Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 11

Auto Gossip

Headlinings A reader, Mr J. C. Vivian, has given a formula for cleaning vinyl headlining materials. Use old-fashioned saddlesoap, he says, and apply it with a soft shoebrush. Wipe it off with a cloth. The saddlesoap does not splash or dribble like ordinary soap, and does not rot the stitching of the headlining. Thank you, Mr Vivian. Hot Inside Summer poses a problem for motorists. If you leave your car parked with the windows open there is a good chance that it or its contents will be stolen, and if you lock it the interior is unpleasantly hot when you return. The only thing to do, of course, is to lock the car and suffer the heat, or leave the car standing with the doors open for a few minutes before re-entering it. Some Remedies In the city it is rarely practical to leave the doors of the car open until it cools. The hot-seat problem can be partly overcome by tossing a towel or rug over the seat before you leave the car, as “She” pointed out recently. A British firm has supplied what looks like a good answer to the rest of the problem: A sheet of perforated metal, the same width as the window but about half a high, is snapped into place in the window channel, the window is wound up against it to hold it firmly in place, and the door is locked. In most cars the window is then immovable, and the metal sheet keeps prospective thieves out but lets air in. The device can also be used in a rear door window, where it does not badly impede vision, when the car is moving. It then permits good ventilation without draughts. Perhaps some enterprising New Zealand manufacturer will market a similar device.

by

A.J.P.

Draught Shields An answer to the problem of ventilation when moving is the plastic weather shield. Most of them work very well, but I do not like the waymany become scratched and impede vision, nor do I like the noise they often generate when the car is moving fast. If your car has no proper built-in ventilation and is draughty with a window open, however, a weather shield is probably the best solution at present available. Smoother Action Modern curved side windows are good for providing more interior room, but tend to become sticky in their runners much more easily than

the older flat windows. Never try to lubricate the felt runners with oil, but use small amounts of graphite. An easy way of doing this is to rub the lead of a soft pencil on the felt slides. Quote Of The Week “I prefer a good automatic like the Mercedes or the Mini, as long as you can override the gearbox.”—Stirling Moss.