On the other side of the coin, it was just on the news a couple of weeks ago that the "new car smell" so many people love is actually not good for you, it can be very toxic. The smell consists of all the chemicals working their way out of the plastics and leathers used in interiors these days. Just one more reason to buy only old cars. Don
i'm glad someone finally took the time to answer this question. now we can figure out new ways around their learned behavior and really gas em.
This thread is kind of funny...but true. Maybe alot of guys on the Eastern side of the country might not relate as much as older cars werent driven as much or in big numbers. But out here in California people regularly drove old cars into the 70s and 80s...VW's smell one way, Fiats another, Fords another and GM yet another way. I guess it was the type or manufacturer of the interior materials they used..and age...the developed a certain smell. My '59 Pontiac definitely has an old Pontiac smell...I had a neighbor come by and check it out and he said he could smell the interior..and the back window had been down in this wagon when it was parked in a barn for 42 years! When you redo the interior with modern upholstery the smell is gone...like another hamber said..a certain scent is a memory trigger..my Pontiac reminds me of alot of GM cars I have had over the years...
My recent '55 purchases' old car smell is overpowered by SERIOUS animal piss. I'm not happy at all about it. Prob have to replace the seat foam. It's pretty rancid!
I like the old mohair aroma in vintage cars. And of course good old Ethyl. On the funny side, I got a goodie bag a few months ago with some new Hagerty sponsored "please don't touch" window stickers that are a play on the old scratch n sniff magazine advertising gimicks. But these say "Sniff, but Don't Scratch" Gary
There ain't nothing like that old car smell, except maybe the smell of an old valve record player/tube amp warmed up. Paul
It's part of the history of the cars we drive, where they've been, what they've seen, the stories thay could tell, materials that you don't find in modern cars...and I'm with Kripfink on valve amps as well!
I agree. There's definitely different scents from different car makes. I thought I was the only one who noticed.
The solvents that vent from the plastics used back then were pretty toxic. But that was before the EPA and OSHA, right? And other stuff we didn't know about. I probably get a little wood if I smelled fresh mimeograph ink again! Gary
My old cars used to smell like a brewery a lot. OK when your drinkin' not so OK when you are trying to recover. They have smelled like stink bait before as well, also not a good smell when you are trying to recover. A friend of mines wife when we were young borrowed my car one Sunday morning. She was wearing a real short skirt and this drink (yes still tipsy on Sunday morning) walked over from the way she described it stuck his head in the window and says, "maaaan it sure smells like legs in here." No I don't recall anyone wanting to smell my car before.
I've noticed that my fords have always smelt a little different than similar year chevy's. On a slightly OT note, I also have come to enjoy how on a humid day the steering wheel is a little sticky and sometimes leaves some residue on your hands...
By the way, someone asked me who here ever pumped Ethyl, I guess she had a child and wants to find the father...=D and on a side note... I love the smell of Cam2 in the morning!
I ran into that this past weekend for the first time. Had family over and one of my brother-in-laws mentioned how the '56 smelled "like an old car should".
Smell plays such a large part in enjoyment of things. Wish all my cars smelled like the interior of my high school 50 Chevy. I also crave the smell of a new engine when it's hot and the paint is cooking, and new tires, oh my, I love the smell of brand new tires.
Bought a 55 pontiac in 1987, it had sat for years but when i opened that door for the first time, i was sold.. Nothing like the smell of an old gm..
the police always seem to sniff around my cars. i wonder just what they think they are going to find.lol
Agreed, my '67 Malibu that I bought in '01 smelled great inside. Its the only car I've ever owned that I regret selling.
"I probably get a little wood if I smelled fresh mimeograph ink again! Gary" That shit did smell good didn't it .<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
My dad tells the story about how some of his "friends"??? put lindberger cheese on his exhaust manifold at his wedding reception, then he and mom took off for their honeymoon. he said even after washing the engine several times the smell never went away. said it still stunk when hot till the day he traded it off.
Every car has its smell. My '61 has that "old truck mixed with gasoline" smell. My Olds has that "G-Body Cutlass" smell, which is best described as a mix of vanilla and crayola crayons. To us car guys, maybe it's the car's pheromones that attract us to them.
My 50 Ford smells of a mix of old farts, used motor oil and cheap apostasy. I'm not sure if I'm losing my mind but I'm starting to like it.
overheated electrics... maybe that was the smell of WWII surplus electronics I remember from the 1950s... Bakelite, phenolic insulation, old wiring, old condensers (uh, capacitors)... Sniff it once and you'll know an ARC-5 transmitter immediately !!
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