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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Cabin smells 50 years old !
Posted by: DANNYMAC Oct 27 2020, 12:05 PM
Anyone had any luck de-smelling their 914 ? How did you do it ?
Posted by: mepstein Oct 27 2020, 12:22 PM
Yes. Ozone generator.
Posted by: VaccaRabite Oct 27 2020, 12:37 PM
If the carpet s still in good shape - ozone and fabreeze works.
Otherwise, pull the carpet out. If you find its still viable (it isn't) get it cleaned and glue it back in. Clean EVERYTHING under the carpet. Buy new carpet from any of our wonderful vendors and put that down.
Clean the dash. Clean the seats. Find all the buried treasures that lurk in the cabin of a 50 year old car. Pull the door cards and clean all the muck that may get in there.
Zach
Posted by: mbseto Oct 27 2020, 01:09 PM
What??? I'm scared to death after rebuilding mine it will lose that classic car smell.
Posted by: RolinkHaus Oct 27 2020, 01:28 PM
Steamer with vacuum. If you don’t find and remove the source of the odor ,it will always come back , no matter what you put on it. If someone smoked in the car it’s probably in the fabric on the target top.
Posted by: brcacti Oct 27 2020, 02:08 PM
Anyone had any luck de-smelling their 914 ? How did you do it ?
You may have the engine running rich or you may have an oil leak and leaking into the heat exchangers. I am taking my car in the shop next week for this same problem you have. Is it the same with the heater on as no heater being used?
Posted by: mepstein Oct 27 2020, 03:16 PM
If the carpet s still in good shape - ozone and fabreeze works.
Otherwise, pull the carpet out. If you find its still viable (it isn't) get it cleaned and glue it back in. Clean EVERYTHING under the carpet. Buy new carpet from any of our wonderful vendors and put that down.
Clean the dash. Clean the seats. Find all the buried treasures that lurk in the cabin of a 50 year old car. Pull the door cards and clean all the muck that may get in there.
Zach
you have to remove or fix the source of the smell. It might be a number of things and or places that is causing the smell. Good news, it can be fixed. I’ve done it a couple times and made it acceptable to my toughest critic, my wife.
Posted by: JamesM Oct 27 2020, 03:26 PM
Anyone had any luck de-smelling their 914 ? How did you do it ?
You dont like it? I find old German car smell to be the best! Unless what you are smelling isnt old German car smell?
Oddly enough, never had it with a 914 (perhaps due to my 914s all having been gutted at some point or the topless nature or who knows?) but my 931 and, 951 i think the old musky German car smell is delightful.
Posted by: IronHillRestorations Oct 27 2020, 03:30 PM
Remove and clean the entire interior. Carpet, seats, door panels, backpad. I'd even look in the hot air tubes with an endoscope to make sure you've got no rodents, or remnants. Just cleaning it all out and re-gluing the carpets will give it a "new car" smell
Posted by: mmichalik Oct 27 2020, 03:33 PM
What??? I'm scared to death after rebuilding mine it will lose that classic car smell.
I agree. I love the old smell of the car.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want my new cars smelling like that but, interior smell of my 74 is awesome and when I put the new interior into the 75, it's not going to be quite the same.
Posted by: porschetub Oct 27 2020, 04:11 PM
Steamer with vacuum. If you don’t find and remove the source of the odor ,it will always come back , no matter what you put on it. If someone smoked in the car it’s probably in the fabric on the target top.
Beware steam cleaning wool carpet it could shrink...not worth the risk.
Carpet "shake and vac" powder is very good @ removing odors,hell I even got rid of cat piss smell with this product after trying everything else.
Good luck.
Posted by: Mikey914 Oct 27 2020, 04:38 PM
I love the smell of the old car. It actually reminds me of gun oil. Ozone will eat rubber and is not friendly to people either. Start with Febreze, should help, and is the cheap easy way to go after it. If not you can go deeper, but keep it simple first.
Enjoy the ride
Posted by: DRPHIL914 Oct 27 2020, 06:56 PM
he the same issue when i got the car too. after a few years of that the interior was pulled out, and with new carpet door panels and back panel recovered it only smells 50 years old when it’s running 
seriously though the old door cards and back panel were press board and hold moisture and can even have mold and mildew so do the carpets . clean or replace where necessary,
maybe some damprid and/or baking soda to take out odor and moisture, but replacing with new if it’s not mint OEM is well worth it
Posted by: Front yard mechanic Oct 27 2020, 08:23 PM
Toss a bag of Cheetos under the seat
Posted by: Mikey914 Oct 27 2020, 09:06 PM
We have plastic door pads and back pad panels, as well as carpets and so on, but hope you don't need them.
Posted by: mlindner Oct 28 2020, 04:09 AM
Mike914, small ozone units are used all the time for rental cars to get smoke and dog smells out, also used in homes for children with alergies.
Posted by: Porschef Oct 28 2020, 05:11 AM
Everyone’s noses are different. 
So is everyone’s sense of smell. Personally I find all older air cooled Porsches to smell similar. Beetles are a different story, they all smell of what I believe to be the horsehair used in the seats. Smell one, you’ve smelled ‘em all... 
Posted by: Mark Henry Oct 28 2020, 05:26 AM
Old socks filled with silica cat litter and some dryer softener sheets as a mouse deterrent when storing. A couple of hidden air fresheners in driving season.
Posted by: Superhawk996 Oct 28 2020, 05:45 AM
Toss a bag of Cheetos under the seat
Posted by: DANNYMAC Oct 28 2020, 08:35 AM
Toss a bag of Cheetos under the seat
Ha Ha ! I like your thinking... To the many that replied Thanks ! It's a 19K mile car, original carpet and headliner, carpet is perfect, headliner is sagging and very thick ? Great point as to heater tubes and Exchangers, that will be first. I'll try the many suggestions. I don't mind so much but the 14yo won't even get in it anymore
Posted by: DANNYMAC Oct 28 2020, 09:43 AM
If the carpet s still in good shape - ozone and fabreeze works.
Otherwise, pull the carpet out. If you find its still viable (it isn't) get it cleaned and glue it back in. Clean EVERYTHING under the carpet. Buy new carpet from any of our wonderful vendors and put that down.
Clean the dash. Clean the seats. Find all the buried treasures that lurk in the cabin of a 50 year old car. Pull the door cards and clean all the muck that may get in there.
Zach
you have to remove or fix the source of the smell. It might be a number of things and or places that is causing the smell. Good news, it can be fixed. I’ve done it a couple times and made it acceptable to my toughest critic, my wife.
Posted by: Wyvern Oct 28 2020, 10:53 AM
Go to Target / Walmart or other such place ...
Buy the cheapest shower curtain you can get ..
Open the package...
Put it under the seat.
The curing plastic is "that NEW CAR smell"
Posted by: mtndawg Oct 28 2020, 11:01 AM
Cover the seats with new leather, recover the doors and back pad with vinyl (leather if you have the $) and it will be wonderful every time you get in the car.
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