A.A. INTERESTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21844, 5 July 1934, Page 3

A.A. INTERESTS

MURUPARA TO RANG ITAIKI EFFORTS TO REOPEN ROUTE An important link in the direct, road connection between Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty lias been closed through th.e action of the Forestry Department in erecting a fence and prohibiting traffic between Muni para and Rangitaiki. The Whakatane County Council is pressing for the reopening of this route which, it declares, is a public road cn which public money has been expended. The danger of fire is emphasised by the Forestry Department, but it is contended that there is probably no more danger than exists on many other routes which are in use. The Automobile Association is strongly supporting the County Council in its action and considers the action of the department to bo unwarranted. Hitherto the island of Kawau, associated in the early history of New Zealand with Sir George Grey, has been accessible only by steamer from Auckland. During the coming summer the island will bo within 30 minutes' launch trip of a metal road on the mainland and will provide an alternative route.

On the new route, the main northern highway will be followed to Warkworth and then on the northern side of the township a turn to the right will be made toward Leigh, the road again bearing to the right down the Mahurangi Peninsula. Some four miles from Warkworth a side road, which is now being metalled, branches off to the Sandspit at Lower Matakana. Hie wharf is sheltered and provides a good landing place, whence a launch will convey passengers to Kawau. In the meantime, cars will have to bo parked in the vicinity of the wharf.

A complaint has been lodged with the general manager of the National Park Tourist Department concerning the charges which are levied on motorists parking their cars at the Chateau. At a recent Automobile Association council meeting, . when this matter was discussed, it was considered that the price of petrol, 2s 6d, was unnecessarily high when it was considered that at Taupo, where benzine had to bo transported by road for over 50 miles, the cost was only 2s 2d a gallon. The night parking charge at the Chateau garage of 2s 6xl is probably one of the highest in the Dominion and is certainly a deterrent to prospective motoring guests. Jho carage is entirely out of the control of the Chateau management and is sublet to private tenants. The Automobile Association has requested the department to investigate the matter with a view to a more reasonable garage fee being adopted. BUILDING UP WORN PARTS In view of the recent research work which has shown corrosion to be an important factor in cylinder troubles, experiments have been made in It>ngland in the application of a clever build-ing-up process to cylinder bores, pistons and valve seatings. In the first case, the bore is machined to a slightly greater diameter over the upper part, is provided with a nickel coating and is then finally ground and honed to the required size. Consequently, the surface exposed to the flame and to the acidic products of combustion is of an anti-corrosive nature. Pistons can be entirely covered with nickel by the game process or, alternatively, the coating can be applied simply to the ring grooves, in which wear is usually localised. Prolonged experiments are now being made to show the effect of nickel deposited in this way upon cylinder troubles in general, and already, in the case of valve seatings, some excellent results have been obtained, TRAGEDY AT HILL-CLIMB The* tragic accident that resulted in the death of a competitor and six spectators at the recent Fontainebleau lullclimb in France, is the subject of comment by the Motor. The following is an extract That was a terrible business at the Fontainebleau hill-climb, and, like so many of these accidents, need never have happened. The whole thing serves as a warning to spectators who may be tempted to take their dogs along with them to motor events. Reports state that a dog ran on to the course, "Lora" (nom de guerre of the driver Cochet) ovcrbraked, skidded, the Bugatti left the road, mowed through the packed spectators and crashed into a tree. Cochet died on the way to hospital and six spectators were killed outright. There arc lessons to bo learned from this catastrophe. "SAFETY-FIRST" ALLEY The Dutch Automobile Club is arranging in all big towns in Holland a motor-car test week, which will enable every member of the club to have his car tested free of charge in a socalled "Safety First" alley. When these test weeks are held thousands of motor-cars wait at tho entrance of the alleys ready to undergo the tests. First, the exact condition of the lamps is discovered, a scale revealing any irregularity. Then the ear proceeds to a second station where the axles are overhauled. Tho brake test is the most spectacular for the car has to be driven at full speed on to special mats and the brakes fully applied. These mats are connected with an instrument consisting of four tubes containing coloured fluid, i which rises to indicate the braking value on each wheel. If tho liquid fails i to rise equally in tho tubes indicat- j ing for the front and back wheels, the | brakes are considered unsafe. At the : conclusion of the test a card is handed to the driver showing tho number of marks obtained.