SPRING MOTORING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21578, 24 August 1933, Page 14

SPRING MOTORING

PREPARING THE CAR HINTS FOR OWNER-DRIVERS The recent spell of ideal spring weather has been more than welcome to motorists and, particularly at weekends, the increase in the number of peoplo driving solely for pleasure has .been remarkable, Owners of open cars have dared to drop their hoods and stow, away side-curtains after the winter and drivers of the more popular closed types have taken full advantage of their "sunshine tops" and wide windows. Most of the cars, however, have not been overhauled since the winter, and in many instances a general slackness in performance and appearance is noticeable.

With the commencement of generally better weather, owners would be well advised to subject their cars to a rigorous inspection, and givo them a general tightening-up. Small defects noticed during the winter, but neglected on account of the inconvcnienco of lying on wet ground or paths to carry out adjustments or repairs, should be given immediate attention, and tho improvement in performance and general behaviour will more than repay owners for tho timo and effort expended. It is generally wise to decarbonise tho motor and touch-up the valves, chock water-pump glands, oil-pumps for pressure, clean filters in tho vacuumtank and carburettor, clean tho starter pinion, check the brakes and examino all electrical equipment, before looking forward to a trouble-free season's motoring. Tho list may appear formidable, but one or two Saturday afternoons should be sufficient to bring tho car into good running, order. In addition, such routine tasks as attending to the battery and using the grease or oil-gun should not bo neglected. Annoying squeaks or rattles that have developed during tho winter may often bo traced to the doors. Owners should tighten up the various locks and other fittings, and after cleaning, apply a little thin oil to any rusty places. Tho windscreen and its mountings may require similar treatment, whilo all bodybolts at all accessible will probably need attention. It is likely that tho shock-absorbers will be improved by adjustment, and that tho body will appear much more pleasing after a thorough polish followed by a coat of protective wax or other similar preparation. ISLE OP MAN CAR RACES .An attempt to restore to public favour motor-car racing in tho Isle of Man after a lapse ol many years was made with doubtful success recently, when the Mannin Beg and tho Mannin Moar, races for cars under 1100 c.c. and over that limit, respectively, wero held. In spite of tho fact that tho Tourist Trophy races for motor-cycles hold annually on the island are perhaps the biggest events of the year for the residents, there was considerable public opposition to the car races. The first event, that for cars below 1100 c.c., resulted in a fine win for F. Dixon, formerly a well-known motorcyclist, who drove his Rilev with discretion and broke up a formidable team of opponents, chiefly on M.G. Midgets and Magnettes. Only two of tho 14 starters finished, tho winner averaging 54.41 miles an hour. There was also a series of mishaps in the second event, only three of tho nine starters completing the course. Tho winner was the Hon. Brian Lewis, who drove an Alfa-Romeo in fine style. T. Rose-Richards (Bugatti), was second, and G. E. T. Evston (Alfa-Romeo), third. The starters included' five Bugattis, three Alfa-Romeos and an Invicta, but crashes or mechanical trouble reducod the field quickly. Lewis maintained the excellent average of 64.23 miles an hour. HYDROGENATION Motorists in the near future arc to bccomo increasingly familiar with the term hvdrogenation and the process to which this term refers is likely to have a far-reaching effect on the running of their cars. Hydrogenation may be defined as a process in chemical science which does instantly what nature would take many centuries to perform. In other words, it changes a given substance. In the case of crude petroleum, with tho aid of hydrogen gas and by tho use of great heat and exceptional pressure, hydogenation alters and corrects its chemical structure and vastly improves tho operating properties of the finished product. At tho moment one of the leading oil companies is busy on this task and the fruits of its efforts are likely to bo available in tho near future. So important is hydrogenation in chemical science that in 1931 tho greatest scientific honour, tho Nobel Prize, was awarded to Dr. Bosch and Dr. Bergius for their researches in this matter. As an examplo of tho powers of tho process of hydrogonation, it may be instanced that nitrates for crop cultivation have been successfully produced from the atmosphere, and hydrogenation, it is now known, lias made the projection of a shell over ranges exceeding 70 miles an accomplished fact. WIRELESS AND THE CAR Sir Malcolm Campbell is tho latest famous driver to follow the new fashion of installing a wireless sot in his car. He has ordered a Rolls-Royce limousine, which, incidentally, is to bo painted the same colour as his famous record-break-ing "Blue Bird," and tho wireless set will be so fitted that when ho feels like listening to tho programme, all 110 lias to do is "switch 011." Wireless sets in cars aro extremely popular in the United States, but it is interesting to noto that in somo small European countries they are banned, because it is feared that the programmes might distract the attention of tho drives.