NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19133, 26 September 1925, Page 10 (Supplement)

NOTES.

It is estimated that the world' 3 supply o! oil still in the ground which is recoverable by present methods of exploitation is more than 70.000,M0,000 barrels—roughly equivalent to a'vout 70 years' supply at the present rate of consumption.

The supercharger cr Kornpressor-motor is the subject of exhaustive experiment in Germany with a view to its use on touring cars. British and Amorican experts are concentrating on the developments of the device almost purely for racing poroses.

" The scrappiest six on wheels," is the headline used in American papers in advertisements introducing a new sixcylinder car. To a New Zealander, the term "scrappy" used in connection with an automobile would suggest the reverse of eulogy.

Gadget merchants sire beginning to realise that thrifty drivers are reluctant to fit expensive not cities. When a car is offered for resale tho buyer seldom pays an extra price because the car is adorned with instruments of handsome appearance but obscure utility.

Tlie harmonic balancer, a device for many years used exclusively by a highgrade English car, is now being more widely applied. Several American cars ar9 offering it on the 1926 models. The balancer is designed to reduce engino vibration by overcoming the unbalanced forces set up by tho rotation of the crankshaft. | Roads in America vary greatly; and in contrast to some of the fine stretches of concrete there are highways which tax the highest-powered cars as much as the worst colonial routes. The main highways in Arizona abound in death traps, and, in many cases, they are only improved horse coach roads with steep grades winding along the face of an abyss. >• lowa is noted for slippery mud reads which are often impassable in winter. Two light cars of the same make came into collision, with the result that on each car the front spring fixings gave way, and the leaves were scattered in the road. The respective owner-drivers, who were not injured, then proceeded to pick up and sort out the leaves with remarks such as: "My leaf, I think." "Pardon , me,, I recognize that as being one of mine," and so on. Quite a long time elapsed before the leaves were finally sorted out. Every car should carry an additional supply of valve caps, and every tyre should be supplied with a cap. It keeps dirt and mud out of the inside of the tyre valve. • While the long dust cap that covers the valve sterna is an important tyro valve accessory, the valve cap is a hundred times moro important H foreign matter gets down on the valve inside it is likely to clog the mechanism of, the inside so that the air control seat cannot function properly. In 1900 nobody agreed about the ideal position of an engine on a chassis. A few makers stoutly held that it should be put in front, where it balanced the aspect of a car and assured accessibility. But a more popular school contended that the great point was to .free as large a deck as possible for the accommodation of passengers and luggage j if this were so, the engine must be underneath, somewhere; and if it were placed under the tail, it would lend weight to the driving wheels. Touring in motor coaches has become popular in Great Britain. The driver of a private car does not look with favour on the vogue, although the wayside inns which meet with the patronage of a full complement from a touring charabanc are experiencing a revival of trade reminiscent of the stage coach days. in English periodicals complain that they find it necessary to carry picnic baskets when motoring, as it is not uncommon to find that holiday-makers, from a motor coach, have descended unexpectedly on a small inn and eaten everything available. SIGNPOSTING ACTIVITIES. In spite of the inclement weather during /the week, the A. A. A. service officer has been busy signposting. The stretch from Ranginri to Ohinewai has been marked with v depth poles at the roadside to guide (motorists when the Waikato is in flood on the lower levels. The service officer will later affix the yellow A. A. A. diamond to each pole. The roads in the Howick, Panmnre and Whihford areas have also received attention during the week. - - SPOTLIGHT REGULATIONS. .- * In the proposed motor regulations which are now being submitted to the local bodies by the Government for comment, exception is taken to the clause dealing with spotlights. This provides that tho spotlight shall be so fixed that at a distance of 100 ft. from the car its light cannot be raised more than 4ft. 6in. above the ground, Tho Tuakau Town Board, practically all the members of which aro motorists, has protested that this would rob the spotlight of one of its most important uses, namely, the showing up of signposts at night. Members commented that if the light were fixed as specified it would \be impossible to tnrn it upwards on to direction posts at road intersections, MAIN ROADS. Auckland-Rotorua. —All the roads from Auckland to Rotorua are in bad condition, and motorists are advised by the Auckland Automobile Association's service officer to rail their cars from Putaruru. This station will be . found to be more convenient than Tirau, as the facilities for trucking vehicles are better. Putaruru-Lichfleld. —This section of the Anckland-Taupo road is cutting up rapidly.'