Why do my old cars smell?

[Norfolkandchance]

Hi,

I have had a number of 80s cars which leave a smell on my clothes after driving. Oily, exhaust, petrol smell. Obviously people didn't arrive in the 80s smelling of old car.

I assume that as they have got older then they might be running a bit rich, that, though they don't use much oil, they probably burn more than they did, some gadgets are weeping a bit of oil which then burns off when hot etc.

So I'm assuming I need an engine rebuild but I don't really want to rebuild engine that otherwise is working well, can you think of any other sources and suggest remedies?

Thanks

[//j17]

No, they did. The difference is that in the 80s everyone was driving cars from the 80s or before that smelt so people didn't notice.

These days cars are so sterile the 'old car smell' stands out.

[crankedup]

Try a liberal splash-over of 'Old Spice' works wonders apparently!!

Seriously you shouldn't be getting those smells leaking into your car, check out the door sills maybe.

[Deendog]

Smell that hits me every time I get into my lotus ('93) is leather (as well as petrol)
Don't seem to get that leather smell in modern cars (at least not in my bmw or landrover)

[dudleybloke]

crankedup said:

Try a liberal splash-over of 'Old Spice' works wonders apparently!!

Seriously you shouldn't be getting those smells leaking into your car, check out the door sills maybe.

Blue Stratos would be more appropriate.

[james_gt3rs]

Exhaust leak? More noticeable because the fumes are worse.

[v8250]

A friend of mine has a lifelong penchant for driving old bangers, picking up cars that people don't want or at the very worst he pays a small sum to purchase a daily snotter providing it's fully taxed and tested; it's bangernomics in its purist form.

Some weeks ago he showed me the latest car donated to his impeccable collection. If you're wanting for 'une voiture au parfum', look here...the bacterial growth could fund a global pharmaceutical research centre!

Edited by v8250 on Wednesday 10th February 12:07

[Hooli]

^^^^^

[v8250]

Hooli said:

^^^^^

indeed...but did you notice the questionable air freshener upper left edge of photo'?

[HD Adam]

80's car?

You should be smelling of this

[mrpee]

Check out your crankcase breather pipes are all sealed and in good shape. That causes nasty niffs.

Looking at that picture above probably puts your mind at rest though.

[john2443]

When I bought a Spitfire in 1983, my mate who'd had a Herald got in it the first time and said 'It smells just like my Herald' so it's more complicated than old cars just smelling, a blind man would know what make he was in!

[Google [bot]]

Wouldn't have it any other way.

[T70RPM]

...so nice, the OP should have said.
The lovely smell of old leather, damp carpets & broken dreams...

[S0 What]

Simple answer is they have no cabin filter.
Long asnwer is the earlyer you go the worse/leaky/no worky/not sealed the breather systems are and so more fumes enter the (unfilterd) interior via the heater inlet that is usually at the rear of the engine bay (mostly a grill under the screen) just where all the naisty fumes from the bay end up, pushed there by the air entering through the rad

[Skyedriver]

Had a Lotus Excel a few years ago
Had suffered from water ingress over a long period of time.
Spend less than 5 mins in it and your clothes had that smell all day.....
Lovely drive but couldn't cope with the smell that I couldn't get rid of.

[V8 Fettler]

Seals to the various holes in the bulkhead will fail over the decades.

Elderly diesel Land Rover with livestock farming experience can be eye watering.

[bob1179]

Is it wrong to like the smell of my old cars?

[Yertis]

bob1179 said:

Is it wrong to like the smell of my old cars?

Not at all! I love the way my TR reeks of old vinyl, hot oil, unburned fuel, and exhaust fumes.

[aardvark64]

Yertis said:

bob1179 said:

Is it wrong to like the smell of my old cars?

Not at all! I love the way my TR reeks of old vinyl, hot oil, unburned fuel, and exhaust fumes.

Exactly! My Trabant has the classic East German smells of 2-stroke fumes, phenol resin and boiled cabbage. I wouldn't use an air freshener 'cos it's meant to smell that way.

Best wishes, Colin