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Scottn59c Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016 Posts: 308 Location: Northern CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:41 pm Post subject: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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"Ooooh that smell...Can't you smell that smell?
My bus is not a daily driver, and sometimes I go a few days before pulling open the slider and sitting on the battered bench in the back. My nostrils flare, and I take in that classic, funky VW smell. What does it smell like...?
Like heady horsehair incense, sea salt and old man funk with the unmistakable pungency of gasoline and motor oil.
It's a smell that fills my lungs and gives me euphoria everytime. It says, "Let's go for a cruise!"
What does yours smell like? Pray, do tell! Be poetic! _________________ Farfignewton!
Last edited by Scottn59c on Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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4Gears4Tires Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018 Posts: 2982 Location: MD
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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When I bought it, the van smelled like weed and dirty nasty sweaty dude funk. Then I power washed all the interior cloth bits.
Now my gf says it smells like pb blaster. But she can't tell the difference between ps fluid, brake kleen, and pb blaster. It's all pb blaster to her. Lol. To me? It smells like good regular maintenance. _________________ '87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
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hdenter Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 2749 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Rotten milk! It's from a single serving bottle that I lost track of one day. I had no trouble finding it when it's lid blew off after a few hot days last summer...
Hans _________________ '79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10239 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Mine had 30 years of melted crayons, children's candy behind the panels and the like. But I pulled the entire interior, wiped every body cavity with bleach water, steam cleaned the seats and carpet, and redyed the headliner a beautiful clean white. After that a total paint job including inside the doors, hatch and slider, then reassembled with insulation in the body cavities.
So mine smells really fresh, actually. Traces of 'new' remain.
But I do know what you mean about old car smells. Not unpleasant, more like the traces of the vehicle's rich history, and on a quiet summer day sitting in a vehicle like that with nobody around and dead silence, you can just let your mind wander from when the car was someone's brand new pride and joy, all the way to the present. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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Gnarlodious Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2013 Posts: 2312 Location: Adobe Jungle USA
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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At the moment, fresh paint (just painted the interior). _________________ Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit |
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Kiba Banned
Joined: September 24, 2019 Posts: 16
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Black Ice little tree's ! |
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RainierSyncro Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2013 Posts: 806 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:18 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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My first syncro project had an eye watering smell of cigarettes, old weed and concentrated dog piss. The last owner would leave their pitbull in the van while they did errands. I literally had to stick my head out the window to drive it home. |
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Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12103 Location: Port Manteau
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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My van smells like mold and mildew. The local bus smells like sweat, diesel and commercial cleaner. _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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dabaron Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018 Posts: 2558 Location: Philly, mang
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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the tin top smells of my childhood memories, riding in the back of my father's white, early 70's VW Beetle. it's a hot day, the Beetle has been sitting in the sun with the windows closed. we open the door and the smell of heat, the thick rubbery olfactory of vinyl seats, the pasty combination of grease and oil cut with a dash of gasoline from the engine all come together as my dad pulls the seat forward so i can climb in back. the heat bakes the aroma deeply into your being.
the Westy smells of a faint, dried death. a slightly sharp yet vague odor, that has a more harsh powdery feel then fragrance that gets you in the throat as it eddy's up into your mouth as you inhale. it's the same smell that wafts around AT shelters in late April, as the snakes move in to feast on the mice. _________________ 1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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jlrftype7 Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018 Posts: 3549 Location: Chicago
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Stages, my Vanagon smells of whatever project I’m working through with it at the time. Rust Encapsulator when it was way warmer outside than it is now.
Butyl Rubber when I was installing Dynamat
Spray Wax in lots of crevices underneath along with Internal Frame Paint got lots of smells going....
But neutral, at a stand still, with all the dust settled and sanding and brushing is at a halt, it smells old, old German at that.....
Not Mercedes old, but old VW. More Noticeable in hot weather.... _________________ '68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32433 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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mdub Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2020 Posts: 48 Location: Bellingham, WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:53 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Just old, I can't really describe it. Old, combined with minivan full of kids, and coolant from a recently leaking rear heater core. I've only had the van a couple months, and the previous owner was using it as a full time kid hauler. I'm still deep cleaning every nook and cranny, which should hopefully help. Of course now I'm fighting a damp musty smell after shampooing all the seats and carpets, since it's too cold and wet around here this time of year to dry out the interior well, even with setting up a space heater for a few hours. The other day I cleaned what I can only hope was melted crayons and god knows how old strawberry jam out of the ash trays. |
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kamzcab86 Samba Moderator
Joined: July 26, 2008 Posts: 7893 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:59 pm Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Thirty-year-old vinyl, GoWesty rubber floor mats, with a hint of newish Recaro leather, and occasional cleaners. Eau de Vanagon.🤷♀️ _________________ ~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子 |
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creative native Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2007 Posts: 1227 Location: WNC
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 12:04 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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I feel so fortunate that my Bus has no adverse odors about it, especially compared to some I've read here. I know in the early VW's, it is the coconut fiber seat padding that gives them their fantastic smell. I decided long ago that if/when I own another early model VW, after I redo the interior, I'll stash old seat padding in it to apply the classic fragrance.
My '86 Westfalia bears the comforting aroma of an aging Bus. Not like the early Buses, but the smells that a Vanagon interior provides. It's aromatherapy to me. |
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shadetreemech Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2005 Posts: 777 Location: Claremont, CA
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 12:11 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Depends.
Clean Sheets. White Sage. Ranch Style Beans.
Dan _________________ '84 GL 1.9
'01 Volvo V70 T5
'88 Westy - "MZDRTHY" |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22568 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 4:18 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Chai lattes and kale sautéed in organic virgin olive oil _________________ .ssS! |
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porschevw Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Pace, Fl.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 6:20 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Mine usually smells like bacon and campfire. _________________ 1966 Beetle
1970 Westfalia (sold)
1973 Westfalia (sold)
1974 Porsche 914 (sold)
1976 Westfalia (sold)
1981 Westfalia (EJ25 Subrau conversion)
2007 Passat 3.6 (daily driver) |
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mikemtnbike Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015 Posts: 2780 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 6:34 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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shadetreemech wrote: |
Depends.
Dan |
That's a weird thing to have your van smell like. _________________ 1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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MuzzcoVW Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2018 Posts: 1417 Location: Westfield, MA.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 6:35 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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Mouse pee!! I haven't had good weather to clean out the new purchase yet. 1983 factory diesel...once the engine is in an running I'm sure to have essence of old school Diesel
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4485 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 6:36 am Post subject: Re: That Smell - What does YOUR bus smell like? |
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When we bought it in '06 the van still had what I thought was a hint of residual new-car scent. It smelled like my old Dasher did back in the '80s, an inimitable VW smell. It clung for years but has recently been supplanted by Irish Spring (for the mices) and before that Damp Rid (during long-term parking). _________________ '87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic |
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