MOTORDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1938, Page 9

MOTORDOM

NEWS OF THE ROAD

(By

“Gearbox”)

MODERN DESIGN.

PRIVATE OWNERS’ VIEWS. From time to time, private owners cf motor vehicles level a good deal of criticism at the design of modern cars, and want to know why such and such a thing cannot be included as part of the standard equipment of even a low-priced motor vehicle, without any increase in cost (says the Sydney “Morning Herald”). The views of private owners are always interesting, particularly when they are based on many years’ experience in driving and owning motor cars, and the first to admit this will be the manufacturers, whose duty it is to supply good motor' vehicles to the public at a reasonable price. They, as it happens, know a good deal more about the stresses and strains to which .a motor vehicle is subjected in this country than they receive credit for, and quite frequently certain features of design are omitted simply because they know from experience that they vzill not stand up to the hard services frequently encountered in Australia. But of even more importance perhaps, is the question of cost of production. z ... This is a matter which applies with particular force to the variety of body models. In most cares, to-day the prostective purchaser is limited to one sedan model only, with, in some cases, the alternative of an enclosed two-door, five-passenger coupe. “Where,” ask many drivers, “are the roadsters, tourers, and two-passenger coupes which were formerly offered to us on these chassis?” The answer is that, in America and the United Kingdom, the markets are so big that manufacturers can afford to produce a number of different body styles. . Another very cogent answer is the absence in this country of a reasonable demand for these types, except on chassis of the lowest-priced kind. Even in these cars, the big demand is for the five-passenger sedan. Anyone who wants an open model, however, can. always get it in these lowpriced cars. But in the medium and high priced models, it does not pay manufacturers to instal the special machinery to manufacture body styles for which the demand is strictly limited. When a purchaser insists on a sports roadster body on a fairly costly chassis, he can, of course, have it made to special order, but the price will be so far above that of the much more comfortable, elaborate, and staunch standaid sedan, that it would not be worth his while.

CONVERTIBLE BODY. On the other hand, there is a good deal to be said for those people who maintain that there would be a strong demand for a good convertible body, the type with a folding hood, but proper glass windows after the style of the sedan model. But when we come to examine this type, we discover that a good many bits and pieces, necessaiily a little loose, are required tor the framework of the superstructure, and it only needs a little imagination to visualise the effect of constant travelling over corrugated roads. The strong and rigid sedan body has proved its utility for general work, and row motorists to-day require anything more elaborate. The views of private owners are most valuable when they have to do with practical design features. Undoubtedly, the bonnet line of the average modern car is too high, because, when a driver is breasting a little hump-backed rise, the bonnet rises so fur above eye level that he cannot tell WlietHer tlie road goes straight on or takes a sudden turn. This is a very common criticism. Another sore point with many motorists is the jacking arrangements provided in the average vehicle, these are far from satisfactory. The bumper bar jack with its long threaded spindle and the necessity for screwing it up so much that all the possible spring extension has to be allowed for before the wheel leaves the ground, is definitely dangerous. But if the old type of screw or ratchet jack to go under the axle is supplied, the, owner has to grovel in the dirt to place it in position. In jacking arrangements, every country in the world which manufactures cars has a great deal to learn from England, where the practical requirements of the private owner are given a prominent place in car design instead of being relegated to a secondary position. Other instances are the accessibility of the screen wiper motor, the provision of a proper fuse box with spare Luses, and the now fairly general incorporation of a steering column that is fully adjustable both in rake and length.

OVERHEAD VALVES. There are still many cars of popular make fitted with push rod operated overhead valves. These have the advantage of being very accessible for adjustment, but have been criticised for an alleged tendency to become noisy as wear develops in the various moving parts. There was some truth in this charge years ago, but manufacturing methods have since changed, and there are any number of o.h.v models in use which have covered 30,000 or 40,000 miles, which are no more noisy than their side valve contemporaries. It is true, however, that o.h.v. engines need rather wider clearances between valve stems and tappets beside valve engines, and motorists whose experience has been confined to the side valve type should remember this if they have changed over to the overhead valve. Generally speaking, the clearance required by overhead valves is .006 in. for the inlets, and .013 in. for the exhaust. Wider clearances than this are quite permissible, provided they do not make the valves too noisy in operation, but closer settings are not wise. Incidentally, because of the comparatively big expansion of the push rods, valve settings should never be made unless the. engine is at its ordinary operating heat. This is even more important for o.h.v. units than for the side valve type.

COLOUR AND THE CAR

A subject that one hears little comment on is the colour of automobiles, yet, according to technologists, there is no doubt that colour has much to do with the appeal of a. new car to the prospective purchaser. Knowledge of this fact leads to very intensive research before motor cur manufacturers determine upon a line of colour for the season’s range of new models. An eminent colour expert recently made the statement that certain colours tend to intensify sales in the lowpriced field, but -would have the opposite effect if adopted for higher-priced cars. All people, it is contended, are colour conscious, and equally certain is the fact that some colours react unfavourably on some people while they may appeal to others. Thus it is that rule-of-thumb methods have long been discarded by motor manufacturers in respect to the colour schemes selected for their products, and the work of selection is now left in the hands of colour stylists. That their work is effective and pleasing is evidenced by the attractive colour schemes of the latest model cars seen on our streets, their colouring, both exteriors and interiors, being scientifically correct and appealing. These experts know that colour means much more than a pleasing harmony on the exterior of a. vehicle. They appreciate that colour can create an impression of warmth or coldness, increase or cut down visibility, absorb or reflect heat rays, antagonise or soothe the nerves, and increase or decrease the impression of size; thus very careful selection is applied to the adoption of colour combination. It is noticeable, says the “Dunlop Bulletin,” that quite a. large percentage of the new cars purchased favour light tones, a trend that makes for safety, because a lightcoloured car is more quickly picked cut at night time by the rays of headlamps than are dark-hued vehicles. CONDENSER BREAKDOWN. The electrical condenser, which is shunted across the contact breaker points to the ignition distributor, does not open break doyn, and it is seldom that it fails completely without giving some warning that it is defective. Circumstances which should prompt the motorist to suspect this trouble are hard starting and misfiring. If these symptoms cannot readily be attributed to any other cause, and the contact breaker points show signs of burning and pitting, there is every probability that the condenser is the source of the trouble. The remedy is to fit a new condenser.