BODY-MAKING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18917, 4 February 1927, Page 6

BODY-MAKING.

NEW METHODS OF PANEL LING. CHEAPER THAN OLD STYLE. (srECULLT WRITTEN TOR TOE PBESS.) (B v Major F. A. C. Forbes-Leith, F.E G.S., Author of "By Car to India.") Probably no branch of automobile building has made such rapid strides towards perfection as that of bodymaking. With the advent of the steel body, a great advance was made in enabling the public to onjoy the pleasures and comforts of the closed car at reasonable cost. The days are far behind when driving was really hard work by reason of the fact that the last thing considered in the making of a car was tho comfort of the driver. No provision, or rather no adequato provision, was made to protect him from tho elements, and it was necessary to bo something of a spartan, in order to withstand tho physical strain of continuous driving. Old Troubles. With this added comfort, however, came a few disadvantages. The closed body involved the adding of a considerable amount of extra weight, and with this camo a corresponding reduction in power. Maximum speeds were cut down a great deal, and the ability to get away quickly was considerably impaired. In viow of tho fact that the light-powered car is in vogue, and is likely to remain so, motorists were faced with the fact that if they wished to enjoy tho comforts of a closed car, thoy had to do so at a considerable SacriMco in speed and agility. There wero other disadvantages. If the fellow who was running behind you happened to bo moro interested in his lady friend than in watching the road, and you were obliged to pull up suddenly, and wero bumped badly, a dent in the bodywork was an accident that entailed considerable time and expense in repair. Tho upholstery of tho car had to be removed, and the dent had to be beaten out. In addition, this repair put the car off the road for two or three days at the very least. Draught Proof. Recently wo have been introduced to an entirely now typo of body which is, in the main, mado of fabric. I do not think that its advont was regarded with any great enthusiasm by motorists. Tho word "fabric" gave an immediate impression of something flimsy, draughty, and cheap, and I must confess that, when I heard of it, I was of opinion that it was a step backward, rather than forward, in the manufacture of car bodies. Theso doubts wero very quickly dispelled when I made a thorough investigation of iiiis new departure There are several firms in this business, and the products of each vary but a little. I have como to the conclusion that it is thoroughly practicable, and will soon be the recognised type of the future. The fiamo of the body that I inspected is mado of pressed steel. Completely covering this, and bolted on to it] through rubber pads, is a covering of iron trellis work. This, in turn, is covered with a padding of thick felt which renders tho car absolutely draught proof. It can be lined with upholstery of any kind. Removing Scratches. The most attractive feature is tho material which goes to make tho exterior of tho body. It resembles patent lenther, but has a very thick coat of polish. The material is not spread -right over the body in one piece, but is divided into about nine panels which fit into place with the utmost precision. The advantage of this in particular is that if any damage is doue to any part of the body work, the car can be run into a service station, tho damaged panel can be removed, and replaced, and the ear can bo on the road again in perfect condition within a couple of hours. Economy Plus Efficiency. There is another great advantage.

If the shining exterior is scratched without the material being penetrated, it can be made perfect by a polishing process that will not leave the slightest trace of any damage. It can bo put on a car at considerably less cost than any coach-built body, aad is no heavier than that of the ordinary touring car; it will give you all the comfort of the solid closed body without impairing your speed or carrying capacity in any way at all. I heartily recommend any motorist who is contemplating a change from the open to the closed car, thoroughly to investigate the several processes by which this useful departure is made, and I feel that it will be a means of leading him to economy and extra efficiency that he will never rogret.

Use only the best spark plugs in the engine. The porcelain of the cheap plugs will seldom be nblo to stand the great heat of the combustion and will crack and short circuit. 'With proper care, a good spark plug will easily give 30,000 miles of serrioe.