THE MOTORIST

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1934, Page 6

THE MOTORIST

RACE TRACKS. EUROPEAN CIRCUITS. TRICKY GRAND PRIX. Although. Brooklands stands preeminent amongst speed tracks owing to its age and history, and the epic deeds which have been done there, as a site for record attempts it is not ideal; it is bumpy, which spells “ wheel spin and lost imp.!!.,” it has to be closed at night, which means no attacks on long distance records, and silencers are obligatory, which is definitely a nuisance in record breaking. Montlhery the Smooth. These things being so, Montlhery has jumped into prominence as being the best, smoothest and nearest track for record purposes. Without any alteration at all, a given car taken to Montlhery is usually several miles an hour faster to the lap than on Brooklands, winch in these days when records are broken at frenzied velocities by split seconds, is no small consideration.

The possible transposition of the distance-measurement line to a radius nearer the periphery of the banking will come as a boon and blessing to men.

The Moiitlhery "piste dev itesse” is much smaller than Brooklauds, is more steeply banked, and has but short level straights. The lap measures about one mile and a half, the straights are oxily 195 yards long, and the steep bankings are struck at a radius of 272 yards. It has been lapped in the region of 140 m.p.h. Attached to Montlhery is the famous Grand Prix artificial road circuit, one of the trickiest in Europe. It was here that poor Campari won his last big race, the 193?. French Grand Prix, at an average speed of 81.57 m.p.h, German Track. The Avus, on the other hand, is an entirely different proposition. Normally, it is a one-way toll road leading from Berlin to Grunewald, a pleasure resort on the outskirts of the city. It is thus in the form of two long parallel straights divided in the centre by a grass strip and connected at one end by a wide, slightly banked and very fast loop, and at the other by a much smaller ditto, which necessitates violent braking. The Jap measures 19.575 kilometres, or roughly 12 miles, and there is scope for very high speeds, Hans von Stuck having recently broken three world's records there. The Ideal Circuit. Monza, in its wonderful park-like setting on the outskirts of Milan, is Italy's premier motor course, and was built to be the ideal racing track. It has such remifications that several different circuits are available. The rapid increase during recent years in the speeds of modern cars has already proved the track perilous with its very fast, very slightly-banked curves. It is doubtful whether the Grand Prix will be hold there this year following the three-fold tragedy of 1933. Indeed, plans are afoot to widen the entire track. The .full Grand Prix- circuit measures 4.[ miles, and it has been lapped at nearly 110 m.p.h. Among the Pines. Somewhat similar is the Marburg fling in the pine-elad Eifel Mountains near Coblenz. After the , celebrated Sicilian Targa .Florin, this course is possibly the world's most sinuous circuit, with its steep climbs, hair-rais-ing descents and every type of curve, if measures about 17 miles to the lap. When Caracciola won the German Grand Prix here in 1932 with the Alfa-Rorueo lie averaged 71 m.p.h. for 270 miles. Miramns, in the south of France, has a three-mile, circuit, and was used for the Marseilles Grand Prix last year, which was won at 111.22 m.p.h. This is a track older than Montlhery, and was once the scene of an amazing affair in which the enraged spectators rushed on to the course, stopped the race, broke up the pits, and then looked round to see if they could do the same to the officials. As the result of a i|uestiomiaire, a big American concern found that motorists voted in a majority for dependability as the most desirable quality in a new car. Next came operating economy, then safety, appearance, comfort, ease of control, smoothness, low price, pick-up, speed.

CLEAN YOUR ENGINE. OBJECTIONS TO DIRT. ENEMY OF EFFICIENCY’. Dirt is not only objectionable in itself; it is the sworn enemy of efficiency. The engine-room of a fast passenger liner is not kept bright and shining because there is nothing else for the junior engineers to do on a long voyage of the marine engine. The remarkable cleanliness is brought about by the necessity for efficiency.; Many motorists are totally unaware of a defect until the engine shows signs of distress or until it stops altogether. Defects in a marine engine are discovered and rectified immediately, and are not allowed to develop to an extent which would interfere with the progress of the vessel. A fault in a clean engine, is easily found and put right; it may take an experienced motorist hours to discover a fault in a dirty engine, and in the process dirt is spread generously over the whole tool kit, it finds its way into delicate components such as the magneto and the dynamo, and the unfortunate motorist’s suit, overcoat and gloves may be ruined. “Sheer Snobbery.” Clean collars and shirts are worn more because one is uncomfortable with soiled clothes than because one wishes to impress other people. On the other hand, the ear with a dusty or muddy body is just as comfortable —and may be just as efficient or more so—as the car with a spotless exterior. Unless the engine is perfectly clean, the daily hosing and polishing of bodywork is sheer snobbery; and in any case, the knowledge that he has impressed people with his prosperity or with his desire to “do the right thing” brings no lasting satisfaction to the true motorist. A clean exterior and a dirty mechanism will never give confidence, for at any moment the propeller shaft may come adrift or the magneto drive fail or brake rods or cables snap. In keeping the engine clean, the magneto coupling will have been rubbed oyer, and any defect of slackness will be discovered immediately. With floor-boards up and oilcan and rag in use, the propeller shaft universal joints will have been oiled or greased and cleaned; and in cleaning, any unusual play will be brought to light. In removing dried mud from the brake gear, any weakness in the cables or rods will be seen at once. Stitch in Time. Cleanliness of engine and chassis is not only the safest guarantee against breakdown on the road; it is the most reliable method of avoiding big repair bills. The ‘ ‘ stitch in time” proverb is particularly applicable to car maintenance, When cleaning under the bonnet, one cannot help seeing, for example, an electric wire with the insulation showing' signs of wear as it rounds a. bend or passes over an edge of the bodywork. It. is only the Avork of a moment to wind a piece of insulation tape round the damaged part, pending the replacement of the whole wire at a convenient time; but unless cleanliness beloAV the body-work is a habit, it is possible to drive for hundreds of miles in blissful ignorance—and (hen there may be a. short, (he electrical equipment seriously damaged nr (he ear eatch on Are. Gas Leak Dangers. A car will, run indefinitely with a loose nut or blown gasket on the exhaust manifold. The slight increase in engine noise may not bo notieoable, bur the exhaust gases will pass into >ho interior of the car and cause mysterious headaches and even sickness; but if (he engine be cleaned regularly, a loose nut will be discovered at once, or the marks of escaping hot gases will he visible ami a new gasket fitted hetoro the driver begins to feel offcolour and Avithout incurring doctor’s bills. In cleaning the chassis, a not may be found missing from a steering pin; it can bo replaced for a few pence, but if the car is dri\ T en Avithout the owner being aware of the absence of the nut, the steering pin itself, and possibly other connections, will have to be roncAved in time; .and in any case the dm*er is running serious risks through not taking advantage of the frequent inspection of vital parts, an inspection which lakes place automatically as a result of cleanliness.

CAR SHORTAGE. ORDERS NOT FULFILLED. MAKERS LACK .STEEL. Throughout Groat Britain there are, at the present time, many motorists who are bewailing the fact that they have not yet secured delivery of ears which were, ordered several months ago. The majority are bewildered by this hold-up, and are, naturally enough, apt to resent what they consider to be bad management on the part of car manufacturers, The fact of the matter is that in comparatively few cases are the car makers to blame. The delay must be attributed to the inability of the material suppliers to keep abreast of their orders. There for example, a great shortage of thin steel sheets, suitable for metal body pressings, though those arc by no means the only components for which car makers are waiting. It might be thought at first sight that the steel suppliers would be not only anxious but able to meet the increased demands for their products brought about by general trade improvement. Willing they certainly are, but the ability to deliver promptly is quite another matter. During the worst of the trade depression, though the motor industry has been an excellent customer of the steel makers, the latter have been running at something very far below their full capacity. With trade improving all round, and orders flowing in from other quarters, the suppliers of steel find that to keep up with their commitments they have very materially to increase their output. This has been by no means easy to do quickly. It is simple enough to reduce the size and scope of an enterprise, not nearly so easy to increase it when skilled men are required for the job. RADIATIONS. Two of the latest batch of buses to be ordered by the London Passenger Transport Board have all-metal bodies with pneumatically operated doors. * * # • When a new gasket is to be fitted to a cylinder head, soaking it in water beforehand softens the asbestos between the copper faces. This enables the material to pack closely as the bolts are tightened down and saves taking up the bolts later. . * * * * j There is a tendency among some motorists to rely on the oil pressure gauge to indicate the need for the addition of fresh oil to* the sump. This is a dangerous practice, and may result in constant running with the sump only slightly filled. The dipstick is provided to determine the oil level in the sump, and it is a good practice to ask the attendant at the service station to examine it each time you buy petrol and to keep the sump at least three-quarters full.

Inspect spark-plug cables when the ignition system appears to be functioning inefficiently. Cracks in the insulation caused by high temperatures and escaping oil, which affect the rubber, permit the spark to escape before it reaches the cylinder, or at least to diminish in intensity.

When, during adjustments, a nut is dropped and falls into some inaccessible spot, it may sometimes be retrieved with the aid of a blob of thick grease on the end of a length of wire. The better plan is to use a special,form of magnet, but this is not always available.