Get rid of the mice and nests, the smell will fade.  Check the wires, they like to chew on them...  Also, mouse pee is very corrosive.  I picked up an old Spitfire engine and trans that had mice nesting over the trans, the aluminum on the trans cover was horribly corroded under the nest - 1/4" or more gone, 1/4" bolts rusted almost completely through.  Aluminum not under the nest was fine - just a little white corrosion.

Dan
Los Angeles, CA
"Winky" the '85 Westy Weekender

On Oct 25, 2011, at 8:07 AM, Ryan Shawley wrote:

> Got a car with a mousey smell used a bucket of damprid and some air freshener type thing gel in a jar that supposedly absorbed odors (found at lowes). Smell is fading fast obviousky cleanup any signs of a nest.  Good luck and nice find
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Oct 25, 2011, at 10:27 AM, craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
>> Well last weekend I had the pleasure of finally acquiring my new bus, a 1990
>> GL.
>> It's burgundy in color with paint in PERFECT shape, full Carat Body Cladding
>> and alloy wheels (all in pretty good shape) and only two rusty seams (Easy
>> enough to cover up).
>> It's an automatic transmission bus, my first, as well as having only 66,000
>> miles on it.
>> 
>> Why did I need another bus?
>> I didn't. It was $350! : )
>> 
>> My current gameplan is to get it back on the road (it's been off for 3 or 4
>> years) and run it all winter. This will allow me to take my Zetec converted
>> '85 rusty bus off the road and spend the time taking the engine out and
>> putting it in my syncro westfalia to be ready for the spring. Hopefully I
>> can bring this bus back to life relatively easily. It was parked because the
>> starter was going bad and finally "just stopped working" Sure enough, I
>> pulled the starter off and the cable going between the starter body and the
>> solenoid was completely broken in two with corrosion, so it should be a
>> relatively simple fix. Hopefully I have a replacement starter on the way
>> soon and can go from there.
>> I ended up renting a trailer and towing it home as I had to tow home my
>> syncro as well (Blew a rod clean off the crank! So completely detached it
>> still runs on 3 cylinders now that i've removed the two bent/gouged
>> pushrods! Two lifters are "gone")
>> 
>> I have a few questions though.
>> 
>> First, what's the trick to getting rid of mouse odor? Mice lived in the bus.
>> While towing it (on a Uhaul Trailer) I followed in my silver bus and at a
>> stop light, saw a mouse fall out onto the trailer, run around confused, then
>> fall onto the road where he was promptly splattered by my tire. The bus
>> smells strongly of mice, where should i begin?
>> 
>> Secondly, suspension wise is a 90 GL the same as a CARAT? I want to turn
>> this one into a low and well cornering bus (Polar opposite of my giant
>> syncro). What are people running for springs, shocks, and sway bars to
>> make a sleek road going machine?
>> 
>> Lastly, my electric windows don't work, where should i start? Do these
>> motors just get seized in place and if so, are they able to be brought back
>> to life with the help of penetrating lubricants?
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> -Craig
>> '85GL turned WESTY
>> Turned 7 Passanger
>> Zetec in the back
>> '87 SUNROOF Syncro
>> Turned WEsty
>> 3 Cylinder WBXer in the back
>> '90GL Auto
>> Dead in the water
>>