Dealing with "Old Car Funk"

lordkelvin · 01-17-02, 10:28

Okay, some of you guys with "classic" or just older cars probably know what I'm talking about. I drive a 1987 VW Scirocco, and I love it. However, after driving it 30 miles to work (and even worse after driving it 30 miles home)...I feel like I need to take a shower. I've done everything I can to "sterilize" the car, but it's still just old and therefore slightly funky.

The steering wheel makes my hands feel clammy (I'll be replacing the wheel eventually), and I just sorta feel like the car stinks (it's not bad or anything...it just smells like an old car). I have noticed that it's not as bad when I have the A/C on (shouldn't be a problem year 'round in TX), but I'd like to neutralize/get rid of the "old car funk" as much as possible.

Anybody got any miracle products to recommend for getting rid of odors and treating old, slightly sticky surfaces?

Things that I have done so far: Rug Doctored seats and carpets, scrubbed headliner, dash, door panels, etc. with bleach cleaner. This was just an attempt to get rid of as much crap as possible...and the water was black, it was nasty. I do have 303 and Vinylex and plan to use them on the interior when I get around to it, but I just don't feel like it's ready just yet.

Any and all help is very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Gary

ZV · 01-18-02, 04:50

Arm-N-Hammer Baking Soda under the seats and they should absorb most of the crappy odors. If you've already shampooed already, then that is the next thing to do. There are tons of odor-counteractants and things you can buy from this site and others, so it's your choice. Get some EF HI and clean that car from head-to-toe!!!

waxman · 01-18-02, 05:37

Meguiar's makes a car deodorizer like Febreze but seems to work better and last longer than Febreze. It kind of has a new car smell to it.

Brad B. · 01-18-02, 07:28

You could also pay to get the interior "Ionized" which is supposed to help with odors. The larger dealers in your area as some detailers can do this.

I have always used the baking soda method.

Some old cars, however, have odors that come from carpet padding, seat foam, etc. It's really hard to overcome.

Detlman · 01-18-02, 07:36

Best bet is to use a good extractor and remove whatever is causing the odor, follow up with valu gard odor terminator and you should eliminate the odor for good. I have sprayed many stinky ac vents to remove odor and once you spray it let the product work and the odor will be gone for good as long as you have removed whtever was causing the odor in the first place.

For instance on my new truck we had a situation where there were some stinky shoes put in the car on a hot day and the wife chose to run the ac instead of rolling down the windows, then every time you turn on the ac it would smell like feet in the car. I sprayed the odor terminater into the ac intake and let it run for a few min and the smell is gone. Its been a couple months now and there was no re occourance.

good luck with removing the smell

BradE · 01-18-02, 07:37

I have heard good things about the "Odor Terminator" from AutoInt. If you run out of options give it a shot.

Guess My Name · 01-18-02, 08:43

Think of all the butts that have sit in the seat...Them seats hold some odors ecspecially if they are cloth.

As brad said most of the odors are under the top surface in the padding and stuffing of the carpet and seats.

I used an ionizer once for some spilled shrimp juice in the back of my last SUV and it worked well but then I had this funky ionizer smell which I did not like. I detailed the interior and used some Eagle 1 leather conditioner and the ionizer smell was gone.

You can pick up a small 110Vac ionizers at local marine stores since a lot of boat owners use them to get rid of the funky smell on boats from bilges and stale air.

Good Luck!

jimwh · 01-18-02, 11:02

Ozium - a great spray that gets rid of odors, not just cover them up. I think CMA has it.