        mix all these things in an equal amount

1. Aged piss
2. Vomit (only in the back seat area)
3. ass/back sweat
4. Spilled Beer
5. Weed smoke

And don't forget to close up all the windows and leave it in the hot sunn for a day or two.

[plum500]

After I get my new interior installed, I plan on using a nice cocktail of cheap aftershave and burn a pack of smokes to restore it. Seriously. I have also already purchased the air fresheners to hang on the mirror to complete the after-effect.

[Magnumcharger]

Geez...you guys are simple.
Old car smell is nothing but an accumulation of decades worth of farts being trapped in the seat foam.
Everybody knows that.

[CaptMarvel]

I can relate to this subject....everyone thinks Im crazy, but Ive always loved that old car smell...The first thing that I noticed when I bought my 68 R/T was that smell. Funny how little things like smells or songs can take you back...

[Mr.Woolery]

I can relate to this subject....everyone thinks Im crazy, but Ive always loved that old car smell...The first thing that I noticed when I bought my 68 R/T was that smell. Funny how little things like smells or songs can take you back...

Thank you, CaptMarvel... 

To everyone else....

[Old Moparz]

To everyone else....

LOL......

[Ghoste]

He may be talking about the smell of the solvents in the plastic outgassing. every older car company has its own 'smell'...all 60's mopars smell the same, all 60's VW's....I like the VW smell.

stinkiest cars: 1970's era fords. something about the foam.

I absolutely agree with you.  Not the part about VW's ( I like the late 60's opar smell best) but all the rest.  Not just different brands but different eras as well.  I find myself in a lot of different vehicles from across the decades and the smells of each era changed.

[Magnumcharger]

The back cubby-hole of old Volkswagen Bugs always smelled like engines....

[Ghoste]

Or burnt oil.

[Magnumcharger]

Or sauerkraut...

[Supercharged Riot]

my car smells like gas. Its my first mopar, but....is it really supposed to smell like that with these old cars?

[Ghoste]

Not really.  It may be more easily detected than with a modern car but you shouldn't really be smelling raw fuel.  Check for leaks especially in those hard to find spots, 40 year old rubber lines have a tendency to develop cracks.

[Magnumcharger]

An easy way to detect fuel leaks is to spray "developer" of the lines and look for bleed through, caused by capillary action.
I used it when I was an aircraft mechanic to chase leaks in hydraulic lines, transmissions, engine gaskets and other fluid-bearing lines.
Works great.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4615828.html

http://www.rocol.com/lubricants/english/metalworking/flawfinder/prod0143.php

[Khyron]

The back cubby-hole of old Volkswagen Bugs always smelled like engines....

I read that quick and thought you types Chubby... I was like WTF are you doing to your cars!!!

[Kevin68N71]

I think it is mainly the types of glues and materials used.

Here's one for you.  When I was a kid, my favorite family car was a 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Safari wagon.  I loved that car, it was the total drive-in car, 60s car.  It was all vinyl with this really rich red carpet.  The car had a particular smell, I always loved it, and it never went away the years we had it.   It wasn't just a new car smell, it was just that car smell.

20 years ago I wanted to find another one of these cars, and seriously began looking about 15 years ago.  It's a rare year.  I finally got one, a 1961 with a tan, but identical interior.  It was transported across country to me.  And as I was getting it off the transporter, I got inside and BOOM! it took me back over 30 years. 

That car smells exactly like the one we had back then.  Further, my 1971 Super Bee smells similar to my  1968 Charger.

Again, I think all other smells fade over time, but the glues and advesives and vinyls remain.

[Brock Samson]

sometimes the chemical in the plastics leach out over time,.. that's supposed to be the dangerous stuff that's a carcinigin,..  i understand thats why the windshields cloud up over time,. i heard this stuff on NPR when they had some plastics scare/recall a year or more ago... there was alot more plastics in the cars as the '60s wore on,.. not so much in the early '60s,.. probably alot more in the '70s with the huge one piece door panels...

[Ghoste]

I've heard that quite a few times too Brock.  It sems like there is a new carcinogen every time you turn around anymore.

[375instroke]

Get the carpet wet, place cardboard over the floors, close the doors for a few days.  Then, you open one door, back a non catalytic car up to the door and run the engine for a few minutes.  Close the door and let it steep for a few more days.