MOTORING AND MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 17922, 18 March 1922, Page 12

MOTORING AND MOTORISTS

[By Radiator."!

Brief accounts of holiday trips, roads, and , places of interest arc invited for this column.

Put not your faith in second-hand cars.

HINTS ANT) Til'S. —Drying a Wet Distributor.— II ■water is poured carelessly into the radiator,; while the hood. of tno engine is raised, some of it is quite likely to spill ®vtvr the distributor, short-circuit tho currant, and prevent the owner from starting the engine until the water has been dried off. If this happens while the car is in a public garage the best way to dry tho distributor quickly and thoroughly is to push tho machine over near the tyre pump, and, by removing the nozzle, dry on the water with tho force of the air. If i such air pressure is not available, the work mav bo accomplished, though much move slowly, by using tho hand pump. Distributors, coils, and other parts oi tho yiring system sometimes become . wet wmie the car is being washed or during a driving rainstorm. Air applied in the manner suggested is tho quickest remedy.

—Fitting Chains When placing chains on ri’ Te ? . should bo draped over tho .wheel with t o clamps to tho rear. Chains, as they revolve. when striking, tho roadway, are drawn shut. If applied tho other way they are more likely to ho forced open by ruts and stones. ,

—A Temporary Fuse.— A temporary fuse can easily ho made bv wrapping a small loaf of. tinfoil, tho kind that comes with chewing gum or cigarettes, around the burned fuse ana reinserting it in tho fuse box. One or two layers of the foil arc sufficient.

—Tightening Nuts.— 4 warning regarding the tightening of nuts and studs to the car owner who buys Ws first set of socket wrenches may be best driven home by asking him to reca. the story of the small boy who hacked the house to pieces trying to make use■ ot nis new saw. Socket wrenches are indispensable to the careful owner, who gets after the hundred and one things winch loosen up on a car j but ho bus learned perhaps through experience-—that the leverage afforded by the socket handle may make one comparatively light pull just one turn too many for the threads of the bolt or stud, with the result that it will shear off and present a new and still greater difficulty. CLUB NEWS. Two very interesting and instructive lectures were given at the last general meeting of the Otago Motor Club. Mr K. EHevward spoko on ‘Ford Ignition, and Mr E K. Denton’s subject was Headlights and Dimmers.’ Both speakers were heartily applauded at the conclusion of their addresses The following were elected as members o! the club at the last meeting:-Messrs H. M. Briso, J. C. Cockbum, . L. M. Hughes, Chas. J. Bush-King, E. C. Euwelt, J. Roberts, H. I. Dunn, and b. de Beer. _____ ARRIVAL OE NEW CARS. Several new cars have arrived on the Auckland market since Christmas, all of a light type and of medium price. the new Buick four-cylinder car has armed This is a new model, to take the place ot the Baby Buick that the Buick Company gave up building in 1920, and it is proclaimed a marvel for the money and easily the best of the Buick fours that have ever been put on our market. The Durant, another light four, fitted with the famous Continental motor, is another of the wonders at the price, and with plenty of power it should suit our conditions ‘in New Zealand very well. The New Maxwell has also appeared. This car has been renamed the ‘‘Good Maxwell." In appearance and design it does not resemble the old Maxwell, and, like all the 1922 cars, it offers wonderful value. Tho competition . will be very keen to sell these* cars, as they are ail within about £25 of each other.

CAR HILL CLIMB. The following are the results presented by the Awards Committee to the general meeting of the Motor Club of the hill climbing contest hold on the Be thane's Gully-Dunedin road on Saturday last: Parted and Boag (Morris Oxford), 159.7 1 S. De Beer (Austin), 163.3 2 P. Drummond (Essex), 166.7 3 Dr Cameron (Essex), 192.7 4 Kempthorne (Essex). 206.1 5 Roberts and Sons (Oakland), 228.4 ... 6 L. Broad (Alldays), 231 7 P. ,W. Breen (Studebakcr), 251.2 ... 8 Wimpenny Bros. (Nash), 291.1 9 As some irregularities are alleged to have occurred, the matter will be dealt with by a special committee set up to go into the matter of competitions generally.

BACK FIRING. If you see llaraes coming from your car stop quickly and get the occupants out of tho car as fast as possible. Turn off the ‘benzine if a tap is provided, then got to ■work with the fire extinguisher if you carry one. Keep tho flames if possible away from the benzine tank. If the benzine tank gets going it is time to leave the car and get away while the going is good. Sand is a great help to smother a benzine fire. A rug or a coat aro also helpful if they arc handy. Tho best thing to do, of course, it to take ample precautions against fire, such as an inspection of all the wires periodically, and to prevent overheating. If tho engine has a knack of "popping back" in tho carburettor when- starting up cold, make the mixture stronger, or a fire will result sooner or later. Don’t throw water on a benzine fire, as it will only spread tho flames.

SIDE STREET TRAFFIC. , At the last general meeting of tho Otago Motor Club attention was drawn by a member to a recent by-law case which was before the magistrate in tho local Police Court. In tho evidence of tho defendant it was stated- that it was tho general custom of motorists, if coming from a aide street, to give way to the traffic in the main street, and was practically an unwritten law for motorists. Inspector M’Nicol said he had never heard of such a custom, and it was not an understood thing _ among motorists. Tho jnagifltrato also said it was new to him.— Club members expressed surprise at the inspector's and magistrate’s remarks, as tho majority at the meeting were under the impression that a motorist corning in to the main street from a side street hadi to give way to tho main street traffic. The president (Mr A. E. Ansell) said that there waa no law on the subject except in Scotland, and the matter had been • fully discussed by tho South Island Motor ■Union, which was of opinion that a law should ho made requiring tho side street motorist to give way to tho main street traffic. He was of. opinion that it was the recognised custom, among motorists to give way.

THE MAN AT THE WHEEL. A girl and a fellow, A car painted yellow, A snuggle, a crash, and a squeal! Ashore or on water. Beware, 0 my daughter! Don’t flirt with the man at tho wheel! —Father of Ton.