Mold Warning: Beware of Storage on Gravel!

 We received a car that had severe mold growth all throughout the interior of the car.  It had been stored on a gravel surface and covered with a special car cover.  The mount of mold in this car far exceeds anything that we had ever seen.  The smell was really strong and certainly not safe to drive - especially if the AC is on.  Mold needs three things to grow: food (organic material), moisture and dark,  This car clearly was heaven for mold growth!

We had to completely take the interior apart and clean all surfaces.  The rear clam showed huge mold growth so that had to be removed as well.  We decided to yank the front off as well.

rear clam viewed from inside the cabin

It turns out the car had been stored on gravel with a special rodent-resistant car cover.  This cover shown below features a weighted circumference that 'seals' the car and prevents rodents from entering.  Though the cover claims to breathe, it was probably not enough to cope with the prodigious amount of rain we experience in CA this past winter.  The porous gravel surface was certainly another contributor to the problem as it releases moisture.  As the temps came up, the moisture evaporated from the gravel but was trapped within the car as it was sealed by the cover.  

Our recommendation is to avoid storing your car on a porous surface like gravel or dirt/grass.  Covers with weight bottom seals are going to be especially troublesome on a porous surface.  If you can drive your car every couple of weeks, that should also help reduce these issues!

Lee steamed, disinfected and coated the engine bay. 
Carlos refinished the rollbar supports in satin black.