MOTOR NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 158, 5 June 1937, Page 15

MOTOR NOTES

A research questionnaire issued in the United States has revealed that 90 per cent, of the ear owners from whom replies were received declared themselves in favour of steamlined design. lii 1935, 77 per cent, expressed their preference for streamlining. Petrol fumes were stated to be the probable cause of a case of recurrent attacks of urticaria, a severe form of nettlerash, which was described in a recent issue of the medical periodical, the Lancet. The patient drove her own ear, and during the cold weather had all the windows closed Two days later she had a sharp attack of utricaria. A specialist advised driving with all windows open, and when this was done there. welc no fur tlier symptoms.

COACHWORK FINISH

SQUEAKS AND RATTLES

The owner of a motor car, unless he is one of those fortunate people who can afford to pay somebody else to do it, must do a certain amount of work to keep it in good order. This work is generally confined to greasing it at the proper intervals, checking the water level in the battery, and at fairly long intervals an inspection of the ignition distributor and sparking plugs. Most conscientious owners confine their activities to maintenance work of the kind outlined, but it is a pity that all do not occasionally give a thought to the coachwork. The body of a motor car does not need very much attention at all. Indeed, the most important and frequent service it will demand is treatment with a good brand of polish.

SQUEAKY HINGES. How many motorists realise that parts of the body require a certain amount of lubrication? The reference, of course, is to the door hinges, which receive a lot of use and soon, in consequence, become very squeaky. These squeaks will only become evident in most cases when the doors arc actually in process of being opened and closed, but it is possible that the slight movement which must occur in the hinges when a car is in motion will be sufficient to set squeaks going, a source which may never be suspected. A little light machine oil should occasionally bo given the hinges, which will make the doors work easier. Squeaks caused by doors rubbing against their pillars can be cured by rubbing the affected parts with one of the lubricating sticks which aro sold by motor suppliers for the purpose. Tracking body noises of all sorts to their sources is one of the important jobs which should be carried out periodically. A metal floor board may be loose, some of the body holding bolts may need tightening, while in one case a particularly annoying drumming from the scuttle was found to be due to the insulating material glued to its underside at the factory having come adrift in a hot sun. Polishing the body panols about once a month still remains the most important coachwork maintenance task, however. The polish, if it is a good recognised brand, will put a hard film on the lacquer which will protect it from the weather. In addition, most polishes havo a cleansing action. They also take away the dingy film on paintwork.

A CAR FOR THE PEOPLE. A year or two agd, Herr Hitler announced that die .intended bringing motor-ear ownership within the means of 1,000,000 German citizens with a car priced at about the equivalent of £75. Preparations were put in hand immediately, and Dr Porsche, designer of the successful Auto-Union racing cars, was instructed to proceed with several designs. This clever engineer, however, has found the task no easy one. Throe test models were produced, and each was subjected to a 30,000 miles’ road test, while a further 30 are under construction by the Mercedes Company far more searching tests. The design settled upon embodies a four-cylinder air-cooled engine located at the roar, and driving the rear wheels, independently sprung wheels, and accommodation for 4 or 5 persons. The weight, with all equipment, is nearly 12 cwt. While the car itself is apparently quite a successful design, Dr. Porsche stated in a recent interview that he was doubtful whether the price crflild be got down even to £9O, while, at present. Germany has not got the plant or tooling facilities to make 1,000.000 of these cars, and such plant as does exist at present is working at full capacity manufacturing aeroplane engines and mobile transport units for the defence forces. General opinion in Europe is that it will be many years before Germany is in anv position, to undertake .such an ambitious scheme.

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT. Reports from the Continent state that Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, the celebrated designer of the Auto Union Grand Prix car, is busy designing a new. car to break-Sir Malcolm Campbell’s world’s record of 301.13 miles an hour. He hopes to have the car in being by the cml of the year, ready to go for the record early in 1938. The machine will be quite different from the “Blue Bird,” much smaller in engine size and of much less weight. By keeping the car small Dr Porsche hopes to reduce wind resistance. The low weight will reduce the tyre problem. The car will run under the marque of Autb Union.

WASHING THE CAR. Car washing is greatly facilitated bya clever device recently marketed in England which does away with the troublesome old method of chamois and hose. Tt consists of a glove to the palm of which is attached a sponge, which is connected by a long tube to the hose line. A warm waterproof mitten protects the hand while the water flows through the soft rubber of the sponge The constant flow prevents accumulation of dirt or sand in the sponge and ensures a continuous supply of clean water.