MOTOR NOTES.

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 27, 29 November 1928, Page 8

MOTOR NOTES.

THE BPvITISH TBADJE.

Exports of motor vehicles from Groat Britain, during tho first eight months of 1928 show a decline of £1,396,47.9 on values for the corresponding period of last year. The decline has affected, a number of makes, while a few makers have actually increased, their exports considerably. It is unfortunate that in the aggregate the demand froni the dominions has fallen, off, but New Zealand has not had a part in the decline. OPENING FOR ENTERPRISE . In England scrap enterprising coach"builders are making a feature of converting open touring car bodies into up-to-date elosed-in fabric saloon.?, thereby catering for the large number of motorists who prefer to thus modernise their still mechanically perfect automobiles rathen than sacrifice them at a low trade-in price for new saloon cars. In this country" there are no doubt many owners of open touring cars who would be pleased to convert over a saloon body if facilities were avail able for doing so at a moderate costThere appears to be scope for a profitable business in this direction should some up-to-date autombobile body-build ing- plants care to specialise on tno'lernfsing touring cr.r bodies. * * * * * , THE SILENCED One of tiie i.\)ost important dn'-u'.l.s of a cur, the silencer, or muffler as it is sometimes called, is often neglected' by the owner-driver. It is out of the way and awkward to get at, and any adjustment to it is generally a-dirty and uncomfortable 30b. Nevertheless (states an exchange-), theowner who wou^l keep his ear in ib& best running condition should periodically give some little attention to thi-much-neglected unit of motor mechanism. The silencer li.\s far its object tb^ re--rjciug of the impact of th>i outflow ug gases on the air. Tt'is this m:pac:. which car«t: the noise, vhich is oO objo.-tf..n-«-b?.- :t ieature in some ears—especially in the case of sports cars which are often great sinners in. regard to the amount of exhaust noise which they allow to be set up. It is unnecessary to tell the motorist of experience that a good, healthy "back" in the exhaust is not a measure of the engine efficiency. There are enough silent cars of fine performance on the road to discredit the opinion expressed by some people than an efficient, power and speed of the car to which it is fitted. * * * * • MOTOR CYCLE TRAINING The fact that a motor cyclist who takes up car driving almost invariably makes a better driver than a person without cycle experience is not realised by most motorists. The rider of the two wheeler has to act in many cases much more quickly than ithe car driver and his xn,ental reaction, is therefore deve- ' loped to a much, greater extent. Apart from this it should be obvious that motor cycling .is the best course of training for good road manners. A road I user who has had to drive carefully to safeguard his skin for a year or two is mudh more likely to make a considerate car driver later on than a raw hand who starts his road experience In a powerful car and finds everyone making "way for him. A novice insulated -from possibilities of injury in a slight collision but to his enclosure in a steel box does not realise as the ex posed motor cyclist must, the risks he .runs on crowded roads.