Will have to start somewhere

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

I think this is a better place to post than in the cars for sale section- so here goes. After reading Mario's original post I'm finding that he was extremely accurate in his description of the car and so the mold smell and its presence "everywhere" is a concern. I took out the rear seats last night and found a bit of rodent feces which probably adds to the smell. Unfortunately this mold has crept around everywhere- even surrounding the wires under the dash. It's not a thick mold, kind of just a "dusting" so any tips on ridding the car of this will be helpful.

I'm attempting to keep the car "original" so I have some questions;

Other than the slightly stiffer Bilstein shocks/struts and CN springs is there a combination that will bring the ride closer to stock that is easily available?

Since I have to remove some of the insulation under the carpet is there a "closer to stock" solution for replacing the underlayment?

The car has its original head (stamped 71) should I already be sourcing a replacement?

I'll be looking for a set of original style wheels, the hubcaps are in great shape and I know I should be posting in the parts section on this but noticed from previous posts that some members have good sets laying around- please let me know if there are some available cheap

I plan on removing the carpet very carefully since it is in great condition less the smell and having it cleaned (8 or 9 times), since it is completely original, and I have a very talented upholstery guy close by do you think it would be worthwhile trying to make up a couple sets for forum members?

It's early AM and I know I'm all over the place with this- sorry

The fun begins!

 

[adawil2002]

Try Simple Green for cleaning the mildew then use Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner. If you want the interior to smell good, buy Zymöl Leather Conditioner and your interior will smell better.

Doesn't the car have stock anti-sway bars on it. If not I have a stock set from my CSi I'd be willing to sell. PM me if interested.

 

[Nicad]

I used cleaning Vinegar on a mold issue I had on my 2002 and it seems to have worked well (Mold has not come back)
Mister Clean scrubbing pads did an amazing job on my 2002 headliner (looks brand new).
Make sure you wear a hepa mask when dealing with mold.



It would be great to see photos as you go.

 

[Stevehose]

I had mildew when i got my car. Surf the marine forums, there are products that remove mildew safely without eating through stitching, bleaching too much etc. Stuff like Star Brite, Marine 31, Spray 9 etc. Check out to see if which one works best for your application.

I pulled the seats out and thoroghly cleaned the carpets, I didn't remove the carpets though. If you do, sun is mildew's enemy so it may help to leave them out for a while after a good cleaning to kill off the rest.

Check in and under the wood trunk floorboards, I had mildew in there.

I used Folex for the headliner - great stuff.

If the front struts still have the DOT spacers that will lower it some, otherwise other than cutting a coil (some have done, some say don't), I haven't seen other techniques. I did Carl's springs/Bilsteins and the height is nice. Stock CS ride height sucks and looks goofy imho.

My '72 head is original to the car, for now instead of replacing it, I would beef up the cooling system like the several threads on this topic have shown. I have triple core rad, 71 degree thermostat, and 9 blade fan/clutch upgrade. No overheating here in NOLA with A/C.

Are your wheels not restorable? I did a DIY thread a while back. Although I used Krylon Dull Aluminum on my stock CS wheels I did my Alpina's with Wurth Silver & Clear and now recommend that instead. There are date codes on the inside of them so if you care about originality you may want to consider that in your search.

I am a big fan of Leatherique. Use the Rejuvenator liberally and cover them in a garbage bag and sit them in the sun for the day. This will remove all of different sh!tty leather products applied over the years. Then wipe off and treat with the Prestine Clean.

My offer to you: I have the same blue leather interior, a couple years ago I had Leatherique custom make a batch of dye for my seats (I sent them a swatch), I have more than enough left over for you to do yours. I can send it to you, see if it matches and use it, then return the rest to me for my future touchups. This would be the time to dye since the seats will be out of the car while you treat the mildew.

I think this is a better place to post than in the cars for sale section- so here goes. After reading Mario's original post I'm finding that he was extremely accurate in his description of the car and so the mold smell and its presence "everywhere" is a concern. I took out the rear seats last night and found a bit of rodent feces which probably adds to the smell. Unfortunately this mold has crept around everywhere- even surrounding the wires under the dash. It's not a thick mold, kind of just a "dusting" so any tips on ridding the car of this will be helpful.

I'm attempting to keep the car "original" so I have some questions;

Other than the slightly stiffer Bilstein shocks/struts and CN springs is there a combination that will bring the ride closer to stock that is easily available?

Since I have to remove some of the insulation under the carpet is there a "closer to stock" solution for replacing the underlayment?

The car has its original head (stamped 71) should I already be sourcing a replacement?

I'll be looking for a set of original style wheels, the hubcaps are in great shape and I know I should be posting in the parts section on this but noticed from previous posts that some members have good sets laying around- please let me know if there are some available cheap

I plan on removing the carpet very carefully since it is in great condition less the smell and having it cleaned (8 or 9 times), since it is completely original, and I have a very talented upholstery guy close by do you think it would be worthwhile trying to make up a couple sets for forum members?

It's early AM and I know I'm all over the place with this- sorry

The fun begins!

 

[rsporsche]

+1 on leatherique products. the pristine clean and rejuvinator are great products.

 

[JFENG]

Whay about one of those mold/mildew treatments

Based on alcohol? For non leather surfaces maybe a wash with a diluted bleach soliton followed by a neutralizing rinse? I've tried simple green with so-so results on a 2002 rear seat cushion.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

I started with some Lysol, not that that will necessarily kill the mold but makes it easier for me to work in there. Below are a couple of shots. Funny, I said I'd never media blast another car since the dust seems to reproduce itself for about 3 months no matter how much I pressure blasted or vacuumed. Now I have a stranger form of reproduction going on in the crevasses.

I have also found a little rust which is relatively easily addressable; I can get all around it from underneath and on top and the holes are small but we all know the slippery slope.

 

[Nicad]

+1 on leatherique products. the pristine clean and rejuvinator are great products.

I have used it over the years, but today found out it has a shelf life. I had some sticky dirt on the back seats of my Forester and gave it a spray with Pristine clean to remove it. The stuff I have now smells just like a pig farm and it has stayed that way all day.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

I even found that mold stuff on the caps that cover the tops of the shock absorbers in the trunk. Well, the Texas sun kills just about everything so for now I have lots of parts soaking it up.

On the bright side, I don't think I've ever seen a trunk so clean.

On the dark side, Flintstone's engineer decided that the rear deck lid was not of structural importance. So I ask- does anyone have a full deck they can get me? I'm sure they're out there

 

[HB Chris]

Peter, I will fix the VIN in the Registry if you send it to me.

 

[Stan]

I even found that mold stuff on the caps that cover the tops of the shock absorbers in the trunk. Well, the Texas sun kills just about everything so for now I have lots of parts soaking it up.

On the bright side, I don't think I've ever seen a trunk so clean.

On the dark side, Flintstone's engineer decided that the rear deck lid was not of structural importance. So I ask- does anyone have a full deck they can get me? I'm sure they're out there

Parcel Shelf?

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Stan yes, parcel shelf- sorry

Chris 2270639- Thanks, I may have gotten it correct there but not sure.

I got allot of stuff out of the trunk area and started cleaning up the "Elephant Skin". Once the mold is eradicated from the trunk I'll start on the interior. The cleaning is a different kind of "body work" and I must say not very pleasant. I have to study up on mold and spores and all sorts of stuff that I never really associated with cars, kind of like when I purchased my ranch, little did I know I would have to become an expert on chiggers, scorpions and other assorted vermin. Hopefully I won't find any of those in the car.

I am collecting some of the supplies mentioned below so please keep the information coming. I am posting pictures as I go along and trying to pay more attention to listing the work in some type of chronological order so it can be followed more easily.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

cleaning the leather

Thanks to the information provided by the forum members below I started my research and found a little 15 page book for free, downloadable from http://www.leatherique.com/

It has allot of information and despite being a little bit of an advertisement it has some pretty good historical information on hides and tanning and cleaning methods pertaining directly to the leather used in automobiles.

Many of you already know this stuff but I post it so that future generations who inherit our cars will benefit (that is if our youth are still taught to read in the future)

 

[HB Chris]

I fixed the VIN, all is good.

 

[Ohmess]

I even found that mold stuff on the caps that cover the tops of the shock absorbers in the trunk. Well, the Texas sun kills just about everything so for now I have lots of parts soaking it up.

On the bright side, I don't think I've ever seen a trunk so clean.

On the dark side, Flintstone's engineer decided that the rear deck lid was not of structural importance. So I ask- does anyone have a full deck they can get me? I'm sure they're out there

Hi Peter -- How did you determine that your parcel shelf needs to be replaced? I just removed two huge speakers from mine, so I have two really impressive holes in mine.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Hi Chris, If everything I have read about is correct then that piece likely holds some significant structural value, it is stamped and channeled indicating to me that it is expected to help maintain the rigidity of the body- especially between the rear window (thus possibly preventing it from popping out in a stressful situation). Mine has 3 holes and is even weaker than yours (I noticed those large speakers in your car). On Philips car I had the holes welded up which is easy to do with the window out. I'm not sure how I will correct mine, but I'll probably try replacing it as one large piece as I think I have found a donor piece.


HB Chris, thanks for your help with the VIN!

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

More cleaning

After disinfecting (to the best of my ability) the trunk pieces I used some commercially available goo- "greased lightening" and a scrub brush to clean the elephant skin, being careful to wipe frequently so it did not soak through the material. Below are the results- not sure what it smells like now but it's not mold

 

[adawil2002]

I cleaned my headliner with Tilex and a tooth brush, it took a long time and I was happy with the result.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Question

From everything I have been able to piece together this car is very, very original (and stinky). I'm working in the trunk area first- because it's closest to the door, but it looks as if the wheel well area was never painted and it has a little "yellowing" in the well but the area around the fuel tank is black? no rust, no overspray on anything. Is that normal or did someone do that for some reason. If I'm not clear I'll post up a picture tomorrow.

Thanks,

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Actually there is a picture on this thread labeled "clean trunk" that shows the area I'm referring to. Any help is appreciated