MOTORS and MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 213, 5 June 1931, Page 6

MOTORS and MOTORING

By

“SPARE WHEEL”

I care not for those costly cars, 1 They’re too ornate and large. A twelve-foot wheelbase Is too much For a ten-foot garage. » * o An effort is being made in one of the States of America to bring in legislation which would compel all persons I convicted of reckless driving to display on their cars red plates containing the letters “RD,” such plates to be carried on the back and front of vehicles so long as the court might decide. The intended effect of the badge of disgrace would be to warn the police and drivers of other cars, that the driver of the “red-plated” car was a man that needed watching. Tests have shown that with a highefficiency engine tried on a test bench approximately 30 per cent of tn energy contained in the petrol is used, the rest being wasted, whilst when it comes to a matter of taking a car as a whole into consideration, actually in use on the road, only about 20 per cent, of the energy available in the petrol is used to advantage. * It frequently happens that the inflation pressures recommended by the tire makers are not those which give the maximum amount of comfort, and many owners habitually run at lower pressures in order to obtain comfort, preferring to sacrifice some of the life of the tires. Some cars are very susceptible to type pressures, a decrease of only lib. or 21b. per sq. inch making all the difference between acute discomfort and real comfort. Generally speaking, it Is weß to keep the tires inflated to as near the recommended pressures as comfort allows. PROTECTING THE FLOOR MATS Often unsightly marks, and eventually holes, are made in the floor mat of the driving compartment, due to the driver’s heel pivoting on the mat when the driving pedals are used. Woven mats of coconut or carpet texture wear quickly and thick fibre mats soon become unsightly. One way of overcoming this trouble is to fasten, a small piece of ridgedrubber matting to the floor mat where the heel usually rests when working the pedals. The rubber can be fixed either by large carpet nails passing right through to the floor boards, or by split pins which merely fasten the rubber and mat'together. THE CRANK CASE It is essential to the well-being of your engine to drain and reflll the crankcase regularly. This should be done after every 1000 miles of running in the summer and 750 miles in the winter. The draining operation Is best carried out on returning from a run, when the oil Is hot and agitated, as then the foreign substances which have collected in the crankcase are held in suspension and will bo carried out with the oil. If draining is left until the engine is cold, this foreign matter collects on the bottom of the sump, and does not pass out with the oil. Be careful to inspect the oil level weekly or dally, according to length of runs, and replenish when necessary. LOOK AFTER THE BONNET It is a well-known fact that the finish on the bonnet dulls before that of the rest of the car; due chiefly to the extremes of temperatures which it has to undergo. It is a good idea to wipe the bonnet when you get back to the garage after a run in the rain, as the water dries on the bonnet very rapidly owing to the heat, and the drops are nearly certain to spot, eventually dulling the finish. Of course it is advisable to wipe the car all over after being wet, but always do the bonnet. LOCATING BODY NOISES ‘ A good way of locating a body or chassis noise is to rock the car from side to side. When cars are fitted with balloon tires the air-pressure should be increased during the test. If this is not done, much of the rocking motion will be absorbed by the soft tires, whereas the idea is to bring into play the spring action.

FOR BRIGHT PARTS Use of Stainless Steel UNTARNISHABLE FINISH In any matter which will save him or her time and trouble the owner-driver of to-day is greatly interested. To this fact we largely owe the developmem of cellulose finish, the great popularity which fabric coachwork achieved some time ago, and the introduction of chromium plating for external bright parts (writes A. G. Douglas Clease, B.Sc., in “The Autocar”), for ownerdrivers as a class were so quick to realise the advantages offered by all three developments in the matter of ease of cleaning, that manufacturers had perforce to do their best to satisfy the demand. At the moment, chromium pl., ting holds the field as the untarnishable finish for bright metal parts, and It may be said that it has proved satisfactory if properly carried out Unfortunately, however, chromium plating is a much more difficult process than is nickel plating. It is effected in a very similar manner, but there aie certain technical difficulties which render it impossible for the excellence of the results to be guaranteed in all cases. It may, however, be mentioned that the shape of the article to be plated has to be taken into account, also the manner in which it Is arranged in the plating vat, so that, while a good result may be obtained on a -'lane surface, the result on an irregularly shaped article may not be quite so satisfactory. , Detail Work. As the bright external parts of a modern car may be so varied in character, ranging from the radiator shell, lamps, hub caps, to such smaller items as nuts, door handles and small body fittings, it may , happen that, while the majority of the chromlum-plated parts are satisfactory and show no signs of peeling, some of the smaller parts may, after a time, shed the thin coating of chromium and so spoil the general apnearance of tbe car. It is for this reason that e?“sffierable attention is being devoted both by discriminating owner-drivers and y car manufacturers to the question of stainless steel, since this material can be used for the production of various fittings which are, accordingly, the same all through. Stainless steel is a material, it should be noted, and nor merely a finish. With stainless steel we have, of course, been familiar for a considerable time in the form of domestic cutlery* and the early development of stainless steel by Thomas Firth and Sons, Ltd., was due to the discovery that the addition of 12 to 14 per cent of chromium to steel rendered it sufficiently resistant to corrosion to make it suitable for this purpose. Following upon further research, it was then proved that a class of steel could be made, containing both chromium and nickel, which had a much wider range of resistance to corroding influences, so that actual acid-resisting steel could be produced. It was the investigation of this class of steel which enabled tills well-known concern to introduce their Firth Staybrlte steel, which is now being used extensively in many industries and is being adopted for certain purposes in the automobile industry. At first, the use of stainless steel for cars was confined almost exclusively to the angle section strips used for the edging of running boards. Now, however, it is employed for a number of purposes, as, for example, screws and, of course, in a few instimces, for radiator shells. Certain fittings, such as door handles and half-round and other beading for coachwork, are also now procurable, but, at the same time, it would be a difficult matter entirely to equip a car with stainless steel bright parts. There is, in the first place, the question of cost, for stainless steel is by no means a cheap material. At the same time, expense is not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle, for though at first stainless steel door handles were made of castings, which, therefore, contained an appreciable weight of material, latterly they have been made of pressings at a greatly reduced figure. In fact, stainless steel door handles of the pressed type may even be fractionally cheaper than chromlumplated door handles. Again, in the half-round beading of the lead-filled type, it would seem that the cost question has been overcome, for such beading is now supplied at a figure somewhat appreciably lower than chiomlumplated beading. Other Considerations. Apart from the question of cost, however, there is the material itself to be considered, and while it is claimed that stainless steel can be supplied in a state as easy to work as other steels, it Jias to be admitted that a certain amount of difficulty does seem to be experienced by manufacturers in working it. This may be due to the fact that the qualities of stainless steel are not properly appreciated by those X are only just handling it for the fli-st time; but the fact remains that at the moinent it appears difficult to obtain for example, some ot the sections that’ are constantly required by windscreen manufacturers in the process of building up their fittings. But there is little doubt that, in the course of time, the producers of stainless steel will be able to improve their materia? and give it the required measure of softness and ductility wh ch will allow of its bdlng successfully and easily manufactured into the various fittings that are needed. ABOUT BRAKING To save unnecessary wear and tear on the car, on the brakes, and, in particular, on the tires, it is advisable to use the brakes as little as possible. For stopping purposes the throttle should be closed at a reasonable distance before the destination is reached, and the car be allowed to slow up gradually with the clutch engaged, the engine being employed as fl brake. When the brakes are brought into action they should be used with judgment and applied not too j fiercely. Violent application may injurel the tires and may set up a.skid, particu-1 larly on a greasy road surface. Whilst I it appears very spectacular to airive at one’s destination at speed, and then stop with the greatest rapidity, it is in entirely unnecessary operation, which should be avoided. The good driver is one who accelerates and brakes with moderation. When a clutch is engaged it is working. When a gal’s engaged her job is done.

POINTED MASCOTS Danger to Pedestrians ENGLISH OBJECTIONS Sharp-pointed radiator cap mascots are not being looked kindly upon in England. The following leading article, from “The Motor,” explains the position “We understand that there have . een conversations between the Ministry of Transport and the Society of Motor Manufacutrers on an entirely new subject in connection with motor-cars. The Ministry contends that motor mascots which present sharp points to the front, constitute a danger to pedestrians in the event of a collision and that their use should be discontinued. “It was at first the intention of the Ministry to issue a regulation dealing with the mater, but for the time being it has been decided not to do so if the society takes special steps to draw the attention of all its members to the undesirability of such fittings. As a result of this car manufacturers and accessory makers have been warned of the Ministry’s attitude. “It is understood that there is no objection to mascots which present flat surfaces with sharp projections that point to the sides. We are not disposed to criticise this action as unreasonable on the part of the Ministry, for a mascot presenting a sharp projecting point forward has undoubted potential dangers." Perhaps.the subject might be dealt with in New Zealand also. AN 1832 MODEL Fourteen Miles an Hour! The following is an account of an early run from Oxford to Birmingham in a self-propelled vehicle: — In the year of grace 1832, upon the occasion of the Fair of St. Giles, at Oxford, an interesting vehicle made its appearance. It was propelled by steam, and attained the (then) stupendous speed of fourteen miles an hour. “I have just returned,” says an onloker, still almost breathless with excitement. “from witnessing the triumph of science in mechanics, a steam carriage, travelling along a hilly and crooked road frzfin Oxford to Birmingham.” “Hilly and crooked,” mind you I None of your can’t-stop runs on a tea-tray straight down the stairs. This triumphant vehicle needed power and skill indeed to take her up the winding route from Oxford to Birmingham. And nobly did she accomplish the run—at least, until the very last lap. Estimated Speed. “This truly wonderful machine,” says the onlooker, “is the invention of Captain Ogle, of the Royal Navy, and Mr. Summers, his partner, and is the first and only one that has accomplished so long a journey over chance roads, and without rails.” In those days there were, of course, no traffic P.O.’s, let alone police traps, so jthat the gallant captain and his partner were free to let her rip. The onlooker, reckoning speed with the customary generosity of the pedestrian, says: “The rate of going may be called twelve miles an hour, but fifty or perhaps a hundred downhill.” While we are holding our breath, however, we note with relief that she carried that wonderful invention, “the Break” (with a capital B) “which places the whole of the machinery under complete control.” It must have been a grand sight to see them start from Oxford. Being the Feast of St. Giles, all the fun of the fair would be in full swing, but would be held up for this new wonder show. All the come-lassles-and-lads of the neighbouring villages, mingled with the grave and reverend dons and eager students, would be thronging the streets to see and touch, or at least sniff at the snorting, fiery steed. “Care was, however, taken to make them understand the danger,” says our local correspondent, “and a passage being cleared, away went the splendid vehicle through that beauteous city, r 1 the rate of ten miles an hour, which, when clear of the houses, was accelerated to fourteen.” Every town along the route turned out in full force, with acclamation, for the event had been well advertised, “notice of the intended journey having been carried forward some days before.” Sweet are the uses of -übliclty, but perhaps it was this very warmth of welcome en route that upset, by a frac tion, the scientific calculations or Messrs. Ogle and Summers. Perhaps the hills were a shade too hilly, and the winding lanes too “crooked.” However it may have been, the marvellous machine, on entering Birmingham Town, developed engine trouble. “The supply of coke being exhausted, the steam dropped.” The New Toy. But Birmingham was full of sympathy for this lame end to a sporting event. Assistance was required, “and willingly was it granted," says the reporter. “The good people, on learning the cause, flew to the frame, and dragged it into the inn-yard of the ‘Hen and Chickens.”' . What a homely touch that sheltering title gives! ROAD RISKS Beware the Unexpected Accidents generally occur within fractions of seconds. Subconscious expectancy facilitates quick thinking and action in any emera stationary motor-bus carefully,; the driver may suddenly pull out wide. During the tarring season pass other ■ ia ]7rive"considerately past roadmen who . mav not hear your approach. . I You mav meet somebody if you drive into a right-hand turning on the righthand side of the road. . Forked roads flanked by high hedges , mar lie death-traps. I Drive very slowly through smoke or St Atcrossroads a motorist may take time or eternity. • , , , , , Near noon and between 3 and 4 o clock school children may suddenly appear on th Never follow an overtaking car unless you know you arc safe. He, may get through, but perhaps you won t. Never accelerate on curves and corners unless it is essential to avoid an accident. A fall of rain calls for lower speed, particularly after a dry period. , On slippery roads a lower gear is advisable. Occasional slippery patches are exceedingly dangerous—look out for them. Every corner, everv crest of a mil, ana every bridge may have its hidden danger.,

LIFE OF CAR

Depends on Care No matter how expensive a car may be efficiency of its operation, its upkeep cost, and lasting qualities are dependent in large measure on the care it gets. At least twice a year a car should have a general overhauling. At the end of a hard winter driving season the carburettor should be adjusted, petrol feed lines “blown out” and sediment drained from the vacuum tank, the radiator should be drained and filled with the proper fluid, the oil reservoirs, transmission and differential drained, flushed and replenished, • the engine tuned up, body bolts and screws tightened, and the battery and ignition system inspected. Every 10,000 miles brakes should be relined, and they should be inspected at frequent intervals. The car manufacturer’s recommendations as.to frequency of greasing or oiling should be followed. Make sure that transmission and differentials are not overlooked. Many of the heaviest repair bills are due to neglect of these vital parts.

THE SPEEDOMETER

Aid to Driving Thrift

That the speedometer is one of the most necessary devices ’on the automobile can be seen from a partial list of services it performs:— Gives distances between towns. Tells how far car has travelled. . Tells cost per mile of car operation. It tells how fast car is going. Enables operator to observe speed laws. Tells not to drive a new car too fast How much mileage per gallon of gasoline. Tells how much tire mileage is being made. Acts as guide when a person gives directions.