MOTORING & MOTORISTS

Evening Star, Issue 19771, 23 January 1928, Page 12

MOTORING & MOTORISTS

[BY RADIATOR.]

To-day 9.21 Tuesday 9.21 > Wednesday 9.20 Thursday 9.19 Friday ••• 9.18 Saturday 9.17 Sunday 9.16 NEW ZEALAND HOADS. PICTURES IN A LONDON PAPER. hi the * Sphere ’ of November 23 appeared a photograph depicting a New Zealand main highway, and under it • the following statement:—“Some time ago the ‘ Sphere ’ published several pic- ' lures of appalling road conditions m New Zealand, and, owing to the information given by its correspondent, implied that such drawbacks to motoring and touring generally were normal in the dominion. Various comments have, however, brought to our attention the fact that these views showed unusually severe conditions, and we therefore present'the centre picture on this page to show the other side to this fpicstiou—a view ot a glorious stretch of highway erected under conditions of grave difficulty.” There is quite a long story attached to this matter; hut, briefly, tho facts arc that in Juno last some photographs of New Zealand roads under flood conditions appeared in the ‘ Sphere ’ with somo very uncomplimentary references to tho state of New Zealand roads generally, so far as motor traffic is concerned. When these photographs reached New Zealand there was some considerable comment in regard to them, and the High Commissioner’s publicity officer took action to have tho unfair statements that had appeared corrected, and tho truth told in regard to New Zealand roads. Tho High Commissioner also got into personal touch with tho editor of the ‘ Sphere.’ The result is now the publication of tho above correction. MAKES A DIFFERENCE. “ I’ve been watching that mechanic for the last fifteen minutes. There’s a man that knows his business. He didn’t spill a drop of oil on the mudguard. He put down the hood gently, fastened it securely, and left no fingerprints on it. He wiped his hands on clean waste before opening the door, spread a clean cloth over the upholstery, meshed the gears noiselessly, and then drove slowly and with caution into the street.” “ Yes. That’s his own car.” THAT SMOOTH START. Many drivers seem to have 'trouble trying to Jot the clutch in gently. A simple, yet effective way of engaging the clutch is to rest tho heel of the loot on the floor of tho car, pressing out the clutch with a lever-likc motion of the hall of the foot. "With the foot in this position and tho ball of the footpressed down, the driver will find it rather difficult to let the clutch in quickly. He finds that it is necessary to exert a bit of effort to draw tho hall of the foot back, and in doing so ho cannot help but engage tho clutch by gentle degrees. OAR WITH FIN. BRITISH MYSTERY ENGINE. The American authorities have chivalrously agreed to permit Malcolm Campbell, the British motorist, to compete iu the triangular contest at Daytona (Florida) in February, the object of which is to break Major Seagravc’s speed record. Campbell will make his attempt after the American runs, and thus will have the advantage of knowing tho speed necessary to retain Britain’s record. Campbell’s motor resembles a giant projectile, tho drive being covered in except Ins eyes and the top of his head. A fin is fitted at the rear of the machine to ensure directional sta- 1 bility. The engine develops 900 horse power, and is a replica of that used in the ’piano with which Webster won the Schneider Cup. It is still on the Air Ministry’s list, and only the Air Force mechanic accompanying Campbell will be permitted access to its interior. His American competitors will use a. three-engined, 1,500 horse _ power giant, in a “small shell,” driven by Lockhart, America’s greatest track driver. MOTORING OR FLYING. WHAT A AVAR PILOT PREFERS. I have often been asked which I prefer—motoring or flying—to which I promptly answer “ Flying,” said Mr R. C. Nelson, winner of the last R.H.C.A. reliability trial. “Then, that which I would rather own, an airplane or a car, and my reply is, “ A car.” But if 1 could afford it I would own both. That reason for choosing the oar of the two, although I prefer Hying, is that the uses of an airplane aie so very much more limited. For instance, one could hardly park his airplane on the esplanade, near the hand, nor could he ride in it at nignt time. It would be .useless for shopping or city work, and, during severe weather, its place would he m the hangar. One has only to become accustomed to the air to get much more enjoyment out of a flight than a motor trip, and it is impossible to convey in words the sensation of flying. But

it is nearest to my own idea! state of transportation. It is the freedom of moving in what can be termed space, with no restriction as to direction. The special thrill of swinging round in a turn with the wings banked to ballance tho centrifugal force, which would otherwise cause sideslip. Then the sicnery—anyone who lias notify! how a few feet up to the top of some buildings makes an interesting view can understand what rising hundreds and thousands of feet in the air might mean. These things grip an aviator’s mind more firmly than anything a car can offer. I have taken many people on their first flight; people whom I have had to persuade hard to get into a machine, and, with a few exceptions, it has been _ easily the greatest thrill of their lives. One very doubting gentleman made a. Jot of sardonic remarks about the ’plane in which I offered to lake him up from Mascot, and would not get into it until he had' seen it make a long trip or two. That man, however, soon overcame his doubts and fell so much in love with tho air that he asked for more, and it was only the second time he was up, I think, when he was holding the dual joy-stick. A few days later he was advertising in Sydney and Melbourne for a machine, and he was taught co fly, and is now a seasoned pilot, with some excellent performances to his credit. The gentleman in question is Mr S. L. Tyler. Ho is what f call one of the lucky people of this world—he owns a car and two airplanes. He would think life was not worth bothering about without his beloved Curtis. But I often wonder which Mr Tyler would surrender if he had to—his airplanes or his ordinary, but infinitely more useful, car. USELESS CARS. THE REPLACEMENT MARKET. Statistics reveal that 1,000 cars were scrapped, destroyed, or abandoned as useless in New Zealand last year. Dnrin tho two years and nine months from February 1, 1925, to October 31, 1927, 2,697 cars wore deleted from the register of motor vehicles. These comprised worn-out automobiles definitely condemned by their owners as unworthy of reconditioning, and a few score of cars damaged beyond repair iu fire or accident. In addition to these scrapped cars 2,175 motor cycles, 839 trucks, 66 buses, and 160 other motor vehicles wore scrapped, during the period from February, 1925, to October, !927. , . The register of motor vehicles also reveals that there are several thousand cars lying in garages awaiting the death sentence. These are ears which are still on the register as vehicles in apparent working order without current number plates. On October 31 last there were 1(18,729 cars on tho register, but number plates had been issued in respect to only 101,353. It is thus obvious that since the orange and black number plates became compulsory on April 1 7,376 second-hand cars have been laid up in garages. As these cars wore not in use when tho tally was taken of the records_ in October, they were apparently vehicles which spent tho intervening seven months awaiting_ purchasers who never came. The majority of cars which stand unlicensed in garages for seven months may be assumed to he in the decrepit class, for which there is little prospect of a return to service. These old cars often stand for more than a year in idleness before they are passed out as hopeless. Tho absence of any recognised system of scrapping in New Zealand prolongs the life, of the vehicle which is really beyond economical repair. In the United States it is generally recognised that the presence ol those old cars reduces tho replacement market. Dealer’s have actually tried to come to some agreement for tho expurgation of the second-hand market by the scrapping of any car taken in trade-in which appears to bo so far gone that its resale would only result in a succession of dissatisfied owners and a continuance of overstocking. Tho idea of scrapping is, of course, difficult to standardise, if the dealers in a city could initiate a scheme whereby they would scrap a car rather than sell it for £lO, they might find that in preventing useless stuff from circulating they were actually saving money. At present a car is usually sold and sold again. TWO CARS—TWO PUMPS. One of the trips which the delegates to the quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union at Invercargill were taken was to Stewart Island, where, according to Air. Hannan, secretary to the union, thgre aro only two motor ears. Such being the. ease, the visitors wore amazed to find two petrol pumps on the island, each operated by a diqerent owner. As it was obvious that the pumps were not required Jor motor-car service, the party wondered why they had been erected, and eventually came to the conclusion that they were used to supply petrol to the launches which have their headquarters on the island. PETROL, COLORED BUT PLENTIFUL. That the motorist of the future will have to expect petrol of all colors and odors when ho fills his tank is a prohability seen by m Chicago scientist, who has investigated the possibility of getting motor fuels from various sources. “ Not only should the public get used to all sorts of colors in petrol, but to all sorts of odors as well,” he says. “ The modem ‘ cracking’ process is responsible for these new characteristics, hut tho motor will operate as well with the yellow as with the water-white, blue/pink, or even red fuel. “The potential future petrol supply will last for hundreds of years, and it will come, from ‘ cracking ’ a wide variety of materials, such as petroleum, coal tars, shale oil, and wood tars. The old-fashioned petrol was simply evaporated off the crude oil, and had no anti-knock properties. The modern ‘ cracking ’ process is a way by which heavy oils arc chemically broken down into lighter oils having valuable antiknock properties. The future petrol will bo a mixture of the two and yield double the mileage.” HIGH SPEEDS NOT ALWAYS DANGEROUS. Tabulation of figures gathered by the London Safety First Council in the city’s metropolitan area shows that the largest amount of fatal accidents occur when automobiles aro going only five to ten miles an hour. The fatal accidents from 1920 to 1920, the survey shows, were 366 for cars going not more than ten miles an hour, a percentage of 36.49 of the total accidents. At speeds ot over twenty miles an hour, however, there were only forty-five fatalities, or 4.49 per cent, of the total. An explanation of this may bo that those accidents which occur at speeds under ten miles take place in crowded traffic, where even ten miles is at times a dangerous speed. ROTOR SMALLER THAN POSTAGE STAMP. A motor so small that its jotor could be wrapped in a postage stamp is used by the Westinghouse Manufacturing

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

Company for timing the OB watthour meter demand register. It is the small est synchronous motor ever manufactured for practical use. Four millions of these complete motors, together with their reduction gears, would be required to balance a large 8,000 h.p. motor. The diameters of their shafts are in the ratio of 512 to 1. The rotors are still smaller in proportion, as 37,000,000 are required to equal the weight of the large one. While two men, one on the other’s shoulders, could stand upright in the circular opening for the rotor in the 8,000 h.p. motor, the_ rotor for this motor could be worn, set in a ring, on a man’s little finger. UNIQUE GARAGE. KING’S ROBING ROOM. The leading shipowner, Sir Edward Nichol), has erected one of England’s most remarkable garages at his Shepperlon (Middlesex) home. It consists of the robing room used at Edward Vll.’s Coronation, as originally erected at Westminster Abbey, which the Office of Works recently decided to dispose of. Sir Edward Nicholl is preserving in their original state the interesting heraldic devices. Carpets will bo used to protect the floor from muddy tyres.

MOTOR CYCLING

EQUIPMENT. To the motor cyclist certain accessories are well nigh essential, since machines are still sold to tho public unequipped for ordinary road use. Years ago tho average motor car was similarly unequipped, but with the waning of tho sporting spirit in the car world buyers became less interested in the make of lamps, speedometers. and other necessities, and are now prepared to trust to the choice of the manufacturer. The motor cyclist, however, is more critical, and lie possesses greater technical knowledge as a basis for criticism. This is one of the main reasons why motor cycles arc sold in their present incomplete state, and, although this critical aspect has made the motor cycle movement and industry, manufacturers should attempt to bring about a greater degree of standardisation. Motor cycle accessories, if they are to be satisfactory, have to be exceptionally well made and finished, for they are, as a rule, _ exposed to all weathers, and, in addition, they have to withstand such vibration as would cause the cheaply constructed part to disintegrate in a very few miles. BROKEN THROTTLE WJRE. If the throttle wire should break the air slide should bo disconnected and the control attached to the throttle slide. The air slide may be removed altogether or fixed in the most suitable position by string or wire. If starting is difficult with the air open a i start can usually bo obtained by holding tho hand over the air intake while depressing tho starter. This sometimes involves amazing; acrobatics, but generally speaking it is possible. LOCAL NOTES. On Wednesday evening last some thirty keen members of the Motor Cycle Section of the Otago Motor Chib met at the back of tho St. Clair Golf Links, and promptly set to work to enjoy themselves. A good programme had been arranged, the following being some of tho items:—Footfall, relay race, egg and spoon race, and an original stunt. Mr Roberts (Harley and side car) gave a good exhibition of snrl-riding, a long rope being attached to the machine, with a coal sack secured to the other end. Several riders managed to keep their seats on tho straights, but were usually sent flying when any cornering was indulged in. A silencing competition will lie field on Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m. The start will take place at the junction of the Kaikorni Valley road and the road to the Southern Reservoir. Competitors are allowed to ride in any gear, but will have to do the hill in a set time Each competitor will be allowed one trial run, but the same must bo made between 2 and 2.30 p.m. FIXTURES. January 28.—Silencing competition. February 4.—South Canterbury Club uvmkhana at Timaru. " February 18th.—Hill climb. February 28.—Club run. HERE AND THERE The ingenuity of some motorists engaged on camping tours is exemplified the camps seen on Waikanae beach, where the accommodation of some ol tho tourists is the last word in comfort (says the ‘poverty Bay Herald ’). One camp in particular on the beach catches its neat, comfortable, and efficient appearance. It comprises two large tents of unusual but, excellent design, which, when, folded, occupy less space than the average suit case, and which contain every convenience imaginable to the camper. The three beds are collapsible, and the mattresses are in sections to enable them to be folded into a compact/ parrel. Canvas sheets make excellent floors for the tents, and there are collapsible chairs and tables, which take up an almost negligible amount of space when parked. The little portable stove, which is tho motorist’s own design, wall bake, cook, roast, fry, or do anything required of it, while a small metal meat safe is an important item in the outfit. Almost every item of the equipment serves several purposes, the rugs which cover the floors, for example, being used in the packing of the iron rods, stays, pegs, etc. The whole camp can bo erected , or removed in a few minutes. X * * * Motoring over Southland’s extensive roads to-day is a real pleasure, thanks to tho revelation wrought by the use of good gravel and the road grader, says tho ‘Southland News.’ For stretches of miles in various directions scarcely a pothole or unevenness is to be seen, and motors glide over the surface almost without vibration. Strangely enough, by way of contrast, the newlyformed portion of the tar-sealed road between Invercargill and Edendale is bumpy, and potholes are thus early making their appearance as a result of the heavy traffic. Naturally, this raises the question whether the gravelled road regularly graded to give it the necessary camber would not be the better and cheaper. There can be no dispute as to the surface it supplies, for it is simply ideal. How cost would compare is another question. * * * * Owners of touring cars should remember that the longevity of the hood depends considerably upon the way in which it is raised, lowered, and folded. Harsh treatment is liable to cause cracks and tears which, apart from being distinctly ugly to look upon, naturally leak, much to the discomfort of the passengers. Therefore, take care when erecting the hood, making sure that no part is caught anywhere in such a way as to cause a rent; when folded arrange neatly to prevent unnecessary creases and so on.