AutoGossip

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30709, 26 March 1965, Page 7

AutoGossip

A.J.P.

by t

Less Work I am all in favour of anything which makes caring for the car easier but over the years I have become disillusioned after seeing the claims made for various “easy to apply” car polishes, and then buying them in a flush of enthusiasm. Now, however, a firm ' has produced a polish which really caters for those who shun the application of elbow grease. An American invention, it is extremely easy to apply, equally easy to wipe off, and gives an excellent result It is not necessary to clean the car before polishing, and the polish can be used with excellent results on windows, without causing smearing in rain.

Nicknames Most makes of car get a nickname not long after they are introduced, and to be up with the play in car conversations these days one needs a good working knowledge of the various names. Of course, there are the obvious and well-tried ones such as the “Chev”’ and the “Mini,” but 1 have heard some good ones lately. Anglias become “Angela,” “Angrier,” or ‘ Angular,” while one friend’s Cortina has become “tina.” Mini’s are sometimes called “Boxes” or “Bricks,” while the Volkswagen is “Beetle,” “We Tub,” or just plain “Dub.” Zephyrs have lately become “Z-cars,” while Fiat 500’s are sometimes “Fleas." Mercedes were called “Mercs” long before the Ford Mercury came into being.

Better Seats Overseas writers report that a new design of car seat giving much greater comfort will appear on several British cars in the near future. The seat is said to be instantly adjustable for height, reach and rake, and to have about 250 different positions. Certainly a revolution in car seating is

long overdue: for far too long motorists have had to put up with inferior and uncomfortable seats in many models, while progress in other fields has been commendable. A bad seat can make a journey a misery, and no manufacturer should try to pare prices by fitting poor seats. It is time, for instance, that seats were adjustable for rake as well as reach, and it is also time bench seats became less like a very hard bench, and provided more comfort and some degree of location. Loud and Clear An Auckland firm is now selling Italian air horns, which should be a good buy for motorists who do much travelling, particularly on twisting West Coast roads. In the last few years horns almost inaudible from any distance or at any speed have appeared on many new models, and these devices are virtually useless on the open road. Most air horns have a very loud and penetrating note; just what is needed.

Dust Manufacturers assure us they have testing grounds complete with portable dust storms, which are inflicted on cars with the aim of learning how to make them dust proof. With some notable exceptions, many manufacturers seem to have been singularly unsuccessful. Admittedly it can be hard to seal around all the curves of a modern car door, but some manufacturers manage it, so why can’t the others? Even with the latest models, a trip along a country road will often coat passengers, luggage and interior with a generous layer of the countryside, and in a car costing £lOOO or more this is not good enough. If makers hope to sell cars in countries such as New Zealand and Australia, which have many dusty roads, this problem needs urgent and intensive research. The Enemy Dust can be one of a car’s worst enemies. In severe dust conditions an engine with no air cleaner, or a dirty and inefficient cleaner, can wear extremely rapidly, while gritty dust can work into suspension parts and accelerate wear greatly. Moral: if you drive in dusty conditions, make sure your air cleaner is clean, your oil filter likewise, and the grease points where fitted, regularly greased. Quote of the Week •The ‘drink’ accidents are not caused by the demon alcohol, but by the weakmindedness of the people who drink the stuff before driving. The bombast of the T can hold it’ type is usually a sign of an inferiority complex breaking through.”—R. A. B. Cook writing in the “Motor.”