The Motor

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 107, 1 November 1924, Page 23

The Motor

«V "AUTOS 11

ROAD MAINTENANCE

There has been much discussion in several countries on the subject of financing road construction with borrowed money, which so far has been a general practice in New Zealand. The point of controversy is whether or not it is sound policy to raise long-term loans for shortlived improvements. Another form of the same quastion is: Should the greater cost of present improvements be passed on to posterity. The Local Government Board in Great Britain has fixed the maximum, terms for road loans for the various classes of improvements. The schedule should be of interest to local bodies in the Dominion. Ihe British terms are:

/-< -i i- , Years. Uranite, limestone, or slag- and tar 7 Asplialtio pa.vementa ;..„ jo Soft-wood blocks, not creosoted ... 5 Soft-wooded blocks, creosoted '. 1 Hardwood blocks ................".....' lo Concrete foundations .'.'.'.'."... 10 Granite on concrete 20 Land for widening- roado, etc SO

"Inquirer" writes querying Lee-Guin-ess s performance, driving a Durracq car at Brooklands, 200 miles in 1 hour 58 mm, as a world's, record.and suggests 147.5 miles per hour as a better past perlormahce. The point is that Lee-Guin-ess actually covered 200 miles in under two hours at a rate of over 100 miles an hour. This is the first time this has been achieved. The other faster times were simply for motor sprints of a few miles and the fastest time of all was put up on a straightaway beach track in Denmark by a 12-cylinder Sunbeam. The difference is similar to that between a 100 yards and a mile records. The tiny particles of dirt or grit which yet are large enough to block a jet orifice will often get through even a finemesh strainer. J*y obtaining a funnel with a fairly large bore and soldering a wire ring round it about halfway up a handy and very efficient filter can be made by procuring* a piece of closelywoven linen or silk, placing it over the end of the funnel and tying it back above the wire ring with a piece of string. In the event of the material being damaged, it is quite easy to replace it—an operation which takes up much more time when the only repair that can be made necessitates spidering in new copper gauze. Motorists who can read English will have little excuse if ,caught evading speed laws in. the United States this summer. Towns throughout the country are very active in putting up warning signs, both with the aim of enforcing better traffic conditions and of reducing the number of accidents. The following signs have a varied appeal, and all were seen by a motorist during a single trip:— "This is a good road. It will cost you.money to burn it up." "Slow down^ Look before you weep." ' . ._

"Don't covet your neighbour's side of the road." .

. "Look out! You may meet a fool around the corner."

"Stop !—Look!!—and Live!!!" "Don't speed. It is 'Good Morning Judge!' here as hereafter."

A vehicle should not be used when it is so constructed, enclosed, equipped, or loaded as to be dangerous, or noisy, to scatter its contents, retard traffic, or prevent the driver from having a view sufficient for safety.

Lee Guinness, one of England's finest racing drivers, -has, again carried off the coveted 200 miles light car race, which is annually decided on Brook"----lands Track (England). He drove a Darracq, and negotiated the distance :n 2hr 58min 30 'l-ssec, a world's record for any type or power of car. It is the first occasion upon which over a hundred miles an hour has been maintained in a long-distance race. His average speed was 102 i miles per hour. His success in this event will be some compensation for his bad luck in the recent French Grand Prix, from which he had to withdraw when holding a leading position.

There were 2626 street accidents in Victoria in 1923, and for the first half of the present year the number has exceeded last year's total. It is estimated that—should the present average be maintained—the number will be more than 100-per cent, greater than that for the twelve months previously. .

Motorists who are contemplating loHg tours will find it to their advantage to install a complete new set of spark plugs before starting. A few years ago it was believed that a spark plug could be left in the engine as long as it continued to fire. But recent exhaustive tests have proved that no matter how well a spark plug is made it loses efficiency in constant service.

The continued stress to -which a spark plug is subjected iv engine operation pits the electrodes and burns carbon on to the insulator tip. This causes leakage of the current and loss of the spark intensity. The weaker spark cannot fire the mixture quiqkly enough to give complete combustion. The uhburned petrol in addition to meaning lost power also dilutes the oil in the crank case as it works by the pistons to escape from the compression chamber.

That is why engineers now declare it real economy to change spark plugs at least once a year. They say that engine performance is made better in every way —that oil and fuel are , saved, and that more power and speed are generated from the same amount of petrol. It is particularly desirable to install new plugs before beginning a long trip. Experts who have studied the question, say that the cost of the new spark plugs will be more than met by the saving in gasoline and oil.

In Canada last year 585,079 motor vehicles were registered, and, according to an official return, thousands of others were attracted in the class of tourist cars from the United States. It is estimated that these tourists spent in Canada in that year £23,700,000, which shows it to be a business well worth cultivating.

A survey of motor accidents throughout the United States by the National tAuloinobile Charribei' of Commerce shows 8100 persons were killed in the first half o[ 1924. In analysing, the reports from--217 cities it was found that speeding was the chief cause of accidents,.resulting- in 190 deaths, followed by violating- rales of the road, 132;' intoxication, 55°; inexperience, 50; inattention, 35: confusion 31.

It is not generally appreciated that a certain amount of evaporation takes place continually from tho petrol in the tank if tho car be left in the garage for -al' long period. 'Jn .cars with gravity or vacuum feed tho tank filler' cap is ahVivp drilled witli 11 vwv sumll iioin, \ n « r V. veui *v *k lock loi'miug jyteg tie CiU .

is running. If the car is left in the garage for a very long time it is a good idea to push in a small wooden plug into the screw can. When the cap of the petrol tank is in an inaccessible position, as under the front seat, an old bicycle valve cut short and soldered over the vent ho'.o in the screw cap will answer the purpose.

Be sure that the rubber hose at top and bottom of radiator is changed at least once a year. The hot water passing through it rots • the rubber, which loosens up tho fabric, so that it gets in the way of the water, cutting down the efficiency of the cooling system. This is a frequent cause of overheating.

Vehicular traffic not only moves from 30 to 50 per cent, faster in- Paris than in New York and Chicago, but there are fewer accidents in comparison with, the density of automobiles. One of the most dangerous crossings in Paris is that on the Place de la Concorde, at the foot of the Rue Royale. More than 8000 cars pass this spot in the course of fifty hours. Yet for ten years there has been no accident reported there.

When cutting out washers from paper or thin jointing material, a certain amount of difficulty is often experienced in making the small holes for the bolts. The ball peen of the hammer is-generally used, but, as this is often rather battered, it is difficult to cut out the small circles neatly. This difficulty can be quite easily overcome by using a steel baJl, the diameter of which is a trifle greater than that,of the hole, and tapping this into the hole with the hammer. This will cut a, neat disc outof the 'washer.

Undoubtedly on© of the greatest drawbacks incidental to a closed car is the difficulty of indicating whilst driving in traffic the manoeuvres which are intended. To overcome this drawback and to eliminate hand signalling a device called the Ecce Signum has been produced in England, at the price of two guineas. It is of the utmost simplicity, and has the merit of being hot too conspicuous when not in use. It consists of a rectangular black finished aluminium' box attached to tlie right side of the body slightly ahead of the driver. Prom thj box extends inwards a tunnel carrying inside the car a signal lever; tFa lever when rocked forwards causes an aluminium plate to emerge out of the box in: a conspicuous position on the car- bearing in large black letters the word "Left." If the lever is rocked backwards it produces the signal "Bight," or if it is straightened outwards the signal "Stop" is indicated. Attached to the side of the outer box-is a small electric lamp, which,' by means of a switch, placed inside ths car, can be used to illuminate tie signs at night. The mechanism of the device is simple and ingenious, and should not easily get out of order. A good feature is that, the attachment of the box to the car is made adjustable, ao that it should be capable''of being fitted to almost any type of body.

A Paknerston North, motor driver has been making an. interesting experiment in petrol consumption over tarred and over ordinary macadam roads. With petrol 'control untouched (states the "Manawatu Daily Times") his , car travels 20 miles an hour on tar, and \ slows down to 12 miles an hour on the untarred level road. This may easily be tested by our county councils, and if approximately correct, would prove an irresistible argument in favour of good roade—also of a good healthy tax!

It was cabled last week from England that the well-known English racing motorist, Captain M. Campbell, had negotiated a flying, mile on the. beach at Tenby m the mean time of 26 I.ssec. He drove a 12-cylinder 350 h.p. Sun- «■ - I , Tr.avelling with the wind he unofficially attained the wonderful speed of 168 m.p.h. The above mean equal to 180 m.p.h. v '''