Has anyone here had this problem...

I love my 68 Hurst, I love to drive it, but what I really hate is they way my clothes stink after I drive it. I feel grimy as well

The smell is like rich exhaust smell... The car has full exhausts with no leaks, but for many years the car was driven/raced with mufflers and turn downs.

What I need to figure out is how can I get this smell out of the car????

I already changed the carpet many years ago....

Thanks for your help

 

I always roll down my windows when the car is stored in my garage. Might take a few weeks. But it really helps get the crappy smells out of the car.

Worth a try, and its free!

 

Thanks Tony... as of now the windows have been open for 6 years....

 

LOL - You can always get your Grandma or your mom to ride in it to give it that lil ol lady smell! All joking aside, check for missing grommets in the floor or firewall. Make sure your trunk seal is good. Check your tune if it's still running rich!

You can put, baking soda and charcoal brickets in there to absorb some of it. Also check with some of the used car dealers around where you are. They have people that come in there to do oder out, mainly for tobacco smells.

 

I love the smell of the rich exhaust. It's one of my favorite things about my '69 H/O

 

Could be a combo of all 3... I think it smells more like exhaust fumes...

If I stick my head into the window I do not smell anything, but once I depart the car my pants and shirt stink...

 

I also like that smell as a car passes me... but this is terrible. If I take my car out anywhere, I will not go into a place to eat because of the stink...


This is not enjoyable at all, come home and I feel the need to shower...

I would hate to think I need to replace all the seat foams.......

 

If it is 'old car smell' you might try spraying Febreeze around all of your interior, also under the rear seats and inside the trunk...........

 

Hhmmm. Maybe its you and not the car? j/k

Baking soda and charcoal can help, also something called Zeolite can help too. You can buy a product called 'Sweet PDZ' that is a granular zeolite used for urine odor in horse stalls. Tack & feed places and places like Murdochs or Tractor supply may have it. Buy a 10# bag for 5 bucks then pour some into some old socks and put them under the seats (Back one too) and see if that helps.

 

I re-worded my reply, after rereading your post.

 

I have done the fabreeze, but only on the surface, not under the seats... Thanks

 

Yes, Old Lady smell would indeed be an improvement!

I will stop by a used car dealer and ask, thanks..

BTW no missing grommets, and the trunk seal seems tight, maybe I will change that, it is easy enough... who makes the best seal?

 

I got mine from yearone, but there are alot of venders for seals.

 

Put some coffee beans in the car, they will absorb any smell.

 

Really??? I never heard that one before. Whole beans or ground? Dark roast, espresso, or breakfast blend?

 

one word.....OZIUM!

 

4 words... it did not work... tried that first, thanks

 

Wadded up newspapaer will absorb ordors also.

 

Bulldog, I wasn't being a wiseass, seriously, whole or ground?

Thanks!

 

Interesting, thanks!

what will happen if I use the baking soda, charcoal, dryer sheets, horse **** remover, coffee, fabreeze, ozium and newspaper all at the same time????? Probably will cancel out each other and car will still smell!

Besides paying off some debt, this would be the main reason for me selling the car... I just do not enjoy it

 

It'll probably void your warranty :-/

 

I'll offer up more than one word since you seem to have tried everything.
It seems that if it is making your clothes stink, its something that your touching for a period of time, or are being exposed to. Are there seat covers or original material that hold the stink? It could be the foam in the seats and not the material. You could have plugs missing in your firewall allowing smells to come in while driving. Could be possible you need a new trunk seal and allowing exhaust in where it dumps?

 

again????

 

Thank you.... I ordered the new trunk seal today.... all the plugs on the firewall are in, all the seats are original covers, and I would hate to have to redo the seats just to replace the foams.

Thank you

 

Find the source. Old lady and musty odors linger forever, but exhaust goes away pretty fast. Get it tuned, check exhaust system for leaks and any openings into the cabin as all suggested here. Also look for fuel leaks. That said, it will always smell more than a modern car. Wanna trade for a clean smelling 2003 Accord?

 

My wife says x2

Maybe you just aren't an Old Car Guy.

 

It doesn't sound like you're talking about the official "old car smell", the sort of musty one, which I love, but the unfiltered exhaust smell, which I also love. I have a newer car, late-model, with an unfiltered exhaust and well-tuned fuel injection, and I get the same smell in it, the exhaust smell. I think it would pretty much be impossible to get rid of it, short of converting to all electric or natural gas.

In order to limit it somewhat, you may need to dig around like the others have suggested and plug any open holes, etc. I believe that the inside of the car and trunk are under low pressure while the car is in motion, so any exhaust gas directly around the car would have a tendency to be sucked in. I would concentrate on the trunk, maybe there are drain plugs that haven't been installed? Other things to check would be tail and marker light grommets/seals, and the trunk seal itself. Once the exhaust gets into the trunk, it's nothing for it to get sucked into the car. Good luck.

 

No, I surely am one, all my other old cars I had didn't have this problem, 2 1965 442s, 1970 W31 cutlass, 1962 Starfire hardtop...... Ron, were u at the dust off?

 

Then you will have to find some old ladies to ride around with. Seriously get the name of and oder out guy from a used car dealer.

 

Thank you Mike, will do!

 

Went to local interior guy he recommended a rattle can product from Zep called Commercial Smoke Eliminator .....

Will look for leaks and they spray this stuff and report back

 

Put your defrosters on, spray down into the fresh air vent. Spray under the seats, wipe down the whole inside of the car, I mean all surfaces. If that doesn't work go for the proffessional.

 

OK! thanks again

 

I was but got there late. I saw your car parked. I looked for you to say hello but you weren't around.

 

I also hate that exhaust smell. Make sure there are no holes in your floor boards and fire wall. I spoke with a vintage car restorer in my area about this; he said the turbulence created under the car can push exhaust fumes through holes in the floor boards.

 

Sprinkel baking powder all over the interior. Seat, floor, everything. Let it suit for 24 hours, then vacuum it out.

My Delta reeked of cigarette smoke really bad when I bought it. I mean really bad. So bad that one could get lung cancer by just sitting in the car for an hour.

Did the baking powder trick. smell was cut down by 60%, did it again, and got the smell out pretty good.

I'm planning on filling 4 paper cups of baking powder and placing them on each floor board of the car when I go to Michigan next wednesday. 4 to 5 days of that sitting in the car should do wonders

 

Ahhh too bad, next time!

 

Baking powder or baking soda??? Not sure baking powder will do any for the smell...

 

the carbon in newsprint works well and is cheap/free. does it smell rich under the hood? are your fresh air vent seals dry-rotted? maybe put an air freshener inside the trunk overnight in the garage. see if you smell the air freshener in the garage the next day without opening the trunk or the car windows. if you do, your trunk is leaking air.

 

Never checked the seals, but good idea on the trunk Thanks