Help! Fungus disaster!

[Crash]

Well, I posted a lot about it in a facebook group some of you may be in (https://www.facebook.com/groups/5655...=group_comment)

My 1988 Grand Marq was an old family car, and has been since new.
A tree went through the windshield and my family was a bunch of cheap bastards and never got it repaired.

I am now trying to restore the car, and it has tons of mold and fungus growing in it.

My GF is sensitive to mold, and mold is also death on my camera equipment, which is an absolute no-can-do as i'm a pro photographer.

I'll cross post the photos here so you can see what i'm dealing with. I have a new windshield coming in tomorrow, but i'm worried that that may be the end of this project for a while, as I don't have the space or funds to buy a parts car and install a new interior.







the engine was recently rebuilt (5 years ago, parked and left since) but the car has a lot of sentimental meaning to me. unfortunately, I feel like this project may be stopped soon for a long time, so any advice on a cheap but thorough fix for this will be greatly appreciated!

[HiFiMerc]

Would a good steam cleaning take care of the mold?

Call around to car detailing places, tell them the situation, and see what it brings.

[AC75]

Yeah, I think steam will do the best job and likely prevent re-occurrence. If you can't manage that though, I'd think a good wipe down, maybe 2 or 3 times, with a good cleaner will sort out the plastic/hard surfaces. The seats you could do the same with and then go over then with some kind of upholstery cleaner. The kind you see with the bristle brush stuck on the end of the can. Some of those work way better than you could ever imagine. Just a thought: when you clean the seat belts, snap them in and leave them for a while so they don't roll up wet or damp.

I don't know if all mold is harmful, but best to wear a mask if you do try clean it yourself. Leave windows open as much as possible when the car is outside so everything drys really well. Moisture is the biggest enemy when it comes to mold etc.

[gadget73]

a diute bleach solution is fantastic for this, but it does bad stuff to colored cloth. 10:1 and let it sit a few minutes is all you need for hard surfaces. I would suggest removing all of the interior to get the car fully cleaned out. If its got fuzz growing where you can see it, you can bet its growing underneath where you can't see it too.

[PainFisted]

You're going to have to gut the whole car to clean it thorough. I would expect mold in the A/C ducts. Using peroxide for a cleaner might be less harmful on the color than bleach. Me personally I would hit up the junk yards for a lot of replacement interior pieces.

[Mainemantom]

First get yourself a mask and gloves. I use vinegar . It removes mold including the black mold. It needs two applications the first time you clean. In about three days re-apply. You can use a spray bottle and a sponge.
Do some research on cleaning with vinegar. I do this about once a year and it works well.
WARNING NEVER mix vinegar with bleach = poison gas

[BuffaloRider]

Jesus man, that's terrible. Everyone has already given great suggestions. The hard part about finding pieces in the junkyard will be matching the colors. If you're on a budget then I don't know, a detailing place might be pricey for a job like this, but like I said, I don't know. I've heard of people using shampooers on these cars and pulling up more dirt than you ever would've imagined.

[LithiumCobalt]

This is a tough one. Almost all old cars have mold/mildew issues. Problem is, the mold has gotten into every nook and cranny of the interior, more than likely. The seat cushions act like sponges so those are undoubtedly infused with it. You'll need to replace them and that will get expensive. The headliner and carpet are almost guaranteed to be full of it as well. Any of the interior trim that has padded foam will be infused also. Wiping everything down only gets about half of it. The rest that you cannot readily see is what will stink forever if you don't remove it. Probably the best you can do is gut the interior down to bare metal and clean everything as thoroughly as you can, including wiping down the metal body panels. As mentioned, a diluted bleach solution is what will kill the mold. This is really nasty stuff and can make you very sick. Good luck!

[sly]

holy hell.

+1 steam clean the HELL out of everything in that to remove it from the fibers.

+1 cleaning the AC/Heater ducts.

+1 chemical treating of every surface after the cleaning.

[Piece-it pete]

I'll add, my abatement division at work sells the very safe fungicide 'Benefect'. I've used it, it's good. Soak the living crap out of the interior with it. I make nothing from this comment

Pete

[87gtVIC]

You will have to remove everything to attack this correctly and effectively.

[AC75]

IF someone wanted to go so far as removing the seats and stripping the covers off, would they withstand a run though a washing machine? I know someone over on the CrownVic boards has put their police seat covers through and they came out really well, but this velour stuff is somewhat more delicate. With the seats out the carpet would be an easy clean, and everything else would probably just need a good wash down.

[sly]

the plastic that holds the material on the seats probably wouldn't, but the seat covers themselves would. You could take the covers off and pressure wash them. A spot bot with the manual wand would also work well for a wet clean. You'd have to mix whatever mold/mildew kill you would use (test on a hidden area first to make sure it won't kill the color) into the cleaner tank.

[Mainemantom]

IF someone wanted to go so far as removing the seats and stripping the covers off, would they withstand a run though a washing machine? I know someone over on the CrownVic boards has put their police seat covers through and they came out really well, but this velour stuff is somewhat more delicate. With the seats out the carpet would be an easy clean, and everything else would probably just need a good wash down.

I have put cloth 1985 CV seat covers in the washing machine. On gentle cycle. Presoaked first. They turned out very clean. I put them in the dryer on low. You could also hang dry them. It just was a pain to remove and replace with all the hog rings.

[sxcpotatoes]

I'd think he'd need to remove and immersion-soak the entire fucking dash too. Personally, I think it's a lost cause. As someone who has breathing problems, it's just about the worst feeling in the world not to be able to breathe. The g/f's health and safety probably trumps any emotional attachment to this vehicle. Strip it for parts, cluster, heater control, light switch, and patiently search to find one that matches color/options to replace it with.

They made a billion of these cars, and you can always find your match-mate given enough time and patience. Good luck.