MODERN MOTORING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 220, 16 September 1924, Page 10

MODERN MOTORING.

NOTES and COMMENTS LOCAL And GENERAL.

OT SPARKWCLL

j TYRE FITTING MADE EASY. I Amongst tlie many and varied difficulties that tlie average motorist has to contend with, the most annoying, and also the least understood, is probably that of fitting and changing tyres. The?, again, iyvs most surprising"and aggravating to find how limited is the knowledge of most mechanics or garagemen" on the subject. As will be found when visiting a garage with a flat tyre, the fitter, in , many cases, goes promptly ahead to use force to remove the tyre*. Such a procedure is absolutely Wrong, and most , destructive to the tyre —not to mention F the harm to the rim or wheel, as the cawe may be. " First we sliall discuss the straight . and wire wheel types. To remove, completely deflate "the tube; then take the tyre-lever, and use it to • separate the bead of the tyre from the 1 side of the rim, turning the wheel over, 1 and do the same on the reverse side. 1 It will then be found that a screw- • driver can be inserted in the side ring, <• which will be removed quite easily. 1 Then turn the wheel over, and use the • lever to prise olf the tyre. If, however,! • the tyre is completely rusted on, petrol j - poured on the bead of the tyre will I always loosen the rust. ! Before refitting the tyr?. it is- most i : essential to clean the rim of the wheel I ■ and to remove all traces of rust. It is I . also a good plan to enamel this part of j the wheel or paint it with a mixture of , petrol and flaked graphite. If these. . hints are followed out. the writer is, . prepared to guarantee that the motorist himself can refit the tyre to the wheel with"' an ordinary screwdriver. We will now deal with the straightside detachable (not, as, many think, detestable) type of rims. These rims, ' although of many makes and sizes, are • alike except for the catch. The actual operation, by even the most inexperi- ■ enced motorist, can be performed in, at ' the most, two minutes. First see that the tube and flap are correctly placed in the tyre; then examine the catch on the 1 rim to ascertain on which end the lug or catch protrudes furthest (this portion of the rim to be fitted last). It is ■ essential always to fit the rim fo the tyre—never tyre to the rim—on this type of rim only. The tube valve stem is now placed through the hole in the rim, at the same time being sure that the top part of the rim is the one with the protruding lug; then use the tyre-

LIGHTING-UP TIMES. To-night 6.11 p.m. Wednesday 6.12 p.m. Thursday 6.13 p.m. Friday 6.13 p.m. Saturday 6.14 p.m. Sunday 6.14 p.m. Monday 6.15 p.m. NEWCASTLE-SYDNEY RECORD BROKEN. On Wednesday. August 13, the Newcastle-to-Sydney record changed hands once again. Up till that time, it -had been held by Mr. Norman Smith, who had achieved it- in an Essex Six. Mr. A. Vaughan succeeded, in an 11.4----li.p. Citroen, in knocking -_7 minutes oil Mr. Norman Smith's time. Mr. Vaughan's performance is more praiseworthy by reason of the fact that the road conditions had gone from bad to Morse. In order to leave a good margin iv which to break the existing record. Mr. Vaughan had mapped out a schedule, which meant his having to maintain an average speed of oti m.p.h. between Newcastle and Sydney. Actually, his average over the trip worked out at about .'l7 m.p.h. At 9.10 a.m. the car was checked out of Newcastle, under the supervision ot Mr. Gill (secretary of the Newcastle Automobile Association). The recordbreakers arrived at the Sydney Post Ollice at 1.41 p.m., their running time being 4 hours 111 minutes —which, as already stated, broke the previous record by _7 minutes. LAST "COBBS"' COACH. / The last coach owned by Cobb and Co., now being used between Yculbiu. and Surat, in Queensland, is being replaced by a motor ear. Mr. W. Brooks, M.L.C., president of the Australian Federal Capital League, has suggested to SenaI tor Pearce, Minister for Home and Territories, that because of the association of Cobb and C'o.'s coaches with the early days of Australia, the ■ oach might be finally, housed at Canberra, when the National Museum is erected. The replacement by motor ear of the mail coach in Australia coincides with the abandonment of the mail coach on the AVestland-Otira run, which has been superseded by the through railway.

CHRISTCHURCH TO INVERCARGILL ON BALLOONS. •Last week a Christchurch motorist drove to lnvercargill and back. - shod with balloon tyres, and in the following observations made by him puts in « word of praise for the comfort obtained by their use, says an exchange. Leaving Christchurch early, Dunedin was reached tho same day (running time 8." hours). The roads were generally good, potholes being- unpleasant near Bankside, biit negotiable in fair comfort at 25-30 m.p.h. even at the worst places. •Dunedin to Tnvercargill occupied five hours. Part of the road was good, but there were many potholes. The return times were: —TnvercargiliDunedin 4 hours 55 minutes, Dunedin? Christchurch. 7 hours 10 minutes. Total time 12 lioiirs a minutes, for 372 miles. It was never necessary to change from top gear, the Dunedin hills beingcomfortably negotiated both ways, in spite of their wet condition on the return:' journey.' In fact, rain or light drizzle continued throughout the return journey from Dunedin. In spite of the high speed no skids were experienced, tho utmost noticeable being a little roll or slight side slip on greasy corners. After the trip of 7(10 miles the tyres were 'practically unmarked, and even after tho two one-day trips of 2-4 C" miles, • the passengers experienced no undue fatigue or discomfort. RECORD DEEP BORE FOR PETROL. In quest of the oil from which is produced gasoline which propels America's 13,000,000 automobiles, the Union Oil Company of California has accomplished the astounding feat of drilling a well with a rotary engine to a depth of almost a mile and a-half. : -The' world's record for oil well drilling' has been accomplished in the Gardena -Xo. . 1 well of the Union Oil. Company, located ten miles south of - Los Angeles, states the "San Francisco Chronicle."* Tlie automobile industry, which is marching hand in hand with the oil industry, owes much to tho latter for such exploratory feats as this sinking of a well 7300 feet under ground in search for oil. Cries that the country I will face, a shortage of gasoline can be answered by the assertion that so long .as companies let nothing stand in the j way of the search for petroleum, even ! to drilling a mile and a-half into the 'earth, automobiles may be driven with I"asSuranccf of an" indefinite stipnlv of

lever by placing it in a horizontal position between the bead of the tyre and the rim and pressing firmly on the rim ■with the foot; working round to the end of the lower part of the rim. Next, continue with the other portion of the rim, working away from the valve. It is most necessary to watch that the flap fits in correctly, otherwise the rim cannot close. The rim will now lie closed quite easily by using the.side edge of the lever at the joint of the rim. It, however, the rim will not close, it may be that the flap is not in its true position (in which case it must be refitted), or that the rim is strained or bent as a result, of a. previous attempt to fit it by using a jack or rim machine, or misuse Of a hammer or similar tool. In this case the rim must be taken to a blacksmith to be re-straightened. Concerning beaded-edge rims, which are in inanv cases made fixtures to the wheel, two'spring-steel tyre levers and a hammer are necessary. Before applying these tyres, a valve hole should be out in the "bead of the tyre. Always apply that portion of the tyre with the valve first, fitting the lower bead first. Also start, at the valve when applying the second side of the tyre, at the same time pushing the valve-stem partly into the tyre with the fingers, thus ensuring correct placing of the valve-stem in the tyre. Be very careful not to get the tube caught under the lever, as this, in many cases, causes the tube to pinch. When removing these tyres, always start at the point opposite the valvestem,, and remove about 2 feet of the bead; then apply a lever from the back of the tyre, and lever right over, and the tyre comes off quite easily.— D.M.B. in '•Motor Life." SOFT TYRES FOR BAD ROADS. Small-car users have still another remedy readily available, namely, the I fitting of large low pressure tyres, says i "The Autocar." We have tried these tyres under varying conditions of roads, and on different makes of cars, and sum up entirely in their favour. It is not generally appreciated that low pressure tyres. apart from providing greater comfort for the occupants of the car, serve .the double purpose of cushioning the springs, and, in fact, the whole of the car and its mechanism, from a large proportion of road vibration, llanfacturers, doubtless, in their own interest, in time to come will fit such tyres exclusively, since it is conceivable that a car which has served the wlrole of its road life on cushioned tyres wiH be possessed of a longer life; and, moreover, prove more reliable by reason of its smoother action over roads, good and bad. Hence the point of our advice to fit soft tyres for touring while the roads are in their present bad state. The. slicht expense incurred is well justified.

THE PROPOSED MOTOR RACE ACROSS AUSTRALIA. The Koyal Automobile Club of Australia was represented at the preliminary meeting, on August S, at Melbourne, to discuss the proposed Darwin-to-Adelaide Motor Race. The objects in view are reported to be: (1) To promote an Australian sporting event that would create world-wide interest. (2) To focus attention on'the potentialities of Central Australia. To develop motor touring facilities along the Dar-win-Adelaide route, leading to the establishment of fuel depots, etc., and the gradual improvement of this highway. (4) To obtain valuable data as to which type of automobile is most suitable for transport in outback Australia, and the possible evolution of a type of car particularly suitable for rapid and economical motoring over Australasian country' tracks. (3) To,, demonstrate the possibilities of, at a later period, utilising this route for rapid movement of troops, etc., to tlie North in the ease .of military necessity. It is estimated that the cost of a car containing two men would not exceed £100, apart from the expense of transporting necessary supplies along the route and carrying out any road-improvement work. .Organising expenses would probably approximate £1000. The suggested prize-money is: First, £1000; second, £400; third, £200; fourth, £150; fifth, £100; £100 to be set apart for gold medals for competitors negotiating the full course. AN UNBREAKABLE TAIL LAMP. It is safe to say 'that more tail lamps are broken in the course of a car's liietime than anything else; in fact, a casual 'survey of tail lamps where cars arc grouped together in large numbers would reveal scarcely a single lamp that was not damaged in one way or another. A Jamp 'which protects itself from harm has been produced in England under the name of the Flexarm tail lamp, at a very reasonable price. The lamp body is composed of moulded I rubber; that in itself is not new. but it is attached 'to the number plate, or; to the car body, by a sturdy strip of rubber, so that if it comes in contact with anything' the whole lamp can bend out of the way and spring back into position when released. The windows are of special talc, and the lamp functions quite 'satisfactorily. So difficult is it to damage, that by way of' demonstration the lamp with its lighted bulb can be thrown down.'beaten with a stick, or otherwise mauled, and yet neither filament nor bulb is injured.

LISTENING FOR NOISES. The good driver hearkens to his engine. If he is a nervous individual, inclined to be fussy or imaginative, he will soon hear things. A tappet may have developed a little wear, and its click becomes a big-end knock. It is \vis<£ to have a hearing ear, but there are many drivers'who keep their nerves on end by top much intense listening. They should remember that engine bearings don't have a habit of working loose every few miles. Bearings may run dry and burn out, but with a good supply of oil in the crankcase this is very unlikely.. The driver whose powers of observation will not be persuaded to rest sliould turn i them to good use. Let him note -how his generator is doing, comparing the car's speed (as indicated on the speedometer) with the amperage of the generator and jotting them down for later comparisons. He should notice how his car picks up when the engine is accelerated. It may have lost some of its snappiness. Here is a chance for a slight (jiange in carburettor adjustment. Engine temperature is another feature .worth noting. There are three possible reasons for overheating—a loose fan belt, a late spark, an over-rich or overlean mixture. Which of these three is causing the mischief ? Perhaps it is a combination of two of them. This is for the observing driver to settle.

MODERN MOTORING. CHRISTCHURCH MOTORISTS INCREASING. The annual report of the chief traOie and motor inspector for Christehiirch snov b 3. itirtrc nicrctipo in nil of licenses and registrations for the past rear. 24U3 motor cars and cycles were registered during l'JS.i. against ISU7 for 1022. Applications for certificates in totalled 1038, against 1004 in 1922. 97 applicants failed to pass the driving tests. oV.) informations were laid for breaches of the city by-laws, convictions being recorded as follows: Driving without certificate of ability, 72; leaving motor cars-unattended. 87; speeding and dangerous driving. 54; using unregistered motor vehicles, 20; pillion riding, ■ l(i: incorrect identification marks, 15; passing standing tramcar, 10; cutting corners, wrong side road, 9; stopping vehicles, wrong side road, 10. There were also convictions for failing to notify change of ownership, driving without lights, noisy exhausts, etc., , " and a large number of cautions were- also issued. ELDRIDGE STARTLES THE NATIVES Our French correspondent gives a vivid description of the amazing speed trials at Arpajon, at which Mr. E. A. D. Eld- . .. ridge appears to have been both a-star and a startling performer on the monster 300 li.p. Fiat. Judging by the description (says the "Motor"), it (locs not seem at all surprising that on the appearance of this hurtling projectile, at something approaching 150 ni.p.h., the-, spectators thought it safer to get" as far away from the course as possible "in the time! at their disposal than to study mere politeness to a foreign visitor by remaining to cheer. A truly intrepid •driver is Mr. Eldridge, and it was particularly hard lines on him that his' disqualification followed a protest on the part of Rene Thomas, on the ground that his car had no reverse gear. There certainly was no reasonable' ground for a protest with regard to its forward ones. . ■ CIGARETTE "SIGNALS" MISLEADING The motorist who smokes aa he drives, particularly the cigarette smoker, is a new" danger to traffic, as the experience of a local motorist coming in from Hangere last Sunday will show. Noticing an arm extended to the right when passing the entrance to One Tree Hill domain, lie naturally interpreted the sign as an indication that a car ahead intended to turn to the right, and pulled across the road to' give him--the right of way. A car approaching also responded to "Uie sign, but to the embarrassment of both drivers, the middle car leisurely f>roeeeded straight, ahead, leaving the other two cars to solve, their problem as best they could. Overtaking the car again, our informant again saw the arm extended, but as there was not a turn in the locality this time, he probably rightly assumed that the driver was smoking a cigarette and flicking the ash outside of the car. The incident might serve as a warning to motorists, because frequently one sees a carpoad of sightseers travelling through- the suburbs "with all sorts of t]tieerf arm signals emanating from the driver,:_-who, it is often found, is busily pointing out places of interest to his passengers. Smokers and others should be careful . not to do anything that might be mistaken by other traffic as a uigjnal of a movement which they are not intending to carry out. HIS MAJESTY'S KEW CAR. For many years the 57 h.p. six-cylin-der Daimler "saloon, bearing the-Royal Coat of Arias and innocent of number plates, has. been a familiar sight to thousands of Londoners, and to many who dwell far away from-the metropolis, says "The Autocar." -For no less than fourteen years His Majesty has made constant use of this powerful Daimler, both for private and official appearances. The King's punctual arrival ■at ceremonial, society,-and sporting events has been largely due.to the regular and unfailing service this sturdy- car has given him. After fourteen; years' service, although in no sense worn out; it -is being replaced by two* more modern and up-to-date vehicles. . These new cars embody all that; is. latest in Daimler I construction and are fitted with front I -tfheel brakes. ' 'The top gear ratio is 3 to 1, and. i.t it; stated that the car can be driven on. top at so low a speed as 2£ miles an hour. With regard to the coachwork, this, of course, is built throughout in the very best style associated with the highest class of English carriage builders. The car is painted throughout in Royal claret, picked out with vermillion, and the : Royal Arms are painted by band —in itself "an exquisite piece of craftsmanship—upon each side and on tho back.panel. The King does not follow the prevailing fashion cf exterior nicklo fittings; all of these-are of braes, though there is very little of this metal actually in evidence. , Incidentally, the object throughout has been to avoid anything freakish or eccentric in the appearance of the complete car. jhe interior upholstery is of buttoned Royal blue leather, and the seating accommodation is arranged in accordance with the practice invariably adopted on the King's cars. His Majesty does I not use the back seat, but always makes use of a fixed bucket seat on the righthand side of the car, immediately behind the driver, another similar seat being placed on the left side of the car for the use cf the Queen oh ceremonial occasions. The seat at the rear is made use of by equerries and ladies in attendance. Altogether, both chassis makers and coachbuilders are to Be congratulated on producing not only two large and powerful cars of unexceptional workmanship and quality, but als.o in giving an appearance of remarkable dignity and elegance to the finished product. WIT AND WISDOM FROM AMERICA. Here arc a few pointers of motoring ' interest from the American Press:— "Hogs," says the market report, "are little changed.' 1 So we observe nearly every time we go out. A pedestrian, as a [Massachusetts Judfre ruled, is not obliged legally to jump out of the path of a motor car, but it sounds like a good time to waive his rights. . . , It is downright amazing the nunjber of new motorists who think a monkey ivrench is a lubricant.. Someone suggests this as a sign to be erected at railroad crossings: "Better gtop a minute than forever." - ■ ' To prevent *■ intoxicated or reckless drivers from demolishing signal posts, a collapsible post with a rocker base has been invented, which lies down when Kit, but comes right back in DOSltion again. I

I SPARKS. I I luo l'uekakariki-Pauaparauniu Road is now in butter condition than for many years. This i a due to the repairing of (the road with small gauge imital supa ; pHed gratis by the Public Works Depart--1 J liient to compensate for tlie railway £ j strike traffic. The state of the road is, tj a striking tribute to the results to be 2 i achieved by the proper treatment of r i macadam (states the "Dominion"}. i " Property owners with trees, etc., ' obscuring railway crossings in Featherston are being interviewed by the Wai, ' j rarapa A.A., which is offering to defray r ! the cost of removing the trees if the J > owners will consent. ■ t An opinion was expressed by Mr. J. .' I L. Weir, solicitor to the Taranaki Local , Bodies' Association, at the recent meetl ing on the Motor Vehicles Bill, that it I should be made illegal to use a spotlight , when within 100 yards of another car. i Prior to the conviction, on August 4, j of three young men for the unlawful I conversion of a motor car at Palmerston North, the Manawatu car owner could j not feel safe when he had left his I car in the parking place in the Square 1 J (says an exchange), but since these 5 three were sentenced each to a month, - practically no car thefts have been r reported. , Motorists who carry fire extinguishers I .on their ears should give them attcn-1 tion occasionally. The other day, when .an extinguisher was urgently needed, it ,was found to be useless owing to the . liquid ..having evaporated. f In View of the possible exhaustion of j the world's oil fields, Sir George linibbs, . director of the Australian Institute of ,_ Science and Industry, is of opinion that B alcohol must inevitably replace petro--1 |leum. and that the mixtures of synthetic c fuels, such as tetralin with benzine and r alcohol, will eventually prove to be 1 characteristic in some countries. One motor car with a crew of five men , is the equivalent of 106 patrolmen in ' combating criminals, is the opinion of ~ the Mayor of Chicago, where 20 new ! powerful cars have just been provided » for the police force. ? The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Liverpool presided at the send-off" of' ' an outing organised by Liverpool motor. ~ ists into Wales, when some 80 cars coni veyed 400 children for a run into * Cheshire and North Wales. All wear is caused either by misalignr ment or friction. As a matter of fact, _ jit is also friction which causes wear r " through the first-mentioned. A muchr neglected part of the mechanism is the r differential.. How often is the wornt out lubricant.drained out? Lubricants . Wear out and lose all their value as f such. The differential has heavy work j to do. and should be carefully guarded t by the use of good lubricants, applied , after the worn-out, grease or oil is rgL moved. —~ " '- Small petcocks for testing the oil-level f in engine-base chambers, or for draint ing fluid from- crank-cases or petrol . tanks, are fairly often lost or damaged, I generally through turning them with - pliers when attempting to tighten them i or slacken them off. In the event of - ' a tap or drainplug. .being broken, an immediate repair can generally "be" ■ effected; as it will probably be~ found that the grease-cups on the car have the-. same screw-thread as the cork or plug. In order to make the substitute oil- *■ tight, a disc-of leather, should be placed r in the caj) so that it Can be screwed. ? down tightly .enough to prevent the | r escape of lubricant. As a fixed plug I '» to replace a lost drain-plug, the body of ! 1 the grease-cup can be cut off, and the i 3 centre hole plugged with a brass rod 1 soldered in place. 3 The danger of high hedges to motor- .. ists was referred to- by Mr. G. IS. Curry ! at the meeting of the Waimairi County , Council jast week (says the Christchurch 3 ' "Sun"), with particular reference to a 1 collision that occurred at the corner of 3 Ham and Riccarton Roads on" Sunday. . r The said it was the second t accident recently at this • corner. _ . It was decided to give the owner the necesb sary notice to lower Ms hedge, and a, i property owner on the .corner of Avon- ! head and Yaldhurst Road was given - similar notice. It was also decided to t write to the owners o£ property at dant gerous corners on Burnside, Coringa, i and Hawthorndene Roads, asking that the necessary! land to round off the COC- [ ners "should be given. ' Exports of British-made motor cars and parts once again show a striking ! increase. During' May, exports of cars, chassis, and parts exceeded half a mil- ! lion pounds' value; and if we include ! commercial vehicles and motor cycles, , the value is little short -of a million I pounds. return for May , provides further-proof of the demand ' for British-made vehicles from counI tries overseas. During the five months , ended May 31/ 1924, cars, chassis, and 'J parts exported represented a total of I£l 96° 9 86 compared £1,075,486 , I for "the same period of 1023-a sathrfactorv jump indeed.. Naturally the Do- - minions overseas absorbed the greater I proportion of British-made automobiles ; Australia absorbs a great number of vehicles. British Tndia is second and Xew Zealand third in this respect.