MODERN MOTORING

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 91, 18 April 1922, Page 8

MODERN MOTORING

0Y TORQUE.)

EASTER NOTES. Quite a number of touring carstarted out for a trip to the Waikato and other places out of Auckland. It is to be hoped they all carried good chains. A good number of strange number plates were also seen about the city, some from as far south as Christehurch. On Friday the motorists had the streets to themselves ia Auckland, and some strange old cars made their annual appearance. The"re are a few motorists around Auckland who are nervous of tram care, and they were able to do the city for the first time while the motormen and conductors were enjoying their picnic. The Cycle Club visited Munwai over the week end and several of the racing care also went out to try conclusions on the qysd track. SAFETY FIRST. Tn Thursday's issue of the '-Star" appeared a letter 'by "Safety First." I think "Safety First" believes that- I am out to encourage dangerous driving on the part of the motorist. Perhaps it would interest "Safety First" to know that there are less motor accidents in Auckland, for its population and number of motor cars, than in any other part of the world. Also that the speed limits allowed in and around the city are leas than in other parts. The pedestrian is frankly careless in Auckland, and it is no uncommon sight to see one absolutely defy a motorist by standing in his way and refusing to move—they think it clever. In America they had to educate the public to reduce the amount of accidents. Let us have a safety campaign to educate the pedestrian in Auckland. He wants it. The Auckland Automobile Association had a safety week campaign about a year ago, and it did a lot of good for a while. mVBmW SOWN UPKEEP. N<»t all the expense belongs to the driving parts for maintenance. The body work requires a good-deal of attention; the under parts of the car should always be thoroughly hosed down after a run in wet weather, and in no case should the mud be allowed to remain and get hard, and when the paint begins to chip off under the mudguards, and the metal starts to rust, clean it down with a bit of glass paper and give it a coat of paint. When the fine surface of the 'body and doors need a -wash, use only a sponge and chamois leather, otherwise the varnish will soon all be scratched away. Xever allow the paint work to become cracked, in which case it will all have to be removed to be repainted. A coat of' varnish in time will save the paint forbears. Consult the painter about such matters, just as you do the mechanic when anything is wrong with the engine. The hood and side curtains are about the most abused of any parts on the oar. Almost every, tool box 'under the seat contains one or more of the side curtains, where they get covered with oil and the celluloids broken. Be careful when putting the hood down that it does not get nipped in tiie corners and when it is down put the hood envelope on to keep out the and.don't carry all the spare '* parcels * in ' the hood folds. A little -oil smeared on the nickel work will make it last for years. - TOUIU-fG NORTH. "Go North!" is the Premier's advice, j but don't go per auto. Mr. J. P. AMred,! of Pah Koad Epsom, and party have iuit returned to Auckland from a trip asTfar north as Awanui. ' They experienced a lot of bad weather, and the roads were almost impassable in place's. They, complain that the greatest need Xorth is good roads, bridges, and hundreds of direction signs. It is quite possible to go 20 or 30 miles out of one's way, and as some of the main roads do not look as good as the side roads, it is quite easy to make a mistake. 'Motoring in the North is not. brimful of pleasure, and mi the end of a day's- run of 100 miles the party had quite enough for one day. The springs are kept as busy as the engine, and they required just as much attention. On more, than one occasion the party thought all four springs had parted, and a good deal of the journey was done in the air. It is dangerous in places to drive with the hood up, as the passengers run the risk of hitting the hoop sticks, yet again it saved the passengers on many occasions from being thrown out of the car. The best roads north of Auckland are at Kaitaia, and we can boast of nothing better around Auckland, but to get to the good roads between here and Whangarei the motorist has to put up with some of the worst roads in New Zealand. The party had quite a number of experiences. On one of the bridges where the usual sign is up "bridge unsafe," the car went, on one end," and the other end lifted right up in the air. . However, the beautiful -hush scenery is well worth going a long way to see and worth all the inconveniences the motorist meets with when going North. Mr: Aldred does not recommend the trip to a nervous driver or one with little/experience, for it is almost impossible. to get any assistance for hundreds of miles' if anything goes wrong. The ninety-mile beach alone is worth the trip to see. The distance from Auckland is approximately 350 miles. The party were at Moerewa when the Premier opened the freezing works there, and they were also at the opening of the hall at Waitangi. The trip'lasted three "weeks. "Go North" young mam, but don't go in a car in winter. PASOT BUTE A CAR. deer Tork, i have bin for sumtimc lookin for a motor car and i bought a 6 chambered automobbil a week ago for twenty 1 quid so its come of age as tiie savin is well mister the bloke wot sold it to mc has bin teaohin mc -and the other day we went for a spin to pen rose and i took the, missus as she wanted to get sum blackberries wen we got their the bloke wuo was gettin mc muddled about brakes and handles'aad sparks sed he seen a man he wanted to see a hit back aad he went off for a while well we soon wanted to shift a bit farther andt reckoned i could do it and the missus and mc set off well mister mc feet seemed to get about sire three thousand and they tangle up with peddala and handles'and i see a barb wire fence oomin at us hell fer leather and i knew then how those blokes felt wen dropping In a parashoot and it wouldn't open well the steerin weel stock itself into mc < wind mc neck went as long as a giraff and 1 net the missus get out of the bus IhroivtH th* wind Mreen and wot she sedt about" in* »nd tho car as she got out Of _„e*-_rb wire J won't tell you as a John hop miS'ilt *«• tHU 1 don't wonder ,mmw •'• ffletOJ' driver* .uniting a muck, i

suppose there feet get lost among the pedals well i bent the splash boards back a hit and we wus all right i seen the other day in the paper where a motor driver and a John hop went through a hedge after a thief they want to try barb wire i reckon your right about the new tram stop motor laws been crook. Look here mister sum people is getting too cocky they try to make themselves as big a noosance as theyJ can to a motor driver the only thjng to do is to go slow and stSb and. hold i.'p traffic until jim gunsen makes a law to send these insees to bill inasseys quarry, or look here mister i am willin to take on the job of blot tin these pests out fer' five quid each il'll run over them as good as any trackshun ingen could do it and i reckon it's cheap and -he automibbil club will be givin mc a lovin cup full up to the top in a week and Bill massey will make mc minister of automobills. Your a level-headed sort of bloke don't you think my idea to torpedo these street snobs is good or else gather up a mob of them on by law day along with a mob of motor hogs take the lot up to the police barracks set the motoP hogs loose in princes street for hat* an hour up and down the street to get there liberty and you won't be troubled about muriwai sports fer a while and besides yoi/ll see these sports with great feelins of satisfaction and i might get a job standin on the other side of the street with a shot gun to ticket any gawntlet runner who might fluke through im going to put the jug out and wind up the clok.

i remane 41 home, Paddy Hooaing. please excuse the Hots as the ink is too thin it gets loose on mc pen.