Is is possible to completely remove cigarette smell from interior?
#17
Nordschleife Master
Is it possible that BOTH np993 and goofball are correct, depending upon how heavily the car was smoked in? Certainly if there are tar stains on the headliner, you have a serious issue. With an occasional smoker, the smell can go away. My idiot son smoked in my car (no, not Rufus), and the smell went away with airing out and some fabreeze.
#18
Rennlist Member
^^Therein lies the rub. Nobody knows how pervasive the tar/smell is in this car. What worked for one car, might not work on another. As goof's post points out, the owner's tolerance is subjective too.
If I'm shopping for a nice 993, and I'm paying $30Kish, and a possible car is a smoker's-I'm moving on. I'd be bummed if I was weeks into it with the super-ozonator humming away, and I still smelled smoke.
To suggest in black and white that it can be remedied, is foolish, when nobody really knows.
If I'm shopping for a nice 993, and I'm paying $30Kish, and a possible car is a smoker's-I'm moving on. I'd be bummed if I was weeks into it with the super-ozonator humming away, and I still smelled smoke.
To suggest in black and white that it can be remedied, is foolish, when nobody really knows.
#19
^^Therein lies the rub. Nobody knows how pervasive the tar/smell is in this car. What worked for one car, might not work on another. As goof's post points out, the owner's tolerance is subjective too.
If I'm shopping for a nice 993, and I'm paying $30Kish, and a possible car is a smoker's-I'm moving on. I'd be bummed if I was weeks into it with the super-ozonator humming away, and I still smelled smoke.
To suggest in black and white that it can be remedied, is foolish, when nobody really knows.
If I'm shopping for a nice 993, and I'm paying $30Kish, and a possible car is a smoker's-I'm moving on. I'd be bummed if I was weeks into it with the super-ozonator humming away, and I still smelled smoke.
To suggest in black and white that it can be remedied, is foolish, when nobody really knows.
You guys are a bunch of killjoys with no appreciation for second-hand smoke, pollutants, and tar build up. Whatever.
#20
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Let's put the issue of whether the smoke smell can be removed or not aside (though interior experts that work on quite pricey Ferraris and Porsches tell me that it definitely cannot be removed completely). I would ask whether you want to buy a car from someone who cared so little about the car that he would actually "abuse" it in this manner? I am not saying you have to put on white gloves when you drive your car, but I would never, ever buy a smoker's car because I believe, more often than not, that it signals that the car was not cared for in the manner that I would prefer. Again, this does not mean that anyone who smokes in his car never changes his oil, but I do believe there is a correlation between smoking or chewing or whatever and the lack of proper care. Why take that chance?
#21
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I appreciate everyone's help and advice. The ONLY reason I was considering this particular "smoked in car" was because it was 90% of what I'm looking for in my price range. I don't know how many of you have done any serious looking but I'm heading into my 2nd month of searching and there just aren't that many 993s for sale that come close to what I'm looking for.
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
#22
Rennlist Member
As an ex smoker (15 years ago) I will say there is a huge difference between smoking with the windows up and windows down. Windows down: the smell comes mostly from ash being blown back in the car, cleaning can probably take care of that. If they smoked with windows up, I would not touch it with a 10 foot pole.
When I bought the race car it smelled as if someone had smoked in it as some point. Wasn’t a problem for me as planned on gutting it anyway. What I didn’t count on was the tar film that permeated the car, even the gauges were foggy, had to disassemble them just to clean the inside of the glass.
When I bought the race car it smelled as if someone had smoked in it as some point. Wasn’t a problem for me as planned on gutting it anyway. What I didn’t count on was the tar film that permeated the car, even the gauges were foggy, had to disassemble them just to clean the inside of the glass.
#23
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I appreciate everyone's help and advice. The ONLY reason I was considering this particular "smoked in car" was because it was 90% of what I'm looking for in my price range. I don't know how many of you have done any serious looking but I'm heading into my 2nd month of searching and there just aren't that many 993s for sale that come close to what I'm looking for.
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
#24
Instructor
I have had some luck with those odor absorbing sponge based products that are sold in hardware stores. Just rip 1/2 of the paper cover off and slide it under a front seat. It really works wonders and doesn't make the interior smell like a french ***** house..
#25
I appreciate everyone's help and advice. The ONLY reason I was considering this particular "smoked in car" was because it was 90% of what I'm looking for in my price range. I don't know how many of you have done any serious looking but I'm heading into my 2nd month of searching and there just aren't that many 993s for sale that come close to what I'm looking for.
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
96-98 993 C4S or C2S (wide body), 6 Speed
Aero II Kit (turbo look)
Motor Sound Package
35k-80k miles (lower would be even better)
never driven in snow
a few other options that won't be deal breakers if I can't find them.
Had this car not been smoked in I would probably have taken the plunge after a thorough PPI but I think I'm gonna pass. I have to give kudos to the dealer who was very honest about the smell in the car in a recent phone call about the car. If it was bad enough for him to mention it without me asking first, it must be bad.
The search continues...
#26
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Also with goofballdeluxe here, I don't think you will ever really totally eradicate the smoky smell unless you gut the interior and refit with significant cleaning and even some parts replacement.
But at the same time I appreciate how frustrating this must be when you sourced what was seemingly the exact car for you in terms of specification/history. Many flippantly suggest to 'go find another', I appreciate it isn't quite as easy as that but in this case I would agree with them its probably the best course.
But at the same time I appreciate how frustrating this must be when you sourced what was seemingly the exact car for you in terms of specification/history. Many flippantly suggest to 'go find another', I appreciate it isn't quite as easy as that but in this case I would agree with them its probably the best course.
#27
Nordschleife Master
Find a auto detailer in your area with "Drive Pure", or other deodorizer. I do not like Ozone for older cars, it can affect the interior, as it needs to be in there for about a day to work. You also need to scrub every surface of the interior.
But with work or $$ it can be done.
But with work or $$ it can be done.
#28
Rennlist Member
I guess it depends on how badly the car has been "stained" with the nicotine and the chemicals in the cigarette. I bought a MINI which in my overeagerness to buy didn't realise there was an airfreshener sprayed for a reason - to hide the smell. I am a lifelong non-smoker and very sensitive to the smell of cigarettes and the smell has taken at least a year to come out. I wet vacuumed the car, kept windows down etc and eventually the smell has lifted and I don't notice it any more. Perhaps someone more sensitive than me will notice but if you had the choice, I would not buy a car which has been smoked in. So my answer is yes it should go but will take a long time....
#29
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I've smoked in my 993 off and on over the years, but never without a window or both down. My parents are militant anti-smokers and certainly would have said something, had they noticed any hint of smoke stench when riding in my car. I haven't smoked in it for over two years, but it never stunk of smoke. I've smoked in my wife's car before and she didn't notice it afterwards. Just gotta have the windows open. Have you actually smelled the car or did you pass on it based on the dealer's description?
#30
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I've smoked in my 993 off and on over the years, but never without a window or both down. My parents are militant anti-smokers and certainly would have said something, had they noticed any hint of smoke stench when riding in my car. I haven't smoked in it for over two years, but it never stunk of smoke. I've smoked in my wife's car before and she didn't notice it afterwards. Just gotta have the windows open. Have you actually smelled the car or did you pass on it based on the dealer's description?