new vs. old car smell

[Guest greg walsh]

They can keep that new car smell ,give me the smell of an old car anytime! One of my fondest recollistions is the smell of that old varnished gas when I first bought home my 35 Buick. It stared up and idled o.k. but after dropping the oil pan I noticed that half of the piston skirts were at the bottom! I also love the smell of an old car's interior, must be the horsehair. What are you favorite odors?

[Guest Old48Truck]

Strangely enough, one of my fondest smells is/was of the side entry hallway to my grandparents' house. I guess you'd say it was a mixture of basement dampness coupled with the varnish on the wood wainscoting. Since the entryway was enclosed 99 percent of the time, that odor got pretty strong, and I can still "smellmember" it after all these years. I'd know it in an instant if I ever came across it again.

[Guest my3buicks]

throw in a hint of moth balls in the old car smell - love that:D

[Guest bofusmosby]

I have an old house that I am restoring, and I have to agree with you Old38Truck. I love the smell of an old house.

[stealthbob]

I will never forget the smell of my garage the morning after I parked my new Buick inside.

Thanks old48truck for coining the "smellmember", I will always use that now when I try to describe those first days I had my Buick. Its apart now, carpet thrown away and seats in storage...I miss that smell of history but I will always smellmember it.

[Guest billybird]

I love to smell hot diesel oil. Every time I change oil and filter in my diesel truck I sniff the filter {paper element}. After the element cools, the smell is gone.

[auburnseeker]

An old wooden boat (mahogany) that has been in sotrage is an interesting potpouri. Especially if it's been in storage many years. The mix of slightly musty old Naugahyde, Varnish and old gas and oil is A nice smell. I imagine a Woody wagon would be about the same.

MY3Buicks easy on the mothballs. everytime I find one doused with those it has been to help hide the mouse pee smell and dead mice still in the nest behind the rear seat.:eek:

[Bhigdog]

The sense of smell is one of the strongest triggers of memory known. Not long ago I visited The apartment building I grew up until I was 9 years of age. That was 62 years ago. It smelled EXACTLY the same. The flood of emotions and memories was near overwhelming.............Bob

[Guest LCI]

A well maintained race engine and burning rubber. Dan:rolleyes:

[rick60]

I love the smell of an automotive repair shop. It is the best when you first arrive in the morning after the building has been close for the night.

[Restorer32]

We built a house around an old log cabin that had been boarded up for years. Our living room is now the cabin. Even after 35 years you still get a hint of that slightly musty, almost mousey smell of the generations of critters that lived under the floorboards, especially on a warm damp day. Wife hates it, I think it smells of history. Also love the smell when you first enter one of those old 1 car detached wooden garages with the swinging doors that used to be common but are now rare. Nothing beats the combination of old oil, stale gas and leather upholstery baking in a closed garage on a hot summer's day.

[Dandy Dave]

On the smell of an old car, that would depend upon what has been living in it!

On the smell of gas, oil, diesel, paint, thinners, and the fumes from such in a burned and unburned state. When I was young, I use to love the smell, but as I have been exposed for so many years and knowing it hazards, might I say, it grows off of you. Maybe it is over exposure for working in, and around these aromas for over 40 years. Now adays, after a bit, it gives me a headache, and my sense of smell for some of these substances has also been diminished though the years. Dandy Dave!

[RansomEli]

My '21 Franklin touring still has half of its original upholstery. The aroma of 90-year old leather and horsehair fills the garage and is absolutely intoxicating.

Closely related is the smell of lacquer paint and thinner. It smells old in a nice way.

The newer paints just smell like chemicals -- or worse.

[Bill Harmatuk]

We invited my daughters violin teacher over to the house for dinner one night.

She is a collector of everything. She loves old and unique stuff, no matter what. She is in her early 70's.

I walked her out to my garage and after stepping inside the garage and seeing the Chrysler and the Model A she started sobbing a little bit.

I asked what was wrong and she said. "The smell of the cars and garage reminds he of her father's and grandfather's garage when she was little.

Very touching at the time.

Bill H

[Guest Klayfish]

Yep, it's the nostalgia thing. I just bought my '65 Olds last week. When I went to look at it for the first time, the first thing I did was walk around the outside. But as soon as I went to sit inside, I pretty much forgot that I was there to look at the car. The smell immediately triggered strong memories of my grandparents, and for just a minute I was back in the early 1980's again. It's really amazing how it draws memories.

A lot of modern cars actually have a unique smell, due to the different chemicals and fabrics they use, such as what they glue the carpets down with. I worked as a valet during my college years in the 90's. If I closed my eyes and had someone sit me in a car, I could probably tell what kind of car it was 75% of the time just by the smell (assuming it wasn't smoked in or whatever).