The unique smell of an air-cooled Porsche 911 - What is that smell?

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Smell of green posi

Air-cooled 911 all these days.(964)When my husband came home at night after riding to work on the His eldest daughter was "Welcome back.I said, "Jump on it.(When he's in a good mood, he flies over and hugs her, but when he's in a bad mood, he completely ignores her... even at 5 years old, he already has a woman's heart and autumn skies)He said something like this.

Dad, the Green Porci.(964)I can smell it!

And. Her husband said, "Oh, yeah?He looked happy even though he said, "I've been driving the 964 so long, I wonder if even the smell has finally seeped into my body.

Later, he told his eldest daughter, "What does green posi smell like?I asked her, "What do you mean?" and she thought for a moment.

Um...I don't know..."

I replied. Well, that smell is hard to describe... and I thought, "Did it smell good? Did it smell bad?When I hear the word

Hmmm, it doesn't smell very good. But it doesn't smell bad.

I said something I don't understand (-_-). He said, "I don't know."Not that it smells that good, but I don't hate it.I guess that means "I'm not sure.

Unique smell emitted by air-cooling

Many of the air-cooled owners I've met have said, "I love the distinct smell of air-cooling.He says, "I'm not sure. It's just that "What exactly does that smell like?When asked, "What is it?" the conversation often ends with "I wonder what it is..." without knowing what that smell is.

My husband once told me, "You say air-cooled smells good, but what is that smell?I asked.

It's hard to say what it is. Is it the smell of the leather seats... or the engine oil... but it's calming anyway.

He said. Sometimes when I ride in my Boxster, I'll even say, "It smells like a Porsche.I can feel it as "964," but it is very different from the smell of 964. So, I decided to do some research on the identity of that peculiar air-cooled smell.

Is it the leather seats? The engine?

I've done a lot of research online, but there's not a lot of compelling information to the contrary.What is that smell?It seemed that many people were wondering the same thing as "What is it? Incidentally, there was also a person who wrote in his blog as follows.

I wonder if it is the smell of the leather seats?
The leather seats have no scratches, are taut, in very good condition, and do not smell from the air blower!
I tried putting unscented deodorant in the car, but it never seems to go away.
...more than a decade later, it hasn't gone away.
The smell seems to have become stronger in the humid rainy season.
Smells different from musty, gasoline or exhaust gas smells.
Is the rumor true that "911s smell because they take in air from inside the engine compartment and send it into the interior"?
I opened the door for a while to let the air flow through, but it didn't make much difference.
*Daily life with Porsche (TYPE964) and Leica "Porsche smells..."

...The word on the street is that it smells like Porsche, but I can't find a definitive answer anywhere as to what that thing is.
I thought it might be the smell of leather, but since leather is used only on the seat surfaces, I have to question the theory that it is the smell of leather.
Is it due to the smell of the engine compartment coming into the car?
Is it the smell of glue used to finish the interior?
*MinkaraPolkura: "Life with Porsche is happiness... The true nature of the Porsche smell... "The smell of Porsche is..."

Etc. etc. Just look at any article that says, "Not an unbearable, unpleasant smell like cigarettes or air fresheners.It is written, "I am not a bad smell, but then what is that smell? It is true that the smell is not unpleasant, but then what is that smell?

Air cooled 911 interior smell

After that, I did some research, but couldn't come across any authoritative information in Japanese blogs or articles, so I searched in English and found the followingAircooled 911 interior smell - What's the source?I found a message board with a question about the smell of 964 called

I guess this question is universal (laughs).

The person who asked this question seemed to be trying to rebuild a 964 and didn't want to lose that smell in the process, so he was asking if anyone knew the origin of this smell.

I looked at your responses to this question and found a variety of posts like this.(I tried to translate it into Japanese, but there is a very high possibility that it is wrong.)

I think a lot of the p-car smell is the oil that has dripped onto the heat exchanger burning off.
I think it is the smell of oil dripping on the burnt heat exchanger.

That's a part of The Exterior Smell... along with Scent of Fried Brakes, Eau de Burnt Clutch and Musk of Running Rich 98 Octane...
Some of the exterior smells, plus the smell of burnt brakes, clutch ... etc.?

Sigh... The Smell shall forever remain a mystery at this rate...
Huh... that smell will forever remain a mystery to me...

cold be the leather....ferraris have a distinctive smell as well
Cold leather goods ...... Ferrari also has a unique scent

I think it has a lot to do with the foam sound deadening and the adhesive used on the interior. I also believe that the connection between the engine compartment and the heater system has I also believe that the connection between the engine compartment and the heater system has something to do with it as well.
I think it has something to do with the sound deadening foam and the adhesive used for the interior. I pulled the seats out and left them in the garage for a few days and they did not smell at all. I also think it has something to do with the connection between the engine compartment and the heating system.

Oil leaks onto the heat exchanger and into the cabin. Water leaks from the windshield, door shield, etc. into the floor pad where it sits and becomes moldy. The moldy and oily smell then combined and aged in the car sitting outside in 90 degree heat into the smell My newer 993 which does not leak oil nor water doesn't have this 'smell'. My newer 993 which does not leak oil nor water doesn't have this 'smell'.
I had that smell when I used to own a 964, oil leaks into the heat exchanger and interior, water leaks from the windshield, door shields, etc. onto the floor pads and it smells like mold when it sits there. The musty oily smell ages and smells like that in 90 degree heat. By the way, my newly purchased 993 has no oil or water leaks and does not "smell" like a 964. This is serious!

I think it has to do with the adhesive (wurth?) or other interior materials used
I think it has something to do with the adhesive used (wurth?) or other interior materials

For me it is not smell, I call it scent !Been wondering about that as well, Opposed to "regular" cars which lose their "smell" in months, the scent of our P-cars just becomes richer.
I call it a "scent" rather than a "smell". In contrast to most cars, which lose their "smell" after a few months, the scent of a Porsche becomes richer over time.

I like to smell the heat coming off the motor. the burning oil smell means me and the car both had a good time.
I love to smell the heat coming from the motor. The smell of burning oil means that the car and I have had a good time together.

*Article source.Aircooled 911 interior smell - What's the source?

What is the air-cooling smell?

In the end, I could not figure out what that distinctive air-cooled smell was. But "Maybe I don't need to know.I also thought, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be smelling. I guess it was the smell of engine oil, leather seats, driver's sweat, romance, and memories of driving through together....

However, if I ever get a chance to meet someone from Porsche, I'd like to ask them about the identity of this air-cooled 911 smell. w

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  1. Tetsu (kingdom in China during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Period of the Warring States Period)

    Hi Miwa
    I too would like to ask you all
    Thank you for covering a topic that tickles the fancy of air-cooled Porsche drivers.
    Thanks.

    It's the distinctive smell of an air-cooled Porsche.
    It smells a little sweet, like oil.
    If I told you I liked that smell, you'd probably don't like it.
    I don't dislike it.
    When you get in with the sound of the door opening and closing.
    I rather like to think of it as one of the air-cooled Porsche feels.

    Now, about the smell.
    We have not identified them.
    So I am guessing.

    I used to smell it because the gas tank is right by the driver's seat.
    I was told, "You've got a point," and I thought, "You've got a point.
    Thanks, it's different from the smell of gasoline only.

    So my guess is.
    I think it is mainly the smell of volatile components of the engine oil.
    Engine oil is made up of a number of components.
    The volatile substances in it are.
    From hoses and joints circulating to the rear and front.
    I think it is volatile.
    Since some components of engine oil volatilize, the odor is not necessarily the oil itself.
    The odor may also be a mixture of leather, resin, and other odors in the car.

    The reason why oil smells even though it is not leaking is similar to, for example, when you put smelly food in a plastic bag sealed in a refrigerator and the bag smells in the refrigerator even though the contents are not leaking.
    The volatile components are much smaller than water molecules, so we smell them because they are suspended in the chamber, passing through the mesh of the plastic bag at the molecular level.

    In any case, you can also feel the Porsche just by smelling it.
    It is a good one.

    • Mina.Mina.

      Tetsu.

      Thank you for everything!

      >I would also like to ask you all
      >I'm so glad that you have taken up a topic that tickles the fancy of air-cooled Porsche riders.
      >Thanks.

      Thank you for saying so! LOL!

      >Some components of engine oil volatilize, so the smell is not necessarily the oil itself.
      >It may also be the smell of leather or resin mixed with the smell of the interior of the car.

      Yes, it does not smell like gasoline, and I think it smells like a mixture of something.

      >For example, if you put smelly food in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, you can smell it even though the contents are not leaking.

      I see! That analogy is very clear! So it is not leaking, but the particles are small enough to be smelling.
      But as you say, it's not an unpleasant smell at all, on the contrary, it's calming or makes you want to smoke more...

      The fragrance is full of mysterious charm.

  2. It is possible.

    When I sat in the seat of the 964 today, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "It smells so good! It was. That smell, or rather aroma, is unique. I think it is a result of the fact that the interior is less enclosed than current models, which blends various scents together. I remember the car I drove as a child had a similar scent. I guess you could call it a nostalgic scent.

    • Mina.Mina.

      potential acid
      Thank you for riding my husbands air cooled yesterday!
      Yes, it smells indescribably good.

      >This is probably the result of the various fragrances being blended together due to the less sealed interior of the car compared to the current model.
      Indeed!!! Yes, with today's models, there is absolutely no smell of engine oil, only the smell of the seats.
      As you say, it has a nostalgic and reassuring aroma.

      Strangely enough, there is no one who says, "I don't like this smell.

  3. left hand

    I felt the same way at 930 myself.
    At the time I thought it might have been the heaters (heat exchangers) that used the exhaust heat, but I don't know.
    It smells the same after all these years.

    • Mina.Mina.

      Sakonin.
      Thank you for your comment!
      There were so many different opinions about this air-cooled aroma that I wasn't sure which one was the right one after all.
      As you say, it has always been the same.

      With a new Porsche, the smell gradually fades, but the air-cooled one still smells the same.
      It must be mechanical-related noise.

  4. Saizo

    Today.
    I also own the same 964 Tiptro C2 and appreciate the very useful information.

    As for the aroma inside the car, the moment I first opened the door of the 964, memories of the early air-cooled Beetle my father owned more than 40 years ago, when I was still in elementary school, came flooding back.
    Beetle had the same scent.

    We do not believe it is a leather smell as the Beetle had vinyl seats.

    I am writing this in the hope that it will be of some help.

    • HiroHiro

      Hello, Saizo.

      So it smells the same in the Beetle.
      Both the Beetle and the Porsche have always been like relatives.
      After all, it is the same air-cooled engine, and it must have a unique smell related to that.
      Then again, I wonder if it is the smell of oil? I wonder if it is the smell of oil, but it is still a mystery to me.

      1
  5. aitu

    Nice to meet you.

    I drove a 964c2 for the last 15 years.
    I'm a Golf R now and will be switching to a 968 next month.

    I, too, love the unique scent of air-cooling.
    Together with body rigidity, brake and door opening/closing sound
    It is so high on the list of reasons to own.

    I gave up my 964 when I got married and have not been involved with Porsche for a while.
    life, but on my way to work, I suddenly saw a 944.
    of nostalgia when I found a used car store that had
    I had to stop by on short notice.
    The moment I got into the car, along with the latch sound of the door opening, as an example.
    I had flashbacks of old memories.

    It was exactly the same scent as 964.
    (The seats were fabric.)
    I was not so interested in water-cooled FR at that time.
    I started looking into it and finally took delivery of my 968 next month.
    The company has become the first in the world to be awarded a "Best in Show" prize.

    While the layout and quality of the sound is different once you get on board.
    The overall mass of the car, brakes, door opening and closing sounds, and incense are
    It is a Porsche itself.

    It is an old car, but I will take good care of it.
    (I look forward to our paths crossing in Ashi Ari.)

    • Mina.Mina.

      aitu acid
      Thank you for your comment!

      >The moment I got into the car with the latch sound of the door opening for example.
      I had flashbacks of old memories.

      OH!!! I kinda got goosebumps...!

      The fragrance brings back flashbacks of many things...
      An air-cooled Porsche is more than just a car.
      I thought again that it must be a car that carries memories, people's emotions, and many other things.

      I look forward to seeing you again in Ashi Ari!
      (My husband is often there, so please feel free to contact him...)
      Thank you very much for your cooperation.