Hi Rich

Something you might look into...

There used to be a "bomb" that could be used to eliminate unwanted smells in cars.

I recall a local dealer using it in used cars before resale.

It was put in the car and activated, then they closed the car up tight for some time.

I don't know what was in it, but read some time later that there were products available that released ozone to kill unwanted smells in enclosed spaces.

Don't know if they are still around, but probably worth looking for.

The supplier for early Chevrolet kits has gone out of business. It was Hampton Coach/ Le Barron Bonney. I don't think anyone has taken up the business. There are suppliers of material but you would then need to find a craftsman to do the work. Probably find the craftsman first then have them help with the materials. I hope someone starts making kits again.

Dave

@ole-olson  The main thing car dealerships use to clean out smells utilizes charcoal. I worked at a dealership as a mechanic and had to work on some trade in's that would make me almost puke to get near let alone drive. Those same cars were cleaned of smells and stains by our detail guys. I do think you are on to something that if the material is salvageable, and the padding is replaced, you could find something to tackle the odor.

@larry-waibel 

I think the dealer I'm thinking of used something like this:

https://www.amazon.ca/Dakota-Odor-Bomb-Car-Eliminator/dp/B008LUT6XS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7BCAE9WVSUJR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tGe1TYAB1CgvwJG_wF7IYDSeU3oxrcLEuSkv59kOfFq7hc0EoIhzOkqAPUmC1eOv4u5XH31Omsp0zvRUhOTrMojrcTeue5HnkAkajlpZRETqLuE9OdqcpbIRHki_hSc-ElkLiItAEArSthYtE2zyd5w_qKaGb2wOk5_mLRPMf6Q.L-rES0dnG_pTaWPK7APn6OkGlMPiGmmwZPln4LRycy4&dib_tag=se&keywords=dakota+odor+bomb+neutral&qid=1751409870&s=hpc&sprefix=dakota+odor+bomb+neutral%2Chpc%2C88&sr=1-1-catcorr

Thanks All. I had an old Monza that someone gave me. They couldn’t get it out of gear so they were using it as a dog house for their giant Newfoundland. The fix was easy and the car was pretty nice after some body work and paint. But I couldn’t get he dog smell out. After taking the interior apart and shampooing everything, it still smelled. I finally pour a whole 2 pond box of baking soda all over the interior and left it sealed up for a week. I recleaned and the smell was gone. 

I think the issue with the old seats is that the padding is breaking down and essentially rotting. So the baking soda trick doesn’t work. I’ll try the bomb and see if that helps. My brother did custom interiors for cars like this. He passed away but I learned enough from him to be able to make the door panels and a headliner. I will get the seats done eventually to match the new panels. But in the mean time I need to deal with the smell. It doesnt bother me much but my wife hates it.

Thanks again

Rich  

@stovebolt-6  An Ozone Generator can be used to get unwanted smoking smells from a car. I assume it would work on other smells also. I don't know who has one, perhaps a detail shop or maybe your local rental store or disaster cleanup company like Service Master.

Mike