MOTOR NOTES.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 21, 16 October 1930, Page 9

MOTOR NOTES.

CARE OF THE CAR

HOW TO WASH

Instead of squirting a stream of water from the nozzle of the hose directly against the varnished) surface of the car, it is much better to hold a sponge against the nozzle and to allow water to dribbl* through it on to the varnished* surface. This method will prevent the rusliing water, combined with the dust, from acting as an abrasive and destroying \he finish. When dorying the. car and polishing, with, a chamois, be sure to move the chamois , along the surface in straight and parallel lines. It is bad practice to scrub the varnish with a circular motion as this, procedure is bound tor result in myriads of minute circular scratches, that catch the light and spoil the appearance of the •car.' ■ '' . . . WHEN PETROL IS LOST When you keep the throttle wide open on a steep hill while deliberating . whether you should drop back to second, you lose petrol but if you shift before the car slows down, your engine has the advantage of more momentum. Momentum. is a gas saver. When you hear tae engine go "dead" because you have choked it too much in starting; when you start the engine before you have finished your conversation / with people you are about to leave; when you drive so carelessly as to run fast, and atop suddenly because traffic is turned) against you in driving through congested streets; when-you decide to grease the car; and inflate the tyres * 'to-morrow,'' then on each and) every occasion you are "throwing petrol into the gutter." WIRING ■■-■ If car owners would make a point of inspecting the wiring of their machines two or three times a year; a lot .of. trouble wpuld be avoided. There is no such thing as tightening up a connection so that you are suTe it" will stay right. Tne constant sway and par of the car will sometimes succeed in working loos* a nut that has been jammed down so tightly that it seems to be there "for, keeps." This is particularly likely to 'happen if there is a slack in the wire so that it whips back ancl forth. It is quite a common thing to find batteries that are, undercharged for no other reason than neglect of the owner to keep connections tight between battery and generator. FRONT WHEEL DRIVE Front, wheel drive is attracting great interest in America, according-to a message from Detroit. Most of the activity seems to be just short of the announcement stage. If persistent merger rumours concerning four or five of the smaller automobile companies finally prove to be correct continues the message, there is some reason to believe that front-wheel drive constructions might be incorporated In nearly all of the cars involved in the com bination. . ' At least one big company is known, to have-been, experimenting, seriously with a front-wheel drive design for many months, and there are indications that a. French _ front-drive patent has -recently been acquired by one of the oldest passenger'car companies in-America. Present indications. are that any new front-drive cars likely to be announced during 1930 will be built to sell in America for something like £400 or more, al-. though it is possible that a lower-priced vehicle of this type might enter the market within the next twelve months. "'. \ Eventually at any rate, it seems/inevitable that the front drive will invade the American price field around or under £200. There seems no; liklihoodi of a great number of makers ©hanging.

So long as this construction is confined to relatively expensive jobs, of course, it vdll not constitute any considerable proportion of total sales. In its price class, the "biggest celling front-drive ear now on the American, market has fared well foT its first year.

It is a good thing sometimes to attempt to acquire the taste for a certaia fruit if you have what may be called a "bodily" failing in any direction. Many liver sufferers say they cannot ©at oranges because they bring on bilious attacks ,but if they were to eat freely of raw gooseberries and gooseberries in compotes ana preserves they would find thai their bilious, attacks would become less frequent. Indeed, many people have been cured of liver troubles by eating plenty of this fruit.

Lemons can be kept quite fresh for a long time if you wrap each in two orj three layers of tissue paper and put

them in a string bag and suspend it on a hook in a dry place.

Rusty knives can be renewed by being plunged up to. the hilt in garden soil, left for a couple of hours/ or so, rubbed well with damp towel dipped in asfies; then cleaned and polished as

If a little alum be added to a waterstain, it will considerably brighten up the colour of the finished surf ace. Bemember that end grain takes a darker stain than plant-way of the grain j ' it is therefore important that the . stain should be slightly weakened when staining the ends of shelves.