My internal fuse box fried about 3 hours after buying my car. It was a design issue fixed later but it was a "hanging" fuse box where the main power wire would slip out shorting out near everything in the fuse box (including radio, lights, clock, etc.)

I never noticed a smell, it all just stopped working. So make sure your fuse box isnt black and crusty now

E0 #4384 of 6535 Born Jan. 9 1998 My SVT from the ashes 147,466 miles, purchased Nov. 2002 @ 76,559 miles