It's only been three weeks since we drove the car to a show and today when I was preparing to set it up for winter I noticed that I had a flat tire, which also sucks. After taking the car dust cover off so I could get to the trunk key there lies a a paper mess all over the front floor....

Yep mice had already gotten into the car and it will probably cost me a new
carpet job. They ate two holes ( so far that I have I have found) the size of a baseball one in the hump where the world can see and the other just ahead of the A pillar on the floor. It's doubtful that they can be repaired with out looking like a patch work quilt .

Anyone know of a good place (vendor) to buy a pre cut quality carpet kit for a 55 it looks like I'm in the market for one.... Tedd

 

Time for mouse wars. I use a variety of peanut butter baited traps, a bait station, and some glue traps, along with dryer sheets in various areas of the car.

 

I've heard moonshine repels them pretty well. Good for the carpets, too.

- Eric

 

Thanks Eric. I tried the moonshine on me and it worked quite well, I think I will give it a second shot tonight just in case it was a anomaly.

I could be wrong but I think dryer sheets are a joke. A few years ago the mice built a nest in the batwing air cleaner out of dryer sheets. They were used and in a waste basket near the front of the car but there were many other nesting materials available and they chose the dryer sheets.I'm betting on dead mice that seems to always work...Tedd

 

I just put some dryer sheets near my garage door and some in the car. Traps too. You may want to check inside the car maybe even put a baited trap in there in case one is still in there. Also it were me I would wait till spring to do anything about the rug. They may ruin it again.

 

I've heard that scattering a few slices of Irish Spring soap around the car will keep the mice away.

 

Tedd:
If it weren't for bad luck, you would not be having any luck. I remember when you had that thing with your air cleaner. Nasty little bastards. I think I will put some bait stations in mine.

 

I tried the Irish Spring soap...they ate it!

 

Drier sheets and Irish spring do not work. Traps and a hungry cat do.

 

A neighbor of mine had a convertible and a stray cat used it as a scratching post. Mouse trap or mouse killing laser equipped drone is in order. Guess ill load up on traps and hope for the best.

 

Moth *****- work great, I know they stink. I've tried dryer sheets I don't think they work. Mouse bait is bad because sure it should kill the mice but it draws it to them. You don't want the mice in your car in the first place. I almost killed our dog w/decon. Its not pretty, she bled from every orifice, she made it. Anyway moth ***** have never let me down, in my old cars and my pontoon boat.

 

I have heard that peppermint extract works but haven't tied it.

 

Tedd,sorry for your mishap.Original Auto Interiors carry carpet sets for Olds. starting with ' 54. I've heard some good recommendations for their products.They stock cut pile and loop style in many colors and will send you samples. I think they are located in Mississippl. Hope you catch those Critters. Larry

 

Anything you can do to eliminate the mouse access to the building should be done. Close off holes.

 

Good thing they didn't get into your wiring yet. I'm with Octania on sealing up access. It will also keep your garage and car much cleaner if the area is sealed off from the elements.

 

Well it wasn't a mouse. All three of the mouse traps were sprung which I thought strange but I found a LARGE dead rat under the console/ cup holder that hid the Decon box. Looks like the last mouse trap caught him at his eye sockets. Pretty heavy duty work for a mouse trap. Should have gotten a picture but the wife is still squeamish about having a rat in the garage, I had to remove it pronto.

Here is a picture of the batwing with a mouse nest made of dryer sheets.I lost all my confidence in the sheet thing right there.... Tedd

 

Well hopefully it was only one...

 

Shove brillo pad or steel wool in the hole. It works for me.

 

Good work on that mouse trap taking down the rat.

To clarify above confusion, I put the traps and bait around the car, not IN it.

 

I actually put three traps and a box of Decon on the car floor.I can live with a little carnage as long as I get them before they mess up the seats, that gets real expensive. I had to put the bait and traps in the car as my two dogs have a access through the garage dogie door. So far no new traps have been tripped, hopefully there might have only been one.

I have just put in for a quote on the carpet(Original Auto Interiors) thanks Larry and hopefully I will get a response soon. There is some question whether the new carpet will match what I have which was a match of the original, I can see how this could get a little complicated . Ill will just have to wait and see how OAI wants to sort this out, me send them a sample of what I have or them send a sample of what they have.....Tedd

 

The carpet in my car is the original ( only dyed to renew color) and it looks to be just loop type Carpet. On their carpet site scroll down and I think 2-005 should be what your car would have had. Larry

 

Larry mine is cut loop and is probably not correct but that's what I have to work with. I don't care one way or the other but I don't think the carpet kit comes with the pieces at the side of the A piller and I don't want a mismatch....Tedd

 

Tedd,1aauto.com also shows carpet for '54 and '55 Olds and have larger pictures on their site.They only show 1 color red and it's the loop pile type which I believe was standard for all GM Cars in 1955. The cut pile type became popular in later models. Just read your last post.Oh yeah, I would go with what matches.

 

Yep, rat hole. Boogers can do a ton of damage. I like glue traps in car and bait traps around the shop.

 

Well the bastards(rats) are still around. So far they have tripped only the mouse traps and left the rat traps alone,go figure, same bait. Two nights ago they chewed through a plastic 2 liter bottle of V8 juice we had stored in the garage, never seen that before, what a mess. It's full on battle now......Tedd

 

Tedd, I tried the glue traps one time and caught one. It's kinda fun taking them outside then hitting them with a Stick while they are still looking at you,Especially after they have done damage that you end up paying for. It's called "revenge" ,not murder. Good luck. Larry

 

I think it is time for a mean *** cat in the garage. What are you baiting the traps with?

 

Seal off all cracks n crevices. Use the expandable spuz foam and steel wool. They wont chew steel wool. Once you think you've done due diligence sealing the garage up get the tomcat green cubes the traps and the standard glue and spring loaded traps with peanut butted on the trigger. With about $100 and your time you will gain the upper hand. Hell alot cheaper than carpet, upholstery or wiring! Also a clean clutter free garage inside and outside helps so the lil bass-turds dont have many places to hide. Careful what you dump in the trash cans too. That burger wrapper or trickle of beer suds will attract them too.

 

For pack rats, I use a rat trap(large version of the old faithful mouse trap) baited with 1 dried apricot slid onto the trigger. It has never failed to catch the packrat the first night.The first year I had packrats, I trapped 7 total. I used to use 2 dried apricots but there was no need. The fresher the apricot the easier it is to slip onto the flat tongue of the trigger. From experience, one word of advice....watch your fingers while setting the trap!

 

I like to drown them if I catch them on the sticky or in the tin cat trap.

 

D-con.

 

knock on a wooden steering wheel dryer sheets have worked for me for years.

 

I can't seal up the garage tight because of the dogs and their dogie door and there is no way I could bring in a cat smaller than a mountain lion and expect it to live more than 10 minutes,one of my dogs is a Pit Bull (no fear) the other is a Springer who thinks cats are big squirrels. Clutter free garage, what's that? So I think I will just have to eliminate the population as best I can with conventional methods, I do worry about the dogs getting into the Decon or eating a rat that has been poisoned.

Hopefully the car will look better because of all of this. I"m starting a list that I'm sure it will grow. New carpet,new door sill plates, repair a side window that has a crack and replace the fuzzes while I'm there. Relocate one of the seat belt hold downs while the seats are out and a bunch of small paint touch ups that have been bugging me all summer.This and the MAWs should keep me busy through the winter and I was kinda looking for a new car project to build. This probably actually saved me money....Back again, lost in the fifties....Tedd