MODERN MOTORING

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12075, 28 February 1925, Page 14

MODERN MOTORING

NOTES BY THE WAY. He or she who runs a car runs risks; but that’s better than walking (says the “Auckland Star’s” motor writer). At Brooklands recently, Victor Horsman established a hew record in the 750 c.c. class. Riding a 4 h.p. Triumph, he .covered the five miles in 3min 7sec. a speed of 96.23 ro.p.h. An American has invented a motorcar that will jump over puddles. That’s nothing! An English engineer is at present working out the plans of a car that will sit up and beg when it comes to a petrol depot 1 News has been received that .Ford and Watson, on an Indian Superchief ; side-car outfit, have broken the Sydney to Perth trans-Australian record by two davs six hours -The new re- ! cord is seven days seven hours 32 min-’ utes:

Vibration of the car will oftentimes break the battery gfound wire. All battery connection from the starter, starter switch, and battery, should-be made -nth flexible cable: still battery cable -/ ui sometimes shake battery cells loose from the box. The bast driver is the one who at all tin: »as control over his car, and nev .rives at a speed of more than 25 miles an hour. If an accident should happen and the car is not travelling at a greater speed, the blame will generally be on the other fellow. A short in the light wiring will cause battery to discharge, and may also cause a fire. The presence of short is indicated by a heavy discharge through the ammeter; a short is caused by wire pitching between the frame of the car, breaking the insulation. For emergency repairs use friction tape to insulate the wire from frame. In spite of the growing vogue of the small light car, whose users must be very largely drawn from the ranks of motor-cyclists, there is no apparent diminution in the popularity of the side-car. The lighter and consequently cheaper types of machines are now universally accepted as being eminently suited for passenger use, and with the increasing efficiency of the lower-powered machines the ranks of the side-car riders are likely to he swelled more and more. There is little possibility of the side-car outfit dying out for the very substantial difference in running costs, storage, and maintenance will always make the three-wheeler more practicable than a car for the man of limited means.

A fence or wall That will prevent a motor-car from running over an embankment, but that will incidentally smash it to bits and kill or injure the occupants, is but poor protection, so American engineers have discovered. So with traditional American ingenuity they have designed an elastic read fence that, should your car, swerving from the embankment at 45 miles un hour, strike it, you would halt unhurt. Placed at dangerous turns on bridges, and along mountain roads, such fencing would save scores of lives each year. The fencing is of speciallywoven wire, rugged and elastic, elongating like an elastic band when struck. The elasticity of the wire under impact produces a recoil, giving an effort like that of a man hitting a life net.