Modern Motoring

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 9

Modern Motoring

(BY TORQUE.)

CARE OF THE COMPLEXION. The engine of a car can be mistreated frequently before 11 begin* to complain. but thp fiiiir.li can b> • mistreated once or twice, and then there is nothing left to niibtreai. Ihe lacs, of washing and the e'sentiai knowledge of knowing; how to wash a car will go further towards ruining thy appearance than any other thing. The varnish of a car is benefited and hardened by washing with clear cold water, but mud that i« allowed to dry upon the surface iake? the oil from the varniih ami leave* the- finish mottled and streaky. Dirt is not the only enemy for gases from the garage, and even the atmosphere of the cities, attack tbk> finish of a car that is not frequently washed.

In -leaning the body work, be sure to remove the nozelv of the hose, and flow ihe water over every part of the body. This will serve to remove most of the dust, and also loost'n the uind. In rases where the car ik very dirty it is i>est to do this, and then let it ftand for a few minutes liefoiv going over it again with the hose: then take a soft sponge and follow the hose over the hodv.

(if course, theiv are different methods in removing the rar and oil from under the mudguard*, hut an effective one is to wash well with keroxene and hose don n wvll afterwards. A snparate chamois leather should he used for the undercarriage and body wcirk to that which is used for the body itself,

SOMETHING QUITE NEW. The appearance of a well-painted car on thy streets of Auckland does not fctartlo the ordinary citizen of to-day, l>lll a car with the bodywork covered With alligator leather instead of paint created quite a sensntiou in Queen Struct during the week. It is claimed that the leather (which is of a special kind) does not require washing, and it will not scratch, and instead of getting the car painted every year the leather will last for upwards of ten year*. Tn Australia 11 i- in preat demand, and all colours and shades aiv seen. • Tainting always paintiiijr." looks like being n tbinjr of ti le past \ery soon

SPRINGING. Of tiip many parts uhk-li go to make Up the modern car, the oldest, probably, is the wheel, but though it was not discovered i.ntil centuries later, the leaf spring is without doubt the eecond in antiquity. The old chariot.- used by tlie Romans and Kayptians had nil springs a< far a< we know, and over i lie old Roiuiin road*, built of seiuare pa\cil stop.es, they miwi have heon anything but comfortable. In later years eoaoliee ttere fitted with ~priiijrs. and it was an art only kno«;i lo a few. how to make a spring, and to temper it correctly. The spring depended on the skill of ihe workman. To-day, with the knowledge of heat treatment, and the construction of .steel, and the attention that has been given to the sprinfriiiff of a ear, it ie no longer an art only known to a few. but the springs today are turned out by the thousands by machinery, and even pi,t together and .tested by machinery. ilost of the early English tars, and American <ai>, too. were fitted iviMi full elliptic springs, thp reason was that they were copying tlie coach springing. The result was t'hal the car was perched high up, and easily turned over, aud it wag anything •but pleasing lo the eye. The springs were also very stiff and hard. a» little attention was given to them. Since ]»]() progress has been more rapid. vario;.r> types have come and gone, and to-day we Tiave the half elliptic in tiif from, and usually three-quarter on the rear. This type is almost universal. Tlie springs of the car have a very important purpose since they must*compensate for all the lUieveuness of the roads, and alco take i.p the drive of the rear axlo. hi addition they must protect tiie machinery of the car, otherwise the jarring on nur country roads would hammer a ear to piece? in a few mouths. Springs, .regardlees of type used, will give troiibJo if they are neglected, and proper -prinj; lubrication is just n> essential us any other Uiovinjr part, on the car. If the. shackles aro not kept well oiled and allowed their conrc-t movement. thtM'i are not doing file jolt they are put there for. (iraphiti* mid *»rease is

about tlii- i>.'.-t mixture fur leaves >!ionlil lie -<'|iarau'(t one front another, and smcArr-d io|i hh<l liottoin with the iiliuvf mi.xtiiri , .

ABOUT 25 SUMMONED A WEEK. I Thi- Hverajfp motoriet-! >i.mnionf'l vv«ckl.v in A>ii-klHlicJ lui> reached about 2~>. an<l mosi of ili<" offences ■•ommide.rl are for trivial matters' such as m> uiil! lij. r ln, head lamps ti>u brifrlit. not — t«> |- - : jiing for ihe signal. «'tu. The offt-m-e. • from the point of vie« of the traffic, office, which is tin* most seriou* is thnt relating to the eigiml of » roiintable mi point duty. rh« driver of every motor rar can never understand «li\ !■<■ i~ held ii/i n-licii so few veliiilea an- in lilt be forgets iliat the policeman sees things quite iliHerenrVy u> liini. anfl t lie motorist often sajj to hiniself. "1 would like to siiow him Imu it i-oitW lie done." but he ie not the judge, alid stop lie iru.st when lie 1 the signal The seriou-ness of driving without proper lights is never rPiilieed l.y the man behind the poorly lit' niachinv until He »n Hi-eident, or is 1 fined the maximum. I'ndolibtpdh I tie jofren«?s nill go on us lonjr as v.c ha\<'' motor on our stifet*. a lot : of offraws are louiai'itteii by absentminded hidividuals.. who forget there is, ■a by-law which read? "You mils'., not , |)RS6 a >taiionar\ tram cor." and they! do not think i.ntil they are »'>inetimc9 j right past the tram. Tiie unlucky | motorift wiio g:ets caught when speeding, always says "why pk-k on m«, • hundreds of others do the same thinjfj every day.'" We all at tiinee. ?o '■ the one who gets nabbed i« out of luck, j The bulk of the revenue from motorUts' fines is from tailing to give the ripiit : signal, leaving the >--ar unattended, etc. Keikleeg driving should provide ail the i revenue from ruv point of view. How- : ever the motorint rhat does all the; speeding ha« only himself to blajne for | the countless number of by-laws »<•< have tn-dav. >

ROAD COURTESY. j "*Wc are glad to see you—we liavej much to show you—we warn to *arve ■ you—pleaj* make yourself right at j homeV' , Words of greeting to this effect are' accorded (writes Ruy A-Iden in *n j American motor journal I every visiting: motorist entering the cities of Southern! California, especially Los Angeles and j San Diego.

In furtherance »f plan? worked nut hy the motor clubs of the two leading citieof Southern t alifornia. every motor car earning a license numbe-r of another State is stopped upon entering the downtown district of the two cities and the owner is presented with an official visitor's card. Tho card carries a message on one side addressed to the stranger by the .Mayor, and a message from the motor club on the reverse side. I he Mayor welcomes the motor-ear tourist on hehfilf o: the city, and point- <m( that everything possible will be done to h'ml in securing his comfort and ease. The "greeting"' cards, which are presented by the traffic policemen .ire prepared by the motor club in book form, and the traffic officer presenting the largest number to visitors during a month is commended. In che message the motor club invites the motoring visitor to call at club headquarters for the purpose of securing ■nape, touring data, and information on local traffic laws—all free of charge. In addition, the. visiting motorist is given a wind-shield "sticker' to place on the shield of hie car which notifies the public that this particular visitor is a guest of the southern part of the State, and that, special courtesies should be accorded him wherever he travels in Southern California. This sticker especially serves -s a notice to traffic policemen to be patient with the visitors who may innocently violate traffic repula lions.

STREAMLINE BODY. Auiunpet the many modifications in body design that have come to the lore during recent years thp tendency of developing the -nrcam-linf form i= pos sibly the most outstanding. With a very fe-n exceptions, the etream-linc effect, has only Been adopted with the i.dject of prod\icing thf body lines favoured by the aport«-<ar owner, ami its real value in the direction of reducing head resistance has not been very great. It seem« likely, however, that further improvements in Mreatn line bodies will tflke place as soon hr f)ic fas'.ion (jets a firm hold upon the generality of motorists: and if the low resistance, body takes the public fancy, there are distinct pos.-ibilit.ic-, of chains design becoming modified to suit the exterior of the windresisting body. As is well-known, the present lay-out of a typical chaecis doenot lend itself readily to the support of a wind-resisting body, becau-o the wide«l portion, i.e.. (he driver's :ind passengers' seats, is situated in the wrorvc position. In plan view the ordinary four-seater body would lend itself fairly well for rounded off and the car were driven backwards: for 11 irup wind-cleavitiff shell ha« a somewhat bulbous froi.7 which increases slightly reiirwa iris then tapers off io a Hne pointed . \trei-jity.