Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

[D307P]

I went to look at a car my friend's father is willing to sell to me. It is a 1961 Ford Thunderbird Convertible. He bought from a woman in 1972 and it has basically sat in an unheatd building for 40 years with very little driving. Maybe 20 miles of driving in the last 30 years. Paint is not bad, faded, but I think clay/compound/polish/wax would make it shine.

The interior of the car is free of rips and tears and looks nice except the seats and console have what I would say is mold on them. I couldn't really tell if it is vinyl or leather. The car was kinda wedged in between other cars they have and I could only reach in through the open windows. The material feels good except the mold.

My question is do you think they can be cleaned or would I have to have the interior redone? The dash pad cover must have shrinked a little over the years, maybe from moisture as the corners by the doors is kinda pulled away. Dash pad cover would probably have to be recovered.

If anyone is wondering, that is an unrestored 1970 Plymouth Superbird 440 6-pack with 28,000 original miles on it next to the T-bird. Moldy interior in that one also.

[Rick McDonough]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

I’ve dealt with mold on the interior of 60’s muscle cars before and I can usually clean them up nicely with a few applications of the #39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner M3916. By the pictures it’s a bit more extreme that what I’ve dealt with, but I think the #39 would still be a good suggestion. The seats should be vinyl, and by grain in the picture they look like they are vinyl covers. If you get them cleaned up I tend to go with the #40 Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner Conditioner M4016 for protection on vinyl without too much gloss or sheen.

If you aren’t 100% you could always try the Gold Class Leather & Vinyl Cleaner G18516 as an alternative. If you clean them up, and believe they are in fact leather, go with one of our leather protectants like Gold Class Leather Conditioner G18616.

[D307P]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

Thanks Rick. I found from a Thunderbird Forum that they are vinyl and NOT leather. Is there anything like M39 in Meguiar's Professional Detailer Jugs I can use, or just get several bottles of M39? I already have M40 that I used on a vinyl top on a Coupe Deville, so I'm good there.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

M39 only comes in 16 ounce bottles. If you have a DA you should consider using it with a yellow foam pad and M39 at speed 3 to 4 to clean this up. We've done this numerous times on large expanses of vinyl, primarily on boat seats, and it works great plus it dramatically speeds up the process. You've got some broad, wide open areas on these seats that should be a perfect fit for DA cleaning.

[Rick McDonough]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

No problem. I know it may be a bit inconvenient, but I would probably stick with several bottles of the M39 as it is tailored specifically for vinyl and plastic, and since I’ve had success with it previously. I’d be surprised if it didn’t do the trick. Pretty sweet cars in that garage, by the way!

[D307P]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

Yep, I have the MEG's DA Polisher. Never though of using that.

Very short story, my friend of 30 some years and his dad are total car guys. They can restore or rebuild anything on wheels. Problem is, the routine up keep like conditioning seats or paint, they don't do. They will get a cool car and it will sit for years in an unheated building with car windows open and no cover. He bought the superbird a very long time ago, when you could get them for about $6,000. Drove it maybe 4 times since then. 28,000 original miles and the big Hurst pistol grip that comes way up above the bench seat.

[Rick McDonough]

Re: Mold on interior of car? Will cleaning work?

Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, the Hurst pistol grip shifter is classic! Keep us posted how things turn out.