Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30738, 30 April 1965, Page 9

Auto Gossip

by

A.J.P.

OFF THE GRID Some frantic jockeying for position goes on at a few intersections in the city after the “start” from the traffic lights. This is because two straight-ahead lanes at the lights narrow to one soon after the intersection, often because of parked cars. Examples are travelling from Bealey avenue into Harper avenue, and east along Ferry road across the

Moorhouse avenue-Wilsons road intersection. The best way through is from the front row of “the grid,” when one can accelerate briskly to get ahead of the rest of the field. Widening the street or prohibiting parking for a distance past the intersection would help. Until this can be done great care and courtesy is needed if you are not in the front row.

PEDAL WEAR i It is said that the amount of wear on the rubber pedal coverings can tell how much a car has been used, and how it has been driven, but it seems this may be a questionable criterion. In one car I had. 20.000 miles’ driving resulted in little pedal pad wear, but in my present chariot 14.000 miles has worn the clutch pedal pad almost right through. The brake cover, on the other hand, is only slightly worn. CONCLUSIONS While this could mean the cover of one pedal is of much lower quality than the other, it suggests also that the clutch gets very much more use than the brake. Another driver with a similar car has worn out the brake cover at about the same rate as the clutch rubber, which suggests his driving style includes more braking and less clutch work. In practice he usually approaches hazards in top gear, using his brakes to slow him down, while I tend to use the gearbox more, using the brakes rather later and more gently.