Smelly classics
Discussion
Due to my DS3 being out of action for it's airbag recall, I am using my air-cooled 1982 VW T25 to commute in.
It always has a feint whiff of petrol to it whilst driving. In traffic, a few cars keep a distance behind me - although some are right on my tailgate too. My van has been checked by two garages recently with nothing amiss. (Twin weber carbs). Not burning any oil either in the last 5 weeks commuting.
Today, I was following an old (ish) 309 GTI in traffic which had a certain aroma about it too. Plus an old MGB a few days ago also had the same.....
So, my question is, were cars/ vans always slightly smelly back in the day and I just don't remember the smells so vividly??
It always has a feint whiff of petrol to it whilst driving. In traffic, a few cars keep a distance behind me - although some are right on my tailgate too. My van has been checked by two garages recently with nothing amiss. (Twin weber carbs). Not burning any oil either in the last 5 weeks commuting.
Today, I was following an old (ish) 309 GTI in traffic which had a certain aroma about it too. Plus an old MGB a few days ago also had the same.....
So, my question is, were cars/ vans always slightly smelly back in the day and I just don't remember the smells so vividly??
I had a T25 and it too had a whiff of fuel about it (2.1 petrol). I suspect it's probably the breather pipe and was always like that.
My first car was a 74 Spitfire and even now, I can smell that mix of fuel, oil, damp and brake dust. They should bottle it. My Duetto is the same
The 928 occasionally smells of fuel, which I believe is the return pipe burping petrol into the charcoal filter. Checked the Y piece and all good. It does however, have that old car upholstery smell of Kouros, Prius Uber and oil.
I love that smell ! I often get older cars driving past when I'm out walking our dog and I grin like a fool when I get a whiff of fuel off them. I'm not fussed either, it can be petrol or diesel. I blame my Mother, as one of her cravings while pregnant with me was diesel fumes. She used to make my Father drive round Manchester following buses to get a sniff of them. Different times ! 
T25s are famous for weeps and leaks on top of the fuel tank, which is right under the floor at the front. It's a saddle tank and consequently has breather pipes both sides with little rubber bungs in the top of the tank. These perish and weep, creating a stinky fuel smell but not enough of a leak to be visible.
I'd advise you don't brim the fuel tank until you've confirmed all the breathers and connections on the tank are sound.
The twin carbs may also be over-fueling.
In normal circumstances there shouldn't be a fuel smell such as you'd notice it - some old car smell, but you shouldn't be able to smell unburnt fuel. If you can, there's probably a leak.
I'd advise you don't brim the fuel tank until you've confirmed all the breathers and connections on the tank are sound.
The twin carbs may also be over-fueling.
In normal circumstances there shouldn't be a fuel smell such as you'd notice it - some old car smell, but you shouldn't be able to smell unburnt fuel. If you can, there's probably a leak.
My Escort got to a point where there was a strong petrol smell (along with rough running), and I found there was a crack in the flexible fuel pipe just before the carb. Replacing the pipe toned it down a lot, but I think an old car with a carb is likely to smell more of petrol than a modern vehicle.
larrylamb11 said:
T25s are famous for weeps and leaks on top of the fuel tank, which is right under the floor at the front. It's a saddle tank and consequently has breather pipes both sides with little rubber bungs in the top of the tank. These perish and weep, creating a stinky fuel smell but not enough of a leak to be visible.
I'd advise you don't brim the fuel tank until you've confirmed all the breathers and connections on the tank are sound.
The twin carbs may also be over-fueling.
In normal circumstances there shouldn't be a fuel smell such as you'd notice it - some old car smell, but you shouldn't be able to smell unburnt fuel. If you can, there's probably a leak.
my T25 was fine unless I filled the tank at which point you could really smell the petrol - just assumed it was because I was sitting over the tank....I'd advise you don't brim the fuel tank until you've confirmed all the breathers and connections on the tank are sound.
The twin carbs may also be over-fueling.
In normal circumstances there shouldn't be a fuel smell such as you'd notice it - some old car smell, but you shouldn't be able to smell unburnt fuel. If you can, there's probably a leak.
Yep, more or less "They all do that, sir." and the change is small is down to the switch from carbs. to injection and injection closer and closer to the cylinder as much as anything.
Injection's a closed system, so all the fuel taken out the tank either goes into the inlet, generally much closer to the cyclinder than the throttle butterfly or back to the tank.
On a 70's carb. fuel's either; dribbled into the carb right by the butterfly to either be burnt or evaporate, into the air filter box to evaporate, or just dribbled out a float chamber overflow pipe to atmosphere (of often to drip down onto the exhaust manifold!). And that's assuming it isn't seeping out of a pipe connection, something you don't get with injection (as rather than seeping as soon as you pressurise it's jetting out instead!).
Now add in fuel tanks just venting to atmosphere/even direct into the cabin vs. via a filter and almost anything with oil in it leaking to a degree, and crank case pressure/fumes venting direct to air rather then recuculated...
Injection's a closed system, so all the fuel taken out the tank either goes into the inlet, generally much closer to the cyclinder than the throttle butterfly or back to the tank.
On a 70's carb. fuel's either; dribbled into the carb right by the butterfly to either be burnt or evaporate, into the air filter box to evaporate, or just dribbled out a float chamber overflow pipe to atmosphere (of often to drip down onto the exhaust manifold!). And that's assuming it isn't seeping out of a pipe connection, something you don't get with injection (as rather than seeping as soon as you pressurise it's jetting out instead!).
Now add in fuel tanks just venting to atmosphere/even direct into the cabin vs. via a filter and almost anything with oil in it leaking to a degree, and crank case pressure/fumes venting direct to air rather then recuculated...
Old cars often smell simply because they run rich a lot of the time.
The exhaust is a lot smellier!
Even some early EFI vehicles were quite bad, I've bikes with open loop EFI, the HC content of the exhaust gas is massive compared to a typical modern car, even when adjusted according to the maker's manual.
The exhaust is a lot smellier!
Even some early EFI vehicles were quite bad, I've bikes with open loop EFI, the HC content of the exhaust gas is massive compared to a typical modern car, even when adjusted according to the maker's manual.
I love the smell of Ziebart in the morning.
It smells of…well, I guess, a wet sheep wearing a wax jacket.
The Morris Minor smell was, I believe, related to the horse hair stuffing in the seats.
Vincents (motorcycles) have, for whatever reason, their own distinctive smell. If you could bottle it every petrolhead would wear it as aftershave.
All proper smelly classic cars also tick when they are sitting on the drive cooling down after a hard drive. I could never work that one out.
It smells of…well, I guess, a wet sheep wearing a wax jacket.
The Morris Minor smell was, I believe, related to the horse hair stuffing in the seats.
Vincents (motorcycles) have, for whatever reason, their own distinctive smell. If you could bottle it every petrolhead would wear it as aftershave.
All proper smelly classic cars also tick when they are sitting on the drive cooling down after a hard drive. I could never work that one out.
Edited by moffspeed on Friday 8th August 18:12
Thanks all, just my failing memory then. 
My dad's Allegro used to smell but that definitely had problems.....we used to stop half way to London to top up with oil!
I am quite enjoying the daily commute in the van with all it's smells and foibles. Had the van for 14 years now, but never used it so regularly.....
My dad's Allegro used to smell but that definitely had problems.....we used to stop half way to London to top up with oil!
I am quite enjoying the daily commute in the van with all it's smells and foibles. Had the van for 14 years now, but never used it so regularly.....
My first Lotus Excel had a smell.
Get in it and 5 mins later you and all you were wearing smelled the same.
A sort of damp, mouldy, horrid smell.
It must have leaked in before I had it, it didn't leak in during the short time I owned it but I couldn't stand it and sold it after a couple of months.
Had two more since and both have been fine.
Get in it and 5 mins later you and all you were wearing smelled the same.
A sort of damp, mouldy, horrid smell.
It must have leaked in before I had it, it didn't leak in during the short time I owned it but I couldn't stand it and sold it after a couple of months.
Had two more since and both have been fine.
The other day, I was pootling along the A6 in Leicestershire.
I swear blind I caught the distinct aroma of traction engine!!!
It wasn't just the smell of a coal fire. It was the smell of coal burning, mixed with hot grease. And it smelt just like a traction engine, to me.
It was off to the side somewhere. Pretty sure I would have spotted it if it'd also been on the A6.
I swear blind I caught the distinct aroma of traction engine!!!
It wasn't just the smell of a coal fire. It was the smell of coal burning, mixed with hot grease. And it smelt just like a traction engine, to me.
It was off to the side somewhere. Pretty sure I would have spotted it if it'd also been on the A6.
I'm not sure the "They always smelt this bad" is very persuasive, the OP is driving a 40 year old vehicle, aside from the possibility of the tank rusting out the ethanol in modern fuel is very hard on old rubber seals and hoses. It's a good idea to inspect fuel and tank filler and breather hoses for perishing, cracks and delamination.
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