IN RACING TRIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18949, 21 February 1925, Page 10 (Supplement)

IN RACING TRIM.

•PREPARING FOR MURIWAI, A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES. When tho cars are lined up for the Now Zealand Motor Cup to-day the care and attention of many anxious weeks will be brought to tho test—a test in which mechanical energy and human ingenuity are linked together in a terrific endeavour to outstrip records for speed and endurance. Few people who gaze at that black line of roaring, throbbing machines 'will realise the labour and the anxiety that have been expended on them to bring them into perfect racing trim. It is a labour of time, money and love, and involves the expenditure of as much careful handling and training as might be lavished on a 2000-guitiCit racehorse. In tho back workshops of Auckland s big garages lit lie coteries of grimy, overailed men have, been feverishly working for weeks past at these freakish speed demons, adjusting a sparking plug here, applving a little oil there, and tinkering about in the manner peculiar to the man who looks for maximum results from his engine. And looking on, much in tho style of the racehorse know-all. is_ an admiring circle of internal-combustion enthusiasts, shrewdly discussing and comparing the linos and features of the strange beast. The Cost of Preparation. The expense involved in preparing a racing car for an event, such as the New Zealand -Motor Cup runs into anything up to £2OO. One of tho finest machines competing m to-day s big event has taken over four weeks to get into racing trim, and during that time tile driver arid two mechanics have been employed intermittently. Other cars, not so 'well prepared as this one, have been as long as two months in tho hands of the mechanics. The" majority of the machines taking part in to-day's principal event are standard sports models, with a small sprinkling of speciallv-buiit racers. In the Light Car Cup contest, however, there are numerous converted cars —touring models adapted by the attachment of a "racing body and the substitution of lighter pistons and engine fixtures. This is" an expensive process, running into about £250. The hundred and one things that havo to be attended to are sufficient to probe tho patience and temper of the averago human to the uttermost. Such matters as grinding the valves, cleaning out tho fuel ways., testing the"carburetter mixtures. and securing a perfect balance of the wheels, havo 'to receive minute attention. All running gears have to be in perfe.cn condition, and tests have to be carried out to endure the maximum number of revolutions being obtained from the engine. The usual motor spirit and oils arc supplanted by aviation spirit and special oils.. Then, before tho machine is brought to tile truck, it is stripped, the mudguards and other attachments are removed, and everything ■is done to promote tho streamline .shape of the body. Listening to the Engine's Throb. AY 'ceks before the date of the meeting tho machines are run over the course to test their performances, much as a' racehorse is paced before it enters for tho stakes. Not only is., the hand and eye trained to watch -over the machine, eagerly and incessantly, but tho ear, too, is ever on the alert to detect flaws in the engine's running. The driver who is really at home with his engine knows its throbs, rattles and purrs to a nicety, ' and exerts all his energy, and commands all his intelligence, to ensure that it is in perfect .order and runs smoothly and efficiently. And then there is the rigorous practice that must bo carried out over the course to enable the drivers to take the hairpin bends in the smallest possible space. Muriwai is not Brooklands, and there is no continuous oval. What with the tricky turns round the flags, and the sand, it is a very delicate business. Infinite pains, heavy expense, and (when it conies to the test) precision, nerve and skill —all play their part in the speediest of sports. And yet, one minor mishap, one small error of judgment., or one slight divergence of the attention, and the machine may be out of the running. All is then over but the talking! LIGHT CAR CUP CONDITIONS. The sports committee of the A.A.A. has been empowered by the council of that body to limit the cubic capacity of i the cars competing ir. the light car cup - contests at future motor race meetings, as they deem fit from time to time, and to alter the conditions so that the cup shall remain the property of the association. A miniature will be presented fo the winner each year. At the present time the cubic capacity of light cars in this event is fixed at 2800. but a special prize is being donated for cars of 1500 c.c. measurement. PUKEKOHE BY-LAWS. The I'ukekohe Borough Council has received a contribution of £5 from the Franklin branch of the Auckland Automobile Association toward the, expense of erecting road signs in the district. The works committee of the council has been instructed to confer with the A.A.A., and prepare a comprehensive scheme of parking areas, and consider suggested altera- . t ions to the by-laws and report to the council. It is stated that if the by-laws are carried out, several garages and repair shops will have to close down. BAIN EFFECTS. The rain of the past few days will make travelling by road more pleasant for a week or so, as the roads had become -very dusty under the prolonged spell of dry weather. Until the weather settles again, it would be unwise, however, to i tackle, the clay routes, such as the Rangiriri Hills and the Mamaku Hill. MAIN ROADS. V/aiwera.—('are should he exercised 'when travelling north via Waiwcra. The Waiwera Hill contains some very sharp and narrow bends, which become treacherous in wet weather. Lincoln Road, Henderson.—Reports to hand on Thursday indicated that the Lincoln Road route to Muriwai was in perfect- order, in spite of rumours to tho contrary. With moderately fine weather this route should be the j. referable one for all motorists going to the beach today. Whangarei-Kaitaia,—Alternative to the route via Ilukenuiui and Kawakawa excellent going can be obtained by travelling • via the Maungakahia Valley to Kadcohe, llu-nco to Okaihou, to Ra.ngiahna at the head of the Hokianga harbour, and then north through Mangamuka and the Victoria. Valley Road to Kaitaia. Much work is being done on those roads and there is very little day. Forest Hill Road, Wailakers.—The unmet ailed conditio), of the Forest HiiT Road, in the Waitakeres, has been brought under the notice of the Auckland Automobile Association, and the Waßemain County Council is being approached in an endeavour to have the road attended to. It is reached by branching off beyond Glen Eden ami the extensive use made of if iu summer time may be judged when it. is mentioned that ori Anniversary Hay it was-- the rendezvous of some 100 cars filled'witlr holiday makers.

NOTES. " I have four cars and I might as well get. another considering the price of wool was the optimistic observation of a Wangarmi farmer recuitr. Underinflated tyres, overheated engines, improper spark plugs, or dragging brakes will increase the cost of a motorist s petrol anywhere from id fter gallon up. Wheels should be tested regularly against wear of the bearings. Ihe axles should be jacked up and the wheels shaken back and forth, in an effort to see whether they are loose and wobbly. A camping site at Henderson has been offered to the. Auckland Automobile. Association by a resilient of that district. The site, which is offered gratis, enjoys boating and fishing facilities. It is being inspected by a special committee of the A.A.A. Ono of the most remarkable motor highways in America, from a scenic and engineering viewpoint, is open .for motor traffic. A particularly interesting feature of this western thoroughfare is that it is constructed for its length of 221. miles over the old roadbed of the Colorado Midland railroad. There is a dangerous level crossing on tho main road to Ilelensville, near Huapai fruitgrowers' packing shed. The Kumeu Ratepayers' Association is asking the Railway Department to provide a warning device at this spot, and the matter is being supported by the Auckland Automobile Association. Spark plugs are as good as new as long) as the electrodes "are not corroded or' burned off and the porcelain is free from cracks, leaks or imperfections, and the surface of the part which is inside of the cylinder can be rubbed bright and smooth. The electrode points should have a space of .025 to .050 of an inch between them. A little more care might be taken by some motorists who are accustomed to park their cars at fhe lower end of Albert Street, near the intersection with Customs Street. The western side of the. street is i being taken up in preparation for a coni crete pavement, and when cars are parked just anyhow on the other side, which has been completed, there is not much room for traffic to pass. An arrangement has been arrived at between the Auckland Automobile Association and the Automobile Association of London, whereby any active or honor- ■ arv member of either organisation may obtain active membership in the other body at a 25 per cent, reduction in annual fees (all initiation fees waived). The scheme does not imply affiliation, but merely a reciprocal arrangement for the benefit of individual members visiting the two countries. WELLINGTON STREET SPRAYER. Among the many advantages of bitumen paving is the ease with which it can be effectively cleansed by a spray of a volume that would tear up macadam and widen tho interstices between wood blocking in a very short time. Many people in Wellington have been interested in the new street sprayer imported by tho Wellington City [Council "from England, which, drawn by a motor tractor, detachable for other work, can spray all tho main streets in the city in two days. Apart from a chain drive from the rear wheels, which operates a centrifugal pump giving the spray great force when required, there is no mechanism to deteriorate whilo the sprayer is laid up during hot weather. Sprays are thrown from two diffusers at the' rear, controlled (as is everything about the machine) from the driver's seat, and there are also strong flush jets operating forwards and to the left-hand side. The rear sprays are adjustable. They can bo directed straight down, in condensed form, or spread laterally to any extent, and when they are used to give the greatest lateral spray they easily cover 50ft. on either side. Driven down the centre of Lambton Quay, it effectively covered tho whole street, and the footpaths as well. The sprays can be operated independently, to allow of traffic passing in comfort. The strong flusher in front of the sprayer gives a jet impinging on surfaco dirt at an angle of some 15 degrees, sufficient to remove all manure, etc., and the combined effect of all three sprays is to leave the streets and gutters completely water-swept. Tho new sprayer is a valuable summer acquisition to the Wellington p.Vint, and, incidentally, an instance of tho modern convenience of bitumen pavings. BURDEN OF FEES. A number of motorists residing at Raetihi have written to the Auckland Automobile Association putting forward a complaint regarding the amount of fees they were required to pay in the form of local and Government taxation. It was mentioned that for each car the following fees had to be paid:—(l) £3 15s to the Government j (2) £3 to the borough of Raetihi; (3) £3 to tho borough of Ohakune; and (4) £1 to the Ohakune railway station. " And," the letter adds, " the roads are not fit for a wheelbarrow." The A.A.A. has replied, offering to obtain a legal opinion on tho matter, pro- j vided tho expenses involved are reim- j bursed.