LAYING UP CARS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18673, 23 April 1926, Page 4

LAYING UP CARS.

FIRST A THOROUGH CLEANING I SOME USEFUL HINTS. (SPECIALLY WRITTEN »Ott "THE rfiES;.") I (llv Major F. A. C. i'or'oes-Leiih. j F.K.G.S., author of "By Car to India.") I have been asked during the last j few weeks to give an opinion on the j advantages, or otherwise, of " laying j up" cars during the winter months. This is a matter upon which it is difficult to decide, and the only aid one can render is to review the arguments in the case, and to advise upon the means of storage. Those who have little use for their cars in winter will do well to adopt the following procedure. In the first place, have your vehicle thoroughly washed, both outside and underneath, and make sure that every particle of grit and congealed grease is removed from every joint, paying particular attention to tho springs. If you aro in the habit of using spring-gaiters, remove them; clean out every part of filled grease, and refill. Oil every spring 6hackle thoroughly; have your engine thoroughly cleaned with a mixture of throe parts of paraffin to one of lubricating oil, and rub it as nearly dry as possible. Drain all the oil from the crank case, wash the sump with puro paraffin, and refill with the correct quantity of new oil. Go over every oil cap with your can, and over-lubricate rather than under-lubricate. Take Care of Batteries. Remove your batteries, have them charged, and store them in a place where the temperature is even; treat them as you would treat the wine in your cellar. A better method, so far as these articles are concerned, is to place them in charge of the nearest Service Station, where they should be charged) regularly, and kept up fully during the wholo of the season. Failing this, they should be charged at least once a month. _ Jack up each corner of the chassis until the strain is completely taken off the springs, and until the tyres are well clear of the ground. As each corner is done, place wooden blocks, or bricks, under the chassis in place of the jack, empty the radiator and run the engine for a minute or two, to ensure that every drop of water is removed from the cylinders and pumping apparatus; take a quantity of common vaseline, smear liberally over all plated parts, cover tho wholo of your car with a largo dust sheet —and forget about it until the spring. . Alternative to Laying-up.

Now let us consider the disadvantages of winter storage. In our most erratic climate, there are many days of delightful weather in winter, days when one has cause to regret not.having a car available. On the other hand, the only alternative to keeping a car in a proper state of disuse is, to havo it ready at any time for immediate use. If one is going to use tfce car even as seldom as two or three times a month, it is not necessary to jack up the chassis, but see that your tyres are kept up to the full standard pressure always. In no circumstances noglect < to empty your radiator each time it }>as been in use, and, as a' means of guarding against any difficulty in starting, whenever you have finished a run, open the cocks on top of the cylinder, or if these do not exist, remove the plugs, and with a syringe, inject a small quantity of paraffin oil on the cylinder heads. Preserving the Hood. Whether you are storing the car for the winter or not, in no circumstances leave your hood folded; put it up as a permanent fixture, have it thoroughly cleaned with soap and lukewarm water, and cover it with one of the many excellent preservatives which are sold for this purpose at any car outfitters. I will not expreas any opinion on the relative advantages of either of these methods of winter treatment of cars. It is up to the motorist himself to choose his method, but personally, I feel that it is detrimental to a car to keep it in cold weather in a state wherein it may be turned out at a few minutes' notice, when the weather permits. ' May I recall a simple but excellent method of preventing a spread of rust on the paint work? One must watch for rust at this time of the year. Wherever a rust blodge exists, take a sharp knife and draw a regular circle round the affected part; then remove every particle of rust with a piece of emery cloth. Apply a little common blaeklead, rubbing it in very, very thoroughly, and to some length; then take a brush and give it a polish over. This will not only prevent the rust from spreading, but will almost disguise the fact that the paint-work has suffered any damage. MOTOR INSURANCE. APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION. The meeting which was held in the rooms of the O.A.A. on. Wednesday | night to discuss the mutual insurance scheme put forward by the South Island Motor Union ha« resulted in a good deal of publicity being given the proposal, and during the last few day* enquiries have been received in regard to it. Up to the present about 160 members of affiliated motor organisations have signified their intention In writing of participating in the scheme, the directors of which are most sanguine of success. An application for registration as a mutual insurance .company is to be made immediately.