Inliners International Forums General Discussion Body & Paint Old car smell

My 52 Chev sedan has a definite old car odour to it. Is there any way to reduce the odour short of redoing the upholstery which is not an option for me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Try an OZONE generator! You can rent them in some places. First, clean the upholstery and carpet thoroughly. Place the ozone generator in the car and close it ip tightly. Run the generator over night and then open the doors and walk away!! The ozone can damage your lungs, so let it deplete completely before you get back in the car.

If it doesn't completely eliminate the smell, Febreeze the interior and do the ozone thing again!!

I used this process in tour busses to remove marijuana and foul cooking odors as well as just nasty BO and cigarette smoking smells!! It works really well.

Thanks for your input Blackwater. I'll need to wait for the good weather to try the ozone generator as the Chevy is in an attached garage and I'd rather have it out on the driveway. In the meantime I will try the Febreeze.
The smell seems to give me a headache whenever I drive the car. I have checked for exhaust leaks and other noxious smells from the motor but cannot find anything else but this old car odour.

Careful as well.

Ive been dealing with ozone in restoration for 25 years. We dont use it much now. It can cause damage to elastic type of materials and has cost a lot in replacement values

We now use Hydroxyl. Creates tad of ozone but at safe levels ( can work in the same environment)

I've never used an ozone generator on the same vehicle twice, so the damage to rubber and neoprene is always minimal, if noticeable at all!!

I'd never recommend repeated use and always place the vehicle outside, so that it can be vented completely when the process is complete.

Haven't tried Hydroxyl. How does it work??

Well I finally bought a Cliplite ozone generator. Not cheap!
I read a lot on the net as per precautions and the length of time for treatment. The Cliplite instructions recommend a 30 minute treatment. I'm wondering if this is enough time as my car has a strong old car smell. Blackwater, you said you treat the problem overnight. Not sure which way to go here. Can I cause damage if the treatment is too long?
Thanks for your help, Al

A single treatment shouldn't create any problems. I understand that repeated use can cause certain neoprene and other pliable plastics to break down.

We used ours over night because that was when we could keep others from getting in our vehicles and because the buses we worked on were pretty large. We never had any issues with damage caused by the ozone generator when doing this. These were million dollar tour buses with tons of electronics, many and diverse fabrics, and all sorts of seals, restraint devices for cargo, and a lot of window and door seals and weather barriers.

I doubt that a single treatment will manifest any problems, unless the weather stripping or upholstery is already in shakey condition. You can't go wrong following the manufacturers instructions! They usually know the capability of their product and are aware of any dangers or issues involved in the product's use. Try it for the recommended interval and if it doesn't give the result you want, adjust your time interval and try again.

Thanks for your response. I tried 1.5 hrs yesterday and I can still smell a musty odor. I'll bump up the time to 2 hrs and try again tomorrow if the rain quits.

Al!! Hit it with a good shot of Febreze and let that sit in the sun for a day or so!! Follow that with another Ozone treatment. Make sure you don't have ANY old cloth or paper hidden in nooks and crannies and bleach anything that might show evidence of mold.

De-odorizing old cars and such can be challenging!!

Good ideas. I will try them.
thanks,Al

Well, I fabreezed the heck out of it and let it dry in the sun. Then I gave it another ozone treatment....2.5 hrs this time.
The musty old car smell is gone!
Thanks for all your help Blackwater.
Al

Al!!

You're more than welcome!! I like getting other folks through projects. Really glad I could help.