I'm looking at a very nice, low miles (66K) '95 250 >8600. This truck is unreal as far as body & frame condition-NO rust! It was stored in a barn for some time-I'd guess at least 10 years judging by the mileage. Here's the problem, and it is a big one-get ready. While in storage, a large animal-either a possum, raccoon or something that size, decided that it was to be it's last resting place. The animal carcass is long gone but the smell is unbelievable. My problem is if I buy this, how would I ever get the odor out? The carpets have already been removed, and I know that's where the animal died. I'm just afraid that the smell has permeated the headliner, seats, and any other fabric in the truck.
I can always do a total gut of the interior, but would the odor remain? What could the smell really stick to if I gut the interior? I really want to buy this truck-owner wants 1k and believe me it IS worth it for the body alone! Any tips or help on this would certainly be appreciated!
Roger

 

Get it for a good price and replace anything porous.

 

Yes, that smell has, by now touched EVERYTHING in that truck....

I say buy it, gut it, and then regularly wash the inside with some GOOD soap and a brush/rag....

And then close it up, and see if the smell it still there...

As for the rest of it.....

Clean it in the same way and put it somewhere warm, that has a good smell...


And then keep cleaning it regularly....We're talking 1-2 wks here...


It SHOULD get rid of the smell...

 

I had a similar situation with a big ole rat dying over the winter in a Corolla I owned. I stripped the interior and bought one of those cheap steam cleaners off of ebay, hosed everything down in simple green, and steamed everything. I hung everything fabric up on a clothes line, and let it dry, and left the seats out in the sun all day. Then I got some white powdery carpet cleaner/deodorizer, and brushed it into the upholstery, then vacuumed it off. I put everything back in, hosed it down with febreze, and re installed it.

the smell was gone, after a few days in the summer sun with the windows cracked.

 

For the price I say get it, and wash out the interior.

 

Haha. My ex left 3 trout on the back floor of my mustang on the 3 hottest days of the year..... The smell was horrific
I washed and steamed and it didn't completely get rid of it. I mashed coffee into the rug and let it sit. That helped. But always when it set for a few days unused it would reak.
Then they invented fabreeze. Amazing stuff.
Don't put too much on at once, it will mildew. Just be persistent and every other day give everything a mist.
I'm a believer now. It's gotten rid of lots of bad smells in the past 8-9 years.

 

Bleck, I don't know man, haven't you heard stories about people parting cars out and burning them because they couldn't get rid of the smell?

 

I agree that you should buy it and wash/scrub the interior as best you can.
But, I would suggest that on top of the cleaning, find something to absorb the odor, like baking soda. Don't try to mask it too much, though. Sometimes that can be worse in the long run. I got a used play crib that had been sprayed with Lysol, and 4 years later, I can still smell the Lysol (not as bad as initially, after I aired it out for several weeks outside).

My F350 smelled pretty bad when I got it, sort of like rotten moldy food, even though the PO kept it fairly clean and never smoked in it. I pulled the saddle blanket seat cover out and washed it and now there isn't any real smell other than the normal old Ford smell.

 

heres an idea, grab an ash tray, and burn a pack of sweet williams in it every day for a week. i guarantee you wont smell death anymore

 

Rent an ozone machine. Ive never eprsonally used one, but have a friend that used one on a mustang that had smoke damage, and you couldnt tell after he was done.

Not sure where you can rent them, but I know I have a friend that bought one and uses it for hunting. (I think its called ozonics)

 

Remove EVERYTHING. All the way to the dash, you'll need to kill anything inside. So buy a few gallons of rubbing alcohol and a chemical sprayer and douse EVERYTHING. Once it dries do it again and wipe everything down as many times as you can handle. Take a few boxes of baking powder and coat everything everything and let it sit for a few days.

Take all the fabric and everything you removed and use the rubbing alcohol and soak the seats and let it dry. Then shampoo and scrub and shampoo and scrub, vacuum and then sprinkle with baking soda, let sit for a while then vacuum again.

I think you see the cycle here, if you can, get a pressure washer and have at it with the carpet.

Then mix 1oz rubbing alcohol, 6oz distilled water and 2oz white vanilla extract oil. Then spray everything and it should remove most of the smell, if that doesnt do it, time to start replacing everything.

 

There was an episode of mythbusters about dead bodies making cars unsellable. They put a pig in a car for X amount of time, cant remember if they got rid of the smell and how if they did, but maybe you can do a google search and find out.

 

You don't like the smell of dead bodies

 

Short answer, yes it is possiable to get rid of that smell, but it will take a LOT of work. There is some very good sugestions in here..

 

Bright side is if he leaves the smell and gets pulled over a few times its easier to right off when he has a dead body strapped to the frame rails.