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OT Unique -smelling old time car product

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Coffee Helps

03-20-2008 09:54:46

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For years I've been trying to track down the product with a unique smell (something like brake fluid) that was used back in the 1960s on cars of that era. An Uncle who raced stock cars near Shakopee, MN, had a "pit crew" which used the product in the stock car. The odor (pleasant enough) came from the engine or engine area. Much later in life I came across the same odor from some old cars in a parking garage in Madison, WI. These cars were running in something called Great America Road Race, I believe. (Shades of Proust- "Past Remembered...") Can anyone help? Oh yes, this is my first post. I have a thick skin most of the time, except when I'm mad as h... Go ahead, have fun with this if you like. Two other things: I have a 1960 International Cub LoBoy (red) something like Grandfather's red Farmall Cub. Second, this is a great site with great contributors; continuing education as it were!

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Fudd@work

03-20-2008 20:38:04

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Was it Wynn's Friction Proofing? We used to use it in the 60"s

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dave guest

03-20-2008 20:28:10

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Gasoline used to smell a lot better. And when it was cheaper. Really, I think lotta kids used to work in gas stations just to sniff the fumes.

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RAW in IA

03-20-2008 17:25:14

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

It wouldn't have been castor oil by chance. They used to use it for lubrication. When I was in automotive school the instructor would mix castor oil and stp to coat pistons, etc. when rebuilding an engine. He just loved th smell when the engine started.

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TK-NE-PA-51 H

03-20-2008 14:33:28

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

What you may remember is the smell of Gunk de-greaser, spray on or use a brush then hose it off, use to use it on my Harleys, don't know if it is still available.

Tom

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Coffee Helps

03-20-2008 13:30:25

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Thank you all for the replies, good suggestions (possible answers), and welcomes to the forum. Will keep working on this. Now I should go outside and prune an apple tree. Mark in SW Wis.

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rrlund

03-20-2008 13:22:08

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Wow,I don't know what it is,but I could smell it as soon as I read the post. Maybe brake fluid and the old fabric in the upholstery and mats?

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PAGlenn

03-20-2008 13:02:22

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Cornell brand running board coating

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dieselpaul

03-20-2008 12:02:56

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Hello & welcome----I,m going to guess 'Marval Mystery Oil' coming out of crankcase vent--paul

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WantACaseLASomeday

03-20-2008 11:35:20

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to david from mo, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Guess this could turn into a nostalgia thread... In the early 50s Dad still got calves from New Mexico on the train. Unloaded them at an old railroad corral at Rozel Kansas, which is nearly a ghost town now. Early in the morning the smell of the old creosote RR ties and corral posts was strong. Then the clatter and smell of the diesel trucks that came to move the cattle from the corral to the farm.

Dad always carried a case of whiskey up to the engine to treat the crew - they knew it was coming and knowing that, they always managed to get the cattle delivered several hours ahead of schedule which meant fewer losses to shipping fever etc. He had also arranged a similar treat for the off-going crew at La Junta, Colorado. The interior of the enigne always had a pleasant diesel smell about it.

I have lived in a city the last 35 years and miss that creosote and diesel smell and the idling clatter of those engines. ALmost makes me want to buy a diesel pickup but the fuel is getting too high and I don't really need it for anything. Guess it would be dumb to buy it just to hear and smell it run.

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Nancy Howell

03-20-2008 11:00:57

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Can't help with your question at all, but welcome to the forum!

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Mike (WA)

03-20-2008 10:43:02

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

I'm thinking probably a combination of the old cotton batting upholstery padding, mohair and oil blowby from the crankcase breather. I remember it well. Couple others from my youth on the farm that bring back lots of memories- Dad's logging pants, that smelled of Douglas fir sawdust and chainsaw gas (oil/gas mix)- Also, one that may not seem pleasant, but depends on your perspective- dry cow manure (in the summer) and silage. Brings back a lot of good memories

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Fawteen

03-20-2008 12:15:40

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Mike (WA), 03-20-2008 10:43:02

I'm with you on the silage. We had a 12x36 poured concrete silo and Yours Truly was the "automatic silo unloader". Dad said "go up and pitch down 5 bushels for the steers, and I'd automatically climb up and grab the fork if I knew what was good for me, and I did. Had wooden "doors" about 18" high and as the level dropped you'd have to pound those doors loose and take 'em out. Loved that smell.

I liked the smells and activity involved in filling it too. Dad hired it done and the last time I remember doing it the guy came over with a brand new JD 720 Diesel. Biggest dang tractor I'd ever seen! We'd put our Super W6 on the blower and haul the self-unloading wagons with either our JD-B or the neighbor/tenant's JD-A. If ya got a little too ambitious with the unloader, that ol' W6 would beller!

I could live without the smell of "opening" the silo tho. Those first couple of feet were pretty nasty.

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Goose

03-20-2008 10:37:42

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

When I was racing stock cars, we used an octane booster in the gasoline that had a unique, sweetish, but not unpleasant smell in the exhaust. We used a quart to ten gallons of gasoline.

Could be something old and antique engines also like.

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Jon Hagen

03-20-2008 10:17:43

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Maybe was brake fluid ? I used to run green 100 octane aviation gas in my race cars which have an unusual nice sweet smell ? Possibly crankcase combustion and oil fumes from the open crankcase vent tube of a pre 63 model engine?

One thing I will always remember is the unique smell of the interior of early 50's Studebaker cars.
I had a 51 Studebaker comander with the first year of that snappy little OHV V8 engine. This was back in the late 50's. Something that Stude used in the interior, most likely the foam seat upholstry had that unique smell.
40 years later at an antique car show, I saw a Stude model much like the one I owned. I leaned in the open window of that car and instantly was struck by that unique Studebaker smell. ;-)

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Aaron Ford

03-20-2008 10:14:30

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Re: OT Unique -smelling old time car product in reply to Coffee Helps, 03-20-2008 09:54:46

Hey Coffe helps, congrats on your first post. Fear not the peanut gallery, they are typically gone when the weather gets warm. Not sure why, likely just good folk with cabin fever and an internet connection. Anyhow, I would like to venture a guess. Is it alcohol based antifreeze?

Just shootin' in the dark,

Aaron

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