NURSING THE CAR

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 19

NURSING THE CAR

VALUE OF CAREFUL UPKEEP

SACRIFICE BRINGS OWN REWARDS

“Nursing a ■ car” is an apt term which among contest drivers is generally interpreted as the Restraining of speed and *the- avoidance of various risks .with the .hpfijl t* l6 closing jltages’Of 'the- Jfachine which has been trtatetfConsiderately will be able to charge past the ire'st of the field arid Win*at the leleveht^hour. But there is also a profitable form of "nursing” which is practised by thoije private owners who look Upon the’costs of Itetoing a car as business ? or household expenses to which the customary rules of costing and preventing extravagance should be applied. .. , That, policy brings its oym. rewards, and those Who neglect their models or drive them recklessly are sometimes very disappointed that the upkeep of a car makes a bigger drain on their pockets than they, had expected, The sacrifices which such prudence demand# are small, and are quite eclipsed by the benefits gained, Perhaps, if cars were not so commonly regarded as tireless machines, and were looked upon rather as carriage horses, or sometimes steeplechasers, the advice given by motor manufacturers and oil companies would be more widely accepted by the motorink community. a , , The models of to-day, in spite of their speed and sound constitutions, are not unlike the horse which they have supplanted; they need good stabling, wise feeding and periodical “vetting** if they are not to he driven to a standstill, or to a state of general dilapidation, V Reducing Expenses ■ The motorist who wishes, to reduce hla expenses, and who has been careless in the past, nan begin to do so from the moment he takes possession of a new model, „ x It wotild be superfluous to repeat the time-honoured warnings : concerning lubrication, slow driving during the running-in period, and the wisdom of having an annual Inspection-made by a Competent mechanic so that incipient defects and wear can be deteotedbefore they become serious. Suffice it to say that if the enthusiast, takes .the trouble to read the instruction book of his model end observes all the duties prescribed: or if he cannot spare the time to attend to the practical work, pays somebody else to dpTt, and makes it his business to sea that it is well done, he will find that over a period of years his “overhead” will be much less than that of the person who thinks that it is econofiiioaLto defer inspection, adjustments, and lubrication, and that “it is useless' to wash and polish the bodywork, for it’s sure to rain Within a few days.”' f ' Then, too, the manwho- always drives his car hard, flogs - even a “baby 1 • model in top up hills for which the makers have provided a third or second gear, and pounds with -happy abandon on the brake ahd accelerator pedals, should not be surprised if his vehicle becomes noisy and senile prematurely.

CA m OF THE BATTERY

There arc so many electrical appliances on modern motor-cars that the battery is; becoming a very hard.worked unit and one deserving—and, indeed, demanding—careful attention. Do not forget that, water evaporates fairly rapidly in the heat of summer, and that topping-up should be done often. The level of the water should not be allowed to fall below the top of the plates. Bo sura that you use distilled water, as the impurities in tap water will cause deterioration. Batteries withstand warm weather better than cold, and the charging rate should he lower in summer. Guard against the damage which oyerchargina will cause by tumtna.on .the head, lights during a long daylight Journey; but this will not be necessary if much night driving is done.

. two “light-weight motor-cycles with two-stfoke engines have just been produced to America. -/The world production of crude oil and related products during 1936 will •high figure. _ . .