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Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:18 am

So I was cruising the want ads and I read one ad which the lack of that "old VW" smell, in the interior, because everything was replaced. So this got me thinking "What makes that classic volkswagon smell? My Notch has it and it has a new carpet, but everything else is original. Both of my mom's old bus' had that smell (which brings back so many fond memories). So what makes that smell?
As slowly replace things in the car I hope I don't lose what makes my car "feel" like an old VW, one of those things being the smell.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:28 am

I think it's the old copra? seat padding.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:53 am

Mike Fisher wrote: I think it's the old copra? seat padding.

That is what I think it is also...

Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:43 am

Seat padding.

Oh, and if it's an oldie, you also have to blend in:
- exhaust fumes from leaky heat exchangers
- oil smell from leaky oil cooler
- raw gas fumes from leaky gas gauge sender
- brake fluid from leaky rear line under floormat
- hydrogen from battery acid spill under back seat
- burnt plastic from shorted wires fixed with band-aid
- salty air from day at beach
- stale beer from can stashed under passenger foot rest when pulled over for broken tail lights
- faint smell of old weed (location forgotten)

And if it's an old Bus, it could be biological, but let's not go there.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:54 am

Priceless. I think KTPhil has it right. Oh, and my friend had the "biological" van. We definitely won't discuss what happened in that van.

Josh

Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:13 am

best.
thread.
ever.
:)

i leave my garage door connecting with the house open just so the smell wafts into the house...I fuggin love that smell! :D

Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:18 pm

40'ish years of peoples fat asses sweating on vinyl, and you have to ask?

Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:47 pm

mouse pee.

scuzi, mouse pee on wool rugs, plus rubberized horsehair, mentioned, fuel leaks, and black veewee vinyl cooking in the sun.

Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:52 pm

I think it is also the padding in the headliner. I have all of the original padding out and have considered replacing it. But, I was worried that I would lose that "VW smell". the kind I love but my wife hates lol.

"You always smell like an old VW..."

Wed Jul 02, 2008 6:30 am

I have to agree with "horsehair" seat padding and headliner insulation comments.

I'm really disappointed that my T34 has had both replaced and has none of the classic VW smell to it. I might hide some recycled horsehair padding in the back seat just to get that smell back!

Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:08 am

Dont forget the decaying rubber mats and the old wet-dry-wet again wool carpet :wink:

Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:36 pm

the true is the Vintage VW have a particular smell!.. :) .. and the smell are same in Type 1, Type 2, Type 3.. and others!..

but you know.. with more Contemporary VW Cars happen something similar.. theyre have a particular smell.. you can compare the smell on any Jetta 99´and any Golf 95´ has the same particular smell..

regards

Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:42 pm

drummerboycr wrote: but you know.. with more Contemporary VW Cars happen something similar.. theyre have a particular smell.. you can compare the smell on any Jetta 99´and any Golf 95´ has the same particular smell..

You mean people smoke weed in Jettas, too?

Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:33 pm

KTPhil wrote: You mean people smoke weed in Jettas, too?

LOL :D

Yes, I have to say, that old VW smell is utterly awesome!

I wonder if my headliner guy will tolerate my request to leave the old padding in...

Jeff

Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:32 pm

Ummmm, Weed. :)

Well it sounds like the headliner padding, seat padding and maybe some wool carpet, gives VW's that special "base" smell. Then the "biological" smells are added to fine tune the experience or tailor it, if you will, to the owners taste, or lack there of. Then of course, some of us have to "take" the smells that came with the car. Thankfully, mine only came with admirable smells and not, was it Cat pee and 40 years of ass sweat?

Josh

Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:39 pm

my squareback sat in storage for 18 years or so before I bought it... which would have been fine except they kept a cat in the building with the car.... no mice, but the cat lived in the car...

when I pulled the front seats, you could see where the cat slept for many years...

it took me almost two years to get rid of the cat piss funk...

Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:43 pm

KTPhil wrote: Seat padding.

Oh, and if it's an oldie, you also have to blend in:

- faint smell of old weed (location forgotten)

the dog will find it for you.

Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:50 pm

I forgot to mention - when I was cleaning out the square the day I pushed it home, I found, among other things, 4 empty bottles of Red Stripe beer, 2 empty beer cases, a full kitchen bag of garbage (food wrappers, etc).

And a court appearance document for failure to stop at a sign, speeding, failure to pull over, and DUI. (!)

...and, of course, in the glovebox, and Altoids tin with weed shake in it.

Jeff