THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20965, 3 March 1930, Page 4

THE MOTOR WORLD.

By ACCELERATOR.

OTAGO MOTOR CLUB—MOTOR CYCLE SECTION,

FIXTURES. March 8. —Dirt track racing. March 8. —Hard-up Social. March 10.—Monthly meeting March 22, 23, and 24 Club run to Roxburgh. April 6.—Hill climb. April-16.—Monthly meeting. April 26.—Chib run to Buckley’s Hill. May 10.—Paperchase. May 21. —Monthly meeting. May. 24.—Camberley Scramble. June 7.—Speed judging contest. June 18.—Monthly meeting. June 21.—Sporting trial. July 12.—Club run. CLEANING GLASS. The glass panels of wind screens or doors can be cleaned very effectively if a small quantity of paraffin is added to the cleaning water. A simple method is to pour a few drops of paraffin into a saucer and to rub ou the mixture with a piece of old fchamois leather or cloth. A few minutes should be allowed to elapse for the mixture to dry, and the glass can then be polished with a clean duster. In this manner a particularly brilliant result is achieved which will last for some time; furthermore, rain drops will have a tendency to run off, and it will be found also that, so far as the interior of a saloon is concerned, the windows have no tendency to steam on the inside when they are closed, A CHANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND RIDERS. The Auto-cycle Union of Great Britain 'ms.made a very generous offer to New Zealand motor cyclists to pay all tramsport charges, so that, a representative of the Dominion may compete at the forthcoming Tourist Trophy Races at the Isle of Man. Ihe New Zealand Auto-cycle Union is to select the rider, who must, ,ol course, be registered with the union for tue present season. It will be necessary lor the selected competitor to pay his own personal expenses in England, but it has been suggested that the various affiliated cluba would hold benefit race meetings to defray the amount involved. The English authorities have agreed to furnish funds to cover the cost of transport from New Zealand to the Isle of Mau. ANTICIPATE DANGER. One of the best ways to avoid accidente is always to anticipate danger. , imagine that people—especially children—or animals can always be trusted to do the sensible thin« Beware of pedestrians stepping suddenly off the footpath or from behind trams and other vehicles. Don t drive fast past schools or through populous places. B a PP ] y brakes too suddenly or violently except in cases of extreme emergency. Learn how to correct a skid Beware of following other vehicles too closely—especially trams. Beware of vehicles suddenly turning out of their line of traffic. tr 4/-"' a / s remember that main road traffic haS DOt t le rlgllfc °f way over other BIGGER BATTERIES REQUIRED. In the past all too many light-ear owners have found that maintaining the dfrinn y i, m a , n adec iuately charged condition has been a source of distinct anxiety, even though it has not been and his P Wi to take f ? arc of t] ie ignition M, one o£ Rs greatest burdens removed by _ the owner trequently starting ilwnd, It is evident, there® ktA W ii th the fl il the , r demand which T de Upon the battery frequent charging from a source other than the 9 f the car will be needed. This will be irritating, inconvenient, and exof M ek%r^ h f reme -dy lies not with makers ot electrical equipment, who are perpetually striving to increase the efficiency of dynamos and batteries, but with the sufficient ft*of mpplj?

AUSTRALIA’S GRAND PjRIX. The number of provisional entries for this year a Australian Grand Prix to be Manr’Mnv^°9d^. lles ’ P l ™?* at Phillip Tilhf r ™ ? 4 ~ run b y the Victorian andHw 1 Club—are m°st satisfactory, X .‘SfJ? if ever £ P ros Poct of exceptiontimes being recorded Eight of the cars so far entered are superyear? Aven? with - 6nly two iu last ylarMTe rat “Ut Mr A. J. Terdich, ia driving tig Corners have been tarred, as has the finishing straight, and in consequence should prove materially faster m well h£ 1D g free from du y t wdl spfakers rd wili aV k P be °ii erectc?d - end loud •f a'-ti-icnls i„ dSr e SSt C 2aj, n M bTiro&S'Sr c 0 “• 0i

REDUCING CAR THEFTS. In view of the number of cars stolen year in New Zealand, although the majonty are recovered. sometimes in a damaged condition, it i s very desirobk ihoffifb l fonnrft pert) , Uiat ?° me means snoum De tound tor making the unanthor. In the" °4 f l 6 °/ in the State of California there k -i system m force in which the car owner it k U reallv Cei ’ t i-H ate i 0f 1 legal ownership iLn? ly a t ltle deed to disclose thA „,fl--e r i a motor vehicle. Before the vehicle can be registerd in anv other name the certificate of legal ownershin Sakea o it Pl imnn C « d i 1 r V B 61aimed that, this bo used as. saleable merchandke t 0 retains! the StftSff then it is made over to the person who has completed the purchase. ,« such scheme was adopted in New land it would most certainly afford car owners and traders substantial protection might 8 ’ %% atttle mignt not stop the thieving joy rider it would make it practically impossible ’for a stolen ear or a car whichhas nof boon paid for to be traded in. or sold outrkht and would reduce the car thievin'* "im dustry to zero. Moreover, it would*’-ave thousands of pounds now expended in police efforts to recapture stolen cars

COLLISIONS AND JUDGMENT. Probably the worst tvpe of motor -icei dent is that which can arise froni a heath on collision between vehicles going in oppos, e directions. Then the striking foms vehicles 811111 ° f the Sr,GGC,S of "he rivo

w f U '° vehldcs ’ cach travelling at tl!! h °F’ m «*. ,n a head-on collision the .impact speed , s 60 miles an hour. Elementary as this fact may seem, it does not appear to be realised b, many people. Ihe hist lesson to be derived from it is the extreme danger of swinging out to the wrong side ot the road, unless it is absolutely dear that no vehicles are approaching. 1 E\ciy driver should stick to the sound old n.ile of keeping well to his left side of the road in any doubtful situation, and tins really means slowing down. But to swing out wide from behind another vehicle, and thus get into the line of oncoming tvallic, is a particularly daimorous practice, crowing more common every day, tor traffic keeps on increasing . drivers, too, have little idea in judging stopping distances at various speeds. Lot him select a little-used stretch of road, and mark a point at which the car is to be stopped. Then ho should approach this point at various speeds and endeavour to gauge the minimum distance he requires to bring the car safelv to rest. It will be a surprise to this class of driver to find that ho does not bring oft that smooth deceleration, and precise stopping at a given point, which the skilled driver carries out so neatly. Every day one hears screeching "brakes which tell of frantic braking efforts; and in nearly every accident much is due to ill-judged or unsuccessful braking efforts.

Sn«m» of news—short descriptions, of loura, the state of the toads, Mo., comment, or inquiries will be welcomed bj " Accelerates.

The changes in stopping distances brought about by vai'ious speeds and various types of road surface are also most useful studies which are too often neglected. THE IMPROVING CAR. No mechanism is so consistently being improved as the automobile. It is not simply because there are fashions in gears and pistons as there are in dress, but because the circumstances change in which an automobile is driven and because there is demand for greater speed, safety, ease of operation, and comfort. More than any other inventions, the automobile reflects the state of mechanical engineering and its relation to society. First we see the influence of good roads. Once they nl 'e built, the desire for speed becomes insatiable. Even the least expensive of the new cars can touch close ou 60 miles an liour. To attain speed the automobile maker has borrowed freely from the airplane (swiftest of all vehicles), and the influence of aviation is seen in the efforts of body-builders to more and more stream* line their productions, and also in sparkplugs, shock absorbers and the increasing use of aluminium to lighten the mass of moving engine parts. But to racing we owe most of the present day improvements in cars which have added so greatly to speed, safety, and comfort. The automobile being a vehicle that is driven by millions of men and women who are no respecters of machinery, the engineer has found it necessary to devise cars that will all but take care of themselves. So we find in the modern oar of to-day thermostatically controlled radiator shutters, more ways to lubricate 20 to 40 chassis points at once by the turn of a handle or the pressing m a . Pedal, and more automatic means to lubricate pistons than by splashing of oil in a crankcase.

In mechanism the automobile owner is willing _to leave all to the engineer, but not so in the body design and colour. In these respects mass production has.not yet throttled self-expression and never before has such a variety of beautiful bodies and colour schemes been offered. When paint was flushed on with a hose. (the brush slow), there was no room for rainbow hues; but with modern quick* drying nitrocellulose lacquers, sprayed on by air pressure, even the maker of a million cars a year can afford to consider individual tastes. Artists are now engaged in several plants to harmonise colour and body' design. Perhaps this consideration for the individual—the entry of artists into the automobile plant is of even more significance than the purely mechanical advances;, for it shows that science can aid the manufacturer to satisfy the individual motorist. NEW METALS FOB CABS. Many of the materials that go into motor cars to-day are different from those of even so short a time ago as last year, when the 1929 models were introduced. With the appearance of 1930 models, there nave been still other changes in construction. ' Many of the changes are just beginning to be recognised ny the car buyer. An illustration of this is found in brightly plated exterior parts. The _ motorist s first thought is chromium plating. He is right in most Instances, but breaks in the line here and there find carmakers using stainless steel for parts previously treated with chromium. The manufacturer of two popular sixes, for example, ie using a hood hinge of stainless steel in spite of the fact that chromium plating was largely developed by the corporation of which this company is a unit. In the products of other car manufacturers stainless steel ie being used to an even larger extent for exterior parts likely to feel the effects of weather. Despite the fact that this typo of steel is four times as expensive as ordinary grades, the maker of the one fine car is using it for virtually all bright exterior parts. Others arc considering it for various units. Another member of the same tamiiy that is coming into wider use is rustless iron. Its first application to a motor car was in the form of running board mouldings. The first user was the manufacturer of a line of sixes and 'eights Others now .are looking into it. In three of the largest motor car laboratories experiments are being conducted with an tJ'P c of steel for use in crank shafts. While details of the new metal are not yet available, it is known that it eliminates the process of heat treatment.

T-he recent introduction of a series of new models by the maker of one of tile most expensive cars marked the first use in the United States of nitrified steel in motor car fabrication. This metal has been much exploited in Europe, and its vrogress is being watched with special ' Mention by American engineers and taUurgists. A great deal of easeHardened steel, of course, is employed in motor cars, and many feel that something still harder, less corrosive, less easily distorted and capable of withstanding heavier impact is to be desired. It it tins tact that has focussed so much attention on mtrided steel, which is claimed to possess these desirable virtues. The mtrided process was developed at the iuupp works in Germany. It was introduced in America by Adolphe Aubert, a french steel maker, who holds the rights to the process outside of Germany. While, it has tajled so far to find an application u ] America, outside of the steering gear ot the car previously referred to, it has caught on more strongly in Europe, where it has been longer known. One of the expensive European cars uses iV, tf 6 ®! f°r cylinder walls, cranksliatts, timing gears, camshaft gears, clutch disc, valve tappets water pump, and other engine parts. Still other European cars are using it to a lesser degree. Proponents of this new steel Torsee its early and general use in America despite some oi the present disposition to wait. Oost and possible brittleness are two of the considerations in the minds of American engineers. A new ingredient that has recently gone into the making of automobiles is asphaltum. A coating of this substance being applied to the inner side of the steel body pane! to, remove it tendency to rumble. Several of the more expensive cars are using it. Rubber haying displaced metal in so many parts of the average automobile, it i is worthy of note that one instance has! recently developed in which metal has displaced rubber. That is in the clutch, tthen the 1929 cars were introduced, !ill,r bCl n ln ; so f w cre to be found in virtuaJly all clutches. Their purposes was to prevent the matching of the engine and drive mechanism vibrations. Recently alter months of experiment, the maker ot one of the most popular sixes decided the same end could better be achieved bv using a small coiled spring instead of a rubber insert. Others may follow this example soon, according to present indications. A continued discussion with regard to the metals used in car-making is iff 1 elating to the springs. Virtually all laboratories have considered, and continue to consider the relative superiority of a carbon or alloy steel for spring material, Iho final word on the subject has not been spoken. Some have chosen a carbon steel, others an alloy. Carbon steels are less expensive hut more material is necessary which makes them as costly in the final analysis as one of the alloys, some declare. In such ways as these are the inm-edi-ents of automobiles undergoing changes, the trend is one for which most observers can see no end, for, as one of the greatest engineers declares: “Wo are just beginning to learn how to use metals. - ’ SPARKS. Ear too many drivers think it correct to drive on the middle of the roadway. * * * A new rocket car has been produced in Germany, which is propelled by carbonic acid used to fire the rockets. Specially selected Boy Scouts have been placed at the corners of all busy thoroughfares in Warsaw to guide pedestrians. It has been computed that allowing for depreciation, the average automobile owner in the United States spends 4s 9d per day on the upkeep and operation of Ins car. * * * It is claimed that increases in prices at the >.ew York Show are the result of surplus production compelling lower output; accordingly the costs per car are higher.

The Automobile Club of France is interesting itself in a scheme to induce French motorists to use only Frenchbuilt cars. * * * At a recent New York show, one of the most striking exhibits was a 10cylinder Cadillac, which in nearly every detail was a radical departure from the previous practice of the General Motors Corporation. # * * It is not generally known that as far back as 1906 the world’s speed record stood at 127,658 m.p.h. Still more astonishing is the fact that the car was a steam one, a Stanley driven by Frank Marriott. The record stood for four years. * * # The judge; You are charged with running your car 60 miles an hour, smashing a telegraph pole, going through a plate-glass window, and injuring six people. What do you say? Lovely young lass: Don’t the 15 dollars I pay for my license entitle me to any privileges? * * * According to “ The What, Why and How of the New Mobiloil,” a booklet recently issued by the Vacuum Oil Company Pty., Ltd., motor cars are being driven at greater speeds than was the case, say, two or more years ago. The reason given for this is that better engines are now being built, better roads are being laid down, cars are sprung more efficiently and balloon tyres are more generally used—all these conditions being conducive to higher speeds. Motorists will appreciate the valuable information con-, tained in " The What, Why and How of the New Mobiloil.” Copies of this booklet may be obtained free on application to any branch of the Vacuum Oil Company, Pty* Ltd. VELOCETTE MOTOR CYCLES. Greatest value of all. Camshaft engine, electric lighting; £93 10s. The world’s fastest 350 C.C. Motor Cycle on track or road. Holder of every record from one mile uij to one thousand miles. On view at Mewhinney and Geddes, Motor Cycle Specialists, 267 Princes street.—Advt.