Black Mold everywhere! Help!

**Racerboy230** · 05-05-2019, 09:47 PM

Hi Mike,

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this. I just uncovered by beloved 1989 Mustang from winter’s slumber. Unfortunately I found the interior COMPLETELY covered in black mold. Seats, carpets, dash, everything! There’s a ton of condensation in the gauge cluster as well as in the glove box. There’s even mold under the hood. How to tackle this? I don’t even want to sit in the thing. Please know that I am not a professional. I am a high school history teacher, but a huge car enthusiast. What should I do? I took pictures: Moldy Mustang - Google Drive

Thank you for all that you do.

Frankie

**Coatingsarecrack** · 05-06-2019, 03:11 AM

If you took picks with your phone download the tapatalk app. Once you do add auto geek to your forums and you can upload directly from your phone. Makes it super easy. Good luck with the mold, I hope it’s an easy fix

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**Cosmin** · 05-06-2019, 11:48 AM

i would put an ozone generator inside for a few treatments. strip all interior and clean each one individual , make sure is all dry , than reinstall. also treat the a/c vents/ - a/c coil

**TTQ B4U** · 05-06-2019, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Racerboy230

Hi Mike,

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this. I just uncovered by beloved 1989 Mustang from winter’s slumber. Unfortunately I found the interior COMPLETELY covered in black mold. Seats, carpets, dash, everything! There’s a ton of condensation in the gauge cluster as well as in the glove box. There’s even mold under the hood. How to tackle this? I don’t even want to sit in the thing. Please know that I am not a professional. I am a high school history teacher, but a huge car enthusiast. What should I do? I took pictures: Moldy Mustang - Google Drive

Thank you for all that you do.

OMG! Where and how was it stored? Sounds/Looks like you had it under a car cover outside? What part of the country?

**Mike lambert** · 05-06-2019, 05:51 PM

You really need to get the right mask first! Mold especially black mold can kill you!

**Desertnate** · 05-07-2019, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Cosmin

i would put an ozone generator inside for a few treatments. strip all interior and clean each one individual , make sure is all dry , than reinstall. also treat the a/c vents/ - a/c coil

Not only could it be on the inside and outside of the interior panels, which would need removal like you said, but what about the seats? Would the mold get below the upholstery and into the foam cushioning too?

Enough moisture to cause all that mold and condensation in the gauges and glovebox makes me wonder if the weather seals failed or there is a leak in a convertible top (if it has one).

**TTQ B4U** · 05-07-2019, 07:59 AM

Clean that all you want, I wouldn't drive it again, ever....

**LSNAutoDetailing** · 05-07-2019, 11:07 AM

Go to You Tube and search AMMO NYC / Larry Corsilla (sp).

He did a job where there was extensive mold. You WILL need OSHA rated jump suite, gloves, mask, eye protection, breather.

If you inhale or get mold spores in your eyes you will become gravely sick.

YouTube

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**Belo** · 05-07-2019, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by TTQ B4U

OMG! Where and how was it stored? Sounds/Looks like you had it under a car cover outside? What part of the country?

we need the answer to this question. help others avoid the same mistake.

**conman1395** · 05-07-2019, 01:43 PM

A customer brought me a car like this once (although not with mold in the engine bay). His garage flooded or something right before winter, but nothing even touched the car cover according to him so he didn't think to even take it off or look under it so it went through a winter and beginning of spring before he took a look at it. I declined the job for the safety reasons that have been mentioned, but I'll tell you what I told him.

1. Mold can be dangerous for everyone. Some people are even more sensitive to it and can be at an even greater risk than typical. Not only would you put yourself at risk, but others could be too.
2. I would just salvage the car, maybe see if insurance can help somehow get some money back. If you're going to do something about this though, you absolutely cannot get this fixed cheaply. Whomever you talk to, make sure you ask them many questions about exactly what they plan on doing to ensure that every bit of mold is removed. Things you may not think of are seat cushions, interior of door panels (b/w the interior door panel and exterior door panel), ventilation "ducts", underneath the flooring/carpeting, etc. After looking over those pictures, I'd say every part of that car has mold.
3. What you're seeing is called the mycelium. It's the "growing" part of mold. The mold, however, "reproduces" similar to certain types of bacteria using spores. These spores are evolutionarily designed to survive in harsher circumstances than the mold itself. There is literally mycelia everywhere. That means there's likely spores in even more places. That's why I'd get rid of the car. I wouldn't be surprised if a professional would literally strip everything and replace it and you still saw mold come back again. Maybe not likely, but definitely still a possibility.

Good luck! I'm sorry I don't have a solution. There's nothing easy about this.