MOTORING & MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 19765, 16 January 1928, Page 10

MOTORING & MOTORISTS

[BY RADIATOR.]

CAR FIRES

SUPERIOR, DRIVERS

HOW TO EXTINGUISH.

The Following notes arc intended for the guidance of those who imagine themselves superior to all other road users, and believe that when they paid their tax they bought the King’s highway, advises the ‘ Morris Owner ’:—

1. Always ride on the crown of the road and ignore the requirements of other traffic. The only exception is when, after being followed for half an hour, you are overtaken on the near side. In-such a case cut sharply into your near side and frustrate the attempt. -That will show the other fellow that you know the rules of the road, and are not going to be made to look small. ■ 2. Jf traffic gets in a muddle and nobody seems to know who is at fault, a great impression can be made by picking one or two meek individuals, blaming them downright, rating them soundly, and cursing them in a loud voice.

3. Similarly, in case of an accident, no matter what part you played therein, make straight for the other party, quote one or two rides of the road irrespective of whether they apply to the case or not, tell him you arc amazed at his ignorance, and that you do not consider him fit to drive a wheelbarrow, much Joss a motor car. 4. If you overtake another car, splashing the paintwork, vouchsafe to the occupants thereof a look of disdain. If they are broken down on tlie roadside on no account should you stop and assist. The speed should be increased, and the look should be deepened into one of the unttermost com tempt. 5. When parking tho car, especially where space is limited, manceuvrc the vehicle so as to occupy the maximum possible space. If any other driver should dare to bring his car'within Oft of yours, vociferate vehemently to show him who you arc—and you will succeed admirably in making yourself heartily disliked.

VISITING MOTORISTS CONFUSED. It is very difficult for motorists visiting Blenheim to find their way on to the main south highway (states tlie ‘Marlborough Express’). There is a direction sign at the corner of Market street south and Halifax street, but it is apparent, from tho experience during tho holidays of Redwoodtown people that- visitors arc apt to overlook this sign and to proceed straight up 'Walter street. During the last week or so, it is stated, dozens of visiting motorists have made this

blunder and have landed in Redwoodtown, where they have had to ask residents for directions, often at night. It is suggested that a way out of the difficulty would bo .the erection of another sign, reading: “To Main South road,” at the junction of Walter, or Scott street, and Alabama road. This. is a matter which can safely he left to the Automobile Association.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

EXPERT’S PREDICTIONS. - While front wheel drive has been somewhat extensively developed in America for racing ears it has not hitherto been adopted for production models, but considerable interest ■is being displayed in it, and some authorities predict that it will bo the next important development in automobile design. This, however, appears rather a sweeping statement to make, especially when it is considered- that one reason given why front wheel drive may appeal to designers is that it permits a much lower build to be arrived at (says the ‘Autocar’). For some years now there lias been a tendency in this country and on the Continent to reduce the height of the frame from the ground, and some cars of very low build have been evolved without making radical departures in the transmission lay-out. Undiubtedly front wheel drive has its attractions, and the elimination of the long propcllorshaft between the conventional gear box and rear axle not only permits a saving in weight to be effected, but makes for smoother running, as the single long shaft is replaced by two shorter transverse _ shafts, so _ that there is less possibility of transmission vibration owing to whirling, or whip, of the shafts. Certainly a compact arrangement of power unit and transmission is an attraction from the point of view of the coachbnilder; but against this must be set the fact that as a rule tire engine would have to he placed further to the rear, which, with the modern six and eight cylinder-in-line units, would be a somewhat serious matter. Another feature of importance which would need consideration is weight distribution, and it might well be that it would prove somewhat difficult to avoid too great a load on the front as compared with the rear wheels. It is claimed that front wheel drive gives greater stability on corners, as the propelling force is always on the planes of the front wheels, whereas with theconventional rear wheel drive the driving force acts in the direction of the car axis, and so may be at a considerable angle to the planes of the front wheel on a curve. Experience suggests, however, that this advantage is not so pronounced as might be expected, and in any case it is hardly a matter likely to carry great weight when touring cars are being considered. Another point which needs consideration is the transference of weight from the rear to the front wheels during braking, and from the front to the rear wheels during acceleration, and it has been calculated that this may bo as much as from 10 to 12 per cent, of the weight on the axle. As regards braking, the position is unaltered if we assume that four wheel brakes are employed on both front and rear driven ears, but as regards acceleration, the front wheel drive is at a disadvantage as the ground adhesion is increased by 10 per cent, to 12 per cent, in the case of rear drive, and decreased by the same amount in the case of front drive. This at once brings te mind the possibilities of-four wheel drive, and on many considerations four wheel drive would seem a more logical development than front wheel drive.

USE HANDS ONLY

FITTING BALLOON TYRES TO WELL BASE RIMS.

RENOVATING BRAKE LININGS. Brakes that squeak are not necessarily in need of. relining. The noise is often due to dirt and grit imbedded in the brake lining and can be removed by scrubbing the lining with petrol or kerosene and a wire brush.

However, some brake linings '-which have been neglected for a Jong time and consequently have the surface glazed and impregnated with grit, cannot be thoroughly cleaned in this way, and it is necessary to apply dressing. A large service station uses a mixture of powdered resin and castor_ oil with satisfactory results. The rivet heads holding the -lining,- should be below -the surface so; that they’ will not touch-the drum. It may be necessary

Brief accounts of holiday trips, roads, and places of interest are invited lor this column.

to use a punch and hammer to set the rivets back. If new rivets are needed, use only copper or aluminium rivets.

It is a good thing to know how to act when a car catches fire, and many people allow their vehicles to be burnt simply because they are not aware of the elementary rules of extinguishing a petrol blaze. The means of action can be summed up in one comprehensive word—“ Smother.” Retro! depends upon the presence of oxygen to enable combustion to take place. It draws this oxygen from the atmosphere, and if the air supply is completely cut off the blaze is automatically extinguished. Most cars that catch fire do so through the carburettor, by means of a back-fire. This causes the exhaust gases to come into the atmosphere via the inlet pipe and carburettor, instead of in the proper fashion, through the exhaust pipe. A back-fire is frequently accompanied by a sheet of flame, and can easily set light to the carburettor. Chronic back-firing should therefore be investigated, and the faults found remedied. Jf the carburettor catches fire, the first procedure is to turn off the supply tap at all costs, thus stopping the flow of further petrol from the tank. Then comes tho job of smothering the blaze. First and foremost on tho list of remedies is the fire extinguisher; but until the law compels each car to he fitted with such an appliance it may sometimes bo necessary to adopt more primitive methods. § . Picbablv the best smothering article is an old “coat, which can ho wrapped about the carburettor. When used it should bo kept over the carburettor for a considerable time after the flames are out, to prevent a recurrence from the new gases igniting on the heated metal. In emergencies, felt hats, rags, rugs, o: even gloves may successfully smother the flames. fn addition to these articles, any substance tthat tends to smother is of use. Sand, earth, or flour will help, especially if the location of the fire makes it difficult to use clothing or a rug. Water should he avoided at all costs, as tho petrol forms a film on tho top of it, and continues blazing. Nor should ah attempt be made to extinguish a small lire by beating at it with a cap. This merely fans the flames and causes them to spread.

battery charging. The novice is often rather anxious that when summer time arrives there is danger of overcharging and damaging the battery on account of the lamps be-ing-.rarely used. He can rest assured, for actually there exists very little, always provided that special attention is given to the regular “ topping-up ” ot the battery with distilled water. Jl there is no dynamo switch provided, and the car is in constant use by clay, it may be desirable to adjust the third bivu'sh so as to bring the rate of charge down to about two-thirds of normal winter requirements. The need for this will be indicated by excessive consumption of distilled water in the battery. THE NEW FORD. EXTENSIVE INSIDE INFORMATION We have been repeatedly asked for information concerning the new Ford (states an exchange), and we arc pleased to give our readers the tun benefit of the information we have gleaned from first one source and another. Here it is;— The new'Ford product will ho known as tho Lin lord, taking its name from Abraham Lincoln, its founder, and Henry Ford, its manufacturer. Some other name may be substituted. The car will be equipped with a running gear, engine, body, gasoline tank, radiator, and other accessories usual to other automobiles. The wheels, of which there will be four, will bo set on axles and will turn around and around forward or backward, depending on the choice and skill of the driver. On the extreme front end the cat will be equipped with a radiator, wlncji will servo as a reservoir for water with which to water the road. The front of tho radiator will be meshed, so as to he an excellent smasher of bugs, insects. and the like. Situated somewhere on the car will bo a gasoline tank, which will contain a certain number of gallons of gasoline or any liquid sold as gasoline by filling stations. A lesser number of gallons can be used if desired. All seats will be equipped with cushions of more or less softness. On the touring and sedan models tho rear seat will be placed directly behind the front scat. Both seats will be protected Iroin sun, rain, etc., by a top. In front of tho front seat and behind the radiator will be placed a windshield, which will serve as a barometer. When it is raining the windshield will become smeared with mud, water, etc., from passing vehicles. Tho car will be guided by a steering wheel, which will turn the ear to ibo right or left, but never both ways at the same time. . Entrance to the car may be gained through doors cut somewhere in the body, or, if desired, by climbing over. The sedan and coupe models will closed cars, and the touring cars and roadsters will be open cars. The engine of the car will he usual in design and equipped with gears, rings, pistons, cylinder?, spark plugs, wires, and other doodads. The car will be equipped with pneumatic tyres, which will be placed over the, wheels, tending to give the ear a soft, airy, easy-riding feeling.

Numerous requests which city tyre dealers have received on the proper application of balloon tyres to well base rims indicate that many have not mastered the “knack’ of applying these tyres. In some cases it has been found that a heavy iron bar has been us 3 d to force the tyres on, with the result that the beads have been broken. There is no necessity at all to use levers, as by tackling the job properly tyres can be fitted easily with the hands. First make sure that only casings with, red centreing lines just above the rim flange and tubes marked “for well base rims” only are used. Then insert the tube in the casing and inflate it to fit. the casing loosely. Put the tyre on the rim, inserting the valve stem in the hole on the top of the rim. Then the next step is to get both beads of the tyre into the well at Jie top. This is difficult if the valve stem projects too far through the rim, so push the valve stem up while pressing the sides of the tyre together and forcing the heads into the well. Continue forcing the beads into the well, starting at the top until the top half of the tyre is resting in the rim well, and the bottom half can then be pushed over the rim with the hands only.

liaise the bottom of the tyre to bring the beads out of (he well at the top and into position to set properly on the rim. This’jmist be done by hand, as air pressure will not force the beads out of the well into position on the rim, and attempting to do so will damage the tube. Inflate the tyre slightly, but before filling to recommended pressure see that the red line on the side wall near the bead is visible and evenly spaced all round'the tyre on both sides.

REMARKABLE CAR RECORDS. REMARKABLE FOR RECORDS. Since the advent of the automobile, no achievement probably, excepting Major H. 0. D. Segrave’e speed dash on Daytona Beach, when he touched the phenomenal speed of 203 m.p.li. on a Dunlop shod Sunbeam, hac been of such outstanding merits as the recentlyestablished long-distance records on the Montlhery track, Paris, by the English motorists, the Hon. Victor and Mrs Bruce.

Jn these days of speed record people have to an exent become used to the remarkable developments in transport on land, sea, and in the air, and many achievements are not valued according to their merit, although spectacular events, such as Colonel C. A. Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight from the United States to France and Major Segravc's sensational speed, received the publicity they deserved. From a motoring viewpoint the recent achievement of Mr and Mrs Bruce is one of the most remarkable automobile feats yet recorded, and probably few people in this country—outside a few keen motorists—really appreciate this astounding long-distance drive on a British .-built six-cylinder “A.C.” car Imagine travelling 1,580 miles a day for nine and a-half days, or a total of 15,000 miles in 9d 10b 32min 54sec. Unless one pauses to consider, one cannot grasp what this represents. No express train in this country has ever covered anything like sixty-six miles in an hour, and few men or women have any conception of what it means to average more than a mile a minute for sixty consecuetivo minutes. Yet Mr and Mrs Bruce, despite a delay of fifteen hours through a heavy snowstorm, kept up an average speed of sixty-six miles an hour for 13,592 consecutive minutes—an astounding achievement. What is more, no such distance has ever previously been negotiated by any method of travel in such remarkable time.

When S. F. Edge, one of England’s foremost pioneer racing motorists, in July, 1907, drove a Napier 1,581 miles in twenty-four hours on Brooklands track, England, tho whole world fiat up and took notice, yet here we have_ a considerably smaller engined car, despite wintry weather conditions, keeping up an equal daily mileage for nearly nine and a-hnlf days.

In the first twenty-four hours 1,890 miles wore covered, whilst in the first 100 hours 7,618 miles were left behind —an average speed of over 76 m.p.h. In two and two-third days 5,000 miles were covered, the actual time being 6lh 52min. The next 5,000 miles, owing to the track being snow-covered for fifteen hours, took longer—Bsh 39rain—whilst tho third and last 5,000 miles took 76h Imin, making a total of just over 226)- hours_ for the full 15,000 miles, and this time includes all stops for fuel replenishment, delays, etc. At one stage Mrs Bruce kept at the wheel for nearly nine hours, whilst her husband slept, and during that period maintained a speed of about 80 m.p.h. On another occasion, owing to snow and ice on the track, the car overturned, but fortunately without hurt to Mr Bruce or serious damage to the A.C. V’icwed from any point, this wonderful drive is one of the greatest recorded and unparalleled in the history of motoring. The whole outfit was British,

1 SOME ” CAR

A new type of racing car which will he driven by three 12-cylinder Liberty aviation engines is being built in Philadelphia, United States, by J. M. White, a manufacturer, with the object of bringing back tho world’s motor vehicle speed record to an American-made machine. Each of the three motors will develop 500 h.p., giving the car a total of 1,500 h.p. That will be 500 h.p. in excess of the English-built Sunbeam car with which Major Segrave established the world’s speed record of 203 m.p.h. at Daytona Beach last March. The appearance of Mr White’s car, with its three powerful motors, will differ radically from any racing automobile hitherto built. One of the twelvecylinder motor units is fitted to the forward part of the chassis, and the other two are placed side by side in the rear. The driver’s seat is at the left of the car in front of one of the rear motors, and the seat for tho mechanic is opposite on the right-hand side. To carry these heavy engines the chassis built long and unusually rigid. The wheelbase is 14ft 7)in. The chassis frame is construc-

ted of two 12in additional beams of the type used in heavy trucks, and further stengthened by two additional beams running parallel through the middle. Most of the weight of the motors rests unon these middle beams. Underslung springs are attached to the front of the chassis, but there are no springs in the' rear. As the car will weigh approxithe weight will hold the car securely to the ground without rear springs, and also get better traction. The car will be equipped with special wire wheels, and special tyres also are being made, 46in by (i.oin in size. The forward motor will be covered with a bonnet, but the two rear engines will remain uncovered. The drive, of the direct type, will be controlled by a hand throttle. Another unusual feature is that the,car will have no clutch, transmission, or gears. Each engine will be equipped with four carburettors, one for every three cylinders, making twelve carburettors in all. The petrol tank in the rear will hold about thirty-five gallons. At the maximum speed capacity of the car it is estimated that this fuel supply would be used up in about twelve minutes. Mr White has had an ambition for more than twenty years to build the fastest automobile in the world, and he is now making practical application of some of his ideas in the building of racing cars acquired during nearly a quarter of a century as an automobile manufacturer. He is forty-three years old, and expects to drive the car biimelf nn tlm OrmondDnvtona Beach. Application has been made to the American Automobile Association to sanction and make official observation of the speed test which probably will be held in February over the famous Florida racing beach. The three huge engines cost £1,400 apiece, and when ready for road tests it is estimated hint the total cost of the car will be £7,000, not including the* cost of labor. AMERICA’S BEST CUSTOMERS. Recent figures from the Department of Commerce, United States, disclose some interesting facts regarding' the ultimate destinations of American automotive exports. These figures show, for instance, that out of a total number or 243,128 motor cars and motor trucks shipped abroad Australia took 1G "er cent., being America’s best customer, with Canada a close second, accounting for 13 per cent, of the total. Tlvrd on the list of America’s export customers is Argentina, which tonic 3 m r cent, of the total automobile experts. SAFETY OF MOTOR CYCLES. Despite the reputation imparted to motor cycles by prejudiced parties, the latest figures issued by the British Registrar-General show that they are comparatively safe. They are responsible for only about 10 per cent, of fatalities. CAR OWNERS AND CITIZENSHIP. I have _ received the following somewhat original letter from “ Ratepayer ”: — H not believers in national ownership and control of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, we at least believe in municipal ownership, eto. As a ratepayer, the principle of surplus profits from our trading concerns is sound and just. Any inroad into those suruluses should be the concern of all ratepayers and lovers of our city. Motorists make few complaints of the treatment given them by our City Fathers. Willi improved streets and splendid parking areas provided for motorists, a reciprocal spirit would he appreciated by non-motor owners. Any observant person may notice day after day the numbers of intending tram passengers enjoying free rides inmotor cars. Yes, a man lias a right to use bis own car as be likes, but is it citizenship not to consider the city? In certain parts of America the local governments were faced with the same difficulty, and applied the effective remedy of readjusting the parking areas. The motorist is doubtless prompted by a neighborly or social feeling, but what of participator? HERE AND THERE Interest in coil ignition is increased, due to a number of British manufacturers adopting this form of ignition in place of the magneto Coil ignition was first used in 1859, and was favored in preference to the magneto up to 191 U, when, duo to lack of reliability of batteries, the magneto, which is a self-contained generator of high-ten-sion current, was adopted by practically all motor car manufacturers. The growing popularity of coil ignition today is due to the fact that, no matter what the engine speed is, the intensity of the spark is constant, which provides perfect ignition irrespective of piston speed. The battery is the source of current. The coil is a non-mechancial apparatus, which converts the low voltage from the battery into more than 6,000 volts, and the coil is to step up the voltage. The remaining important parts are the make and break and the distributor. Commenting on the regulations drafted under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1924, the South Island Motor Union submitted the suggestion that the regulations in respect to the driving of cars equipped with left-hand steering should be amended, so as to permit tourists bringing theiv cars into New Zealand to use same nn obtaining a written permit issued by the Collector of Customs at the port of entry for such period ns may bo set out in the permit. » * * The world’s shortest motoring epitaph is said to be the following6o m.p.h., F.W.8., 5.0.5.; RI P. « * # # It would take n lazy man to think of an idea like this: In a small town in Texas letter boxes have been turned around so that the slots face the street. Why? So motorists can drive up and post letters without getting out of their cars.

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