MOTOR NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 15

MOTOR NOTES

1 (CURIOUS MISHAP Gears Would not Mesh In conversation with a Wellington motorist who travelled recently from Rotorua to Hawke’s Bay by the Taupo-Napier road, a service car driver, familiar with that route, shed light on a minor mechanical mystery. The motorist during his journey had ills car stop on a well-known sharp hair-pin bend on the steep Tupurupuru hill, the trouble being caused by the gears refusing to mesh after the neutral position had been reached in the change-down from third to low. The car remained immobile on the road until run back from the bend to the lower slope where the gears were meshed and the journey re-started. The professional driver said he had had an identical experience with another make of car on the game bend, while he had heard of the same fault developing at other similar spots. The cause was a twisting of the transmission system out of alignment, due to the combination of a steep grade and the camber of the road on a sharp bend. An attempt to change gears while the ear was in this twisted position was apt to result in imperfect meshing in the gearbox. The simplest and, in fact, only remedy was to run buck carefully to a lower and more level part of the road. CLUB GUIDE BOOK Faults in Fine Publication “Though the latest edition of the Automobile Association (Wellington) North Island road guide is in many ways an admirable and valuable publication, it still lacks perfection in much of the detail route descriptions,” writes “Tyro "Having recently completed a 1500-mile tour of the North Island, I am in a position both to praise and to criticise the guide, for while it enabled me to travel boldly and unerringly over a rather complicated route, it constantly irritated me by the minor inaccuracies of its detailed descriptions. “In a fairly large number of cases recorded distances between minor points did not tally with signboards on the spot, while in other cases altitudes were found to be incorrectly given (if local signposting be accepted as correct). Again, in one or two instances descriptions of points of interest and natural features were found to be either lacking in definition or else misleading in strict fact. To quote only one instance of the latter fault, I was persuaded by the guide book to stop at a certain spot near Waitara to examine “caves.” I suppose I am not more than the average fool when it comes to scoutcraft, but I failed to find these caves after a half-hour search, assisted by a roadmender i who had spent seven years in district. We both studied and obeyed implicitly the instructions in the guide book. What I dill find, after a tiresome climb in the heat, was an unimpressive lime-’ stone tunnel used by a farmer as a cartage short-cut. I confess that, at that moment, I eyed my brand-new guide book with a basilisk stare. “I could multiply such cases of Inaccuracy many times, but the truth was that I was too lazy to annotate my guide book; therefore, with the one exception given, this criticism cannot be constructive. However, it is justified, and is offered with the sentiment that the guide book is too good a gift to motorists to be allowed to remain faulty.” “Tyro Tourist” mentions cies and suspected inaccuracies in the book which give the impression that some faults have crept in as the result of the book not having been carefully revised since its earlier editions. For Instance, a road is mentioned iu the book in a. manner which gives the impression that it leads l to n certain point, whereas it actually now continues far past. The book contains a request that members notify the club of any errors they notice, which is probably valuable, but the positive checking of every fact (even the ones that would seem impossible of variation) with the latest available information 1? the only accurate method of keeping such a book.up to date. The periodical issuing of a leaflet containing the latest facts -for the tourist, would enable the club to overtake promptly any errors in the book or alter f ons necessary, and also encourage members to tender suggestions, as requested.

SIR MALCOLM CAMPBELL Attempt on the Speed Record In our recent article (describing Sir’ Malcolm Campbell’s re-designed “Bluebird,” we failed to mention our indebtedness to the Dunlop Rubber Co. for the particulars given. OBSTRUCTIVE DUST Reports from the north are unanimous in describing the condition of the pumice roads in the Rotorua and Taupo areas as being dustier than anything experienced by the majority of motorists. Portions of the Rotorua-. Taupo road are many inches thick in pumice dust which causes low-powered ears to abandon top gear. In and about Rotorua dense clouds follow every car, making the going anything but pleasant for following vehicles, which, in bad places, are obliged to pull up until visibility clears. CLUB BADGE COLOURS The North Island Motor Union has under consideration a proposal that the dominant colour in the windscreen transfer badge of each affiliated club be fhe same colour in each year. It is not proposed that the designs be uniform. WORK AT TITAHI BAY Motorists visiting Titahi Bay have been greatly impressed by recent signs of progress .in the matter of provision for their comfort. The Progressive Association Committee has proved itself alive to the needs of the Bay and the officers state’ that only lack of funds has hindered several far-reach-ing projects for the good of visitors and residents alike. Plans are under consideration for providing the children’s playground with suitable gear. It was most gratifying to the committee that the recent appeal to visiting motorists met with such voluntary response. This satisfactory result amply justifies the committee’s efforts to beautify and improve this attractive seaside resort, the expression of cheerfulness on the faces of the givers upon the recent occasion being distinctly noticeable, it is reported.