Lost cause?

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

Hey guys and gals,

I'm a big mustang fan with a 96 gt of my own. There's a 98 gt in town for sale, problem is the interior smells.
Have any of you guys had this issue? I think I can probably get a good deal on the car but the owner says he has tried getting the mouse smell out with no luck.

The car would be a daily driver so the smell would get old fast.
Any ideas would be a big help.

P.S. The extra money goes to the 96 so very little can go towards an interior on the 98.

evilcw311 · Mar 29, 2015

Depends on what is causing the smell and what your budget looks like

This message courtesy of crapatalk!

Orange 94 · Mar 29, 2015

Are you sure its a mouse problem?
I've seen some people have issue with mildew for a variety of reasons.
Also... any chance its a flood car from the south?

I'd just remove the stock interior, clean and replace interior from a donor car.

DeepList · Mar 29, 2015

Mouse smell? If there's mice in it, they could have ****ed up a bunch of stuff. The price I'd pay would be contingent upon the damage done, if any... as well as my plans for the car.

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

It's not a flood car.

It's definitely mice. The story is that a guy had it parked outside away from his home for about a year and never drove it. Then his house burnt down and melted part of his truck so he could no longer drive the truck.

the guy decided to make the mustang his daily again and found that
a) the car needed mechanical work from sitting and
b) the car had a mouse problem. No chewed seats or anything just a nest and feces in the car.

the guy took the car to a local mechanics shop and had the car brought up to a drive able state by them and had them clean out the interior as well.
The mechanics called the owner when it was done, the owner was unhappy that the smell remained and left the car there to pay his bill for the work done...

now it's sat in their secure lot for the last month.
the shop wants to sell.

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

I know all of this because I'm friends with one of the mechanics/tow operators.

Orange 94 · Mar 29, 2015

Ah.
I'd personally replace all the interior
How sure are you that the mice didn't wreck any of the electrical?

RichV · Mar 29, 2015

Baking soda did an awesome job on a very heavy smoke smell I've had in a couple of Foxes.

If I had to guess, just like any animal, the smell is from pissing on the carpet. Replace carpet and any padding, steam clean the seats, and bomb the interior with fabreeze and baking soda.

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

I'm pretty sure they didn't wreck electrical. The mechanic was considering purchasing it as well I'd guess he wouldn't buy something he knew was gunna be a headache.

Pack Rat · Mar 29, 2015

Take the seats and carpet out. Take the carpet to the car wash. Have had good luck with that.

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

And do what with the seats?

Ferocious · Mar 29, 2015

If you're confident that it's just a smell and no other damage you should be fine. If you pull the carpet and clean all the interior and the smell remains and you have to take apart the rear seats, trunk area, and possibly dash you're going to wish you didn't get the car. I would just use discretion if buying it. Make sure you know what you're possibly getting yourself into.

I'd also recommend getting something else as a daily, with no hidden smells, and keep pouring money into the 96 since you already have it.

1996GTKB · Mar 29, 2015

Well I've already got a 2014 ram with exhaust as my other daily as well as a 2000z24 cavalier lol. This would be the replacement for the cavi.

Tony Corley · Mar 30, 2015

I pulled the ENTIRE interior (including dash and all of the wiring harnesses, pedals, column, etc.)out of a 95 a couple of weeks ago in about 3 hours, and there is no reason for you to go that far. Pull the seats, console and carpet, clean the floor, wash the carpet at the car wash or with a pressure washer, hang it out in warm weather to dry. You can even wash cloth seats this way if you need too.
Owning a used car business and salvage yard in the past, I have done it many times before. Just don't wet them in the car, they will mildew and smell even worse.

DropTopPony · Mar 30, 2015

First thing I would do is pull the rear seat out. There is lots of room under the seat for the mice to build a mansion in there. They love eating the seats and getting under them inside the foam and shitting. Look behind all the trunk panels also. These are easy things to take out.

If I was really going to look I would pull the rear interior plastic panels also as there is room behind them to roam and shit.

Jgehret · Mar 30, 2015

What everyone else said...

I'd automatically expect wiring damage to rear it's head at some point.

Many by moons ago I picked up a 71 Mach 1 that was stored in a barn after a rearend impact in 1977. I got it cheap, gutted the interior, hung new 1/4's and a taillight panel. We went so far at to bleach all the interior metal, media blast it, and coat the whole car in epoxy primer. Guess what? After the fresh primer smell went away the car still stank of dead mice and mouse piss. I sold it that way and fully disclosed the aroma (I didn't have to tho, it wasn't too hard to miss).

Remember, metal is porous....