THE MOTOR WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21831, 19 December 1932, Page 4

THE MOTOR WORLD.

WEST COAST HOADS. Stating that 30,000 motor vehicles used the Greymouth-Holdtika'ioad in a. year, Dr W. M'Kay, president of the .'Grey branch, told the Canterbury Autonfobile .Association last week that there' was a strong desire for the finishing of the Coast road between Kapitea Creek and Flowery Creek, thus Icssenin" the distance between Greymouth and Hokitika by about 20 miles. He considered that the project was held up by one county council. A stretch of about five miles was to be constructed, and the cost would be between £20,000 and £25,000, There were two 'small bridges. Mr W. R. Carey thought that the project should be supported arid that a vigor-ously-worded letter should be sent to the Unemployment Board. £ ’ Dr M'Kay thought it extraordinary that the 60-year-old road to the West Coast from Canterbury should remain without a bridge at the Bealey. He was ,not opposed to the Lewis Saddle road,-but he thought that the old route should be completed firsthand then the Lewis' Saddle road could be gone on with. Several r members, of the council spoke -favouring, the bridge - at the Bealey and the reading proposal on the West -Coast. A letter is to be sent to the .Unemployment Board. SPEEDY CARS. If speed be the essence of the contract, manufacturers of new'care exhibited at the Olympia Show in London have fulfilled their obligations. Latest reports from London state, that the exhibits include:— Nine cars capable of speeds over 100 miles an hour. , , A dozen or so capable of 90 miles an hour, including one that’.is being massproduced at under £3OO. And a large number of standard touring cars in the medium-priced market that will do 80' miles an hour. " • While the safest type of car on the road to-day is one with a large reserve priwer, which can be relied on to pull you out of an will arise if large numbers of motorists drive the very, fast new cars at tlieir maximum speed. The extra power should be used only ,as a safeguard in .emergencies, and not for the purpose of racing along the highway, to the danger of others. i PREPARING FOR WARM WEATHER. The return of warm weather brings'with it many small jobs,., which should now receive attention if complete satisfaction is to be obtained from a motor car., Fan ,be}ts which have , been removed to , prevent over-cooling, in the cold weather should be replaced immediately, and the .radiator can with advantage be cleaned by flushing' with the quantity of water it usually carries in which a handful of washing soda has been dissolved. More certain lubrication of ' the engine is often obtained in the summer by using a heavier grade of oil, but in making this change one should be guided by the directions of the manufacturer of the car or by the .charts prepared by the large oil .companies. In many cases where the exhaust pipe passes close- to’ the floorboards excessive heating of the car body cap be avoided if the pipe.is Round with asbestos string., Tyres should be carefully, examined for cuts' or bad abrasions, as'such weaknesses are particularly likely to lead to blow-outs if the air pressure ‘rises above normal through exposure to hot sun. . , ; MOTORING RESPONSIBILITY. Driving a motor* car or a motor cycle is much more than the manipulation of -mechanical devices; and a first-rate driver in that sense may be an abominably bad driver in the true sense (says "The Time's). Punishment ban-do much, ■ but was is more generally and most urgently needed is education. To put it bluntly, the average intelligence is not high enough to be entrusted with so dangerous a weapon as a motor or a motor bicycle; and only a rigorous .training can bring most people up to" the lowest necessary ■level of alertness, caution, and prompt action. It is now dear that we have: too ■long sheltered our incompetence under r the usual plea that in England we do riot go in for. examinations and that sort p'f thing. The average driver has not been tauglit 'bow and where to look out for other traffic. He has not had it drummed into him that he must concentrate on his very difficult and responsible task. So far from, protecting himself and others by a strict use of the prescribed signals, he does not even know them, and he will say that he has -signalled if he has stuck out the tips of'his two fingers, of.die. will signal that he is going to turn to the'.right when he means that he is going to stop. In such matters as these education and examination should be compulsory.

PETROL ECONOMY. Many persons believe that, although fast travelling requires greater, power, this is compensated by the rapidity with which the journey is covered. In this way they seek to prove that the petrol consumption should not be markedly affected, but such an argument is'quite fallacious. At any speed above 30;miles per hour wind resistance and the. .power to overcome it both increase very rapidly. This means that the higher the speed the wider must the throttle be held open (says an Australian paper). The throttle, of course, acts merely as a tap regulating the amount of mixture drawn into the engine. In reasonably level country the number of revolutions the engine makes iii covering a certain journey is exactly the same whether the distance be covered slowly or quickly. From this argument it is clearly seen that, as the faster journey involves a bigger throttle opening, the petrol consumption will necessarily be higher. If practical proof in this connection be needed it may be mentioned that,, in a series of tests carried out in England recently, it was shown that the mileage per gallon at 20 miles per hour and 30 miles per hour were practically the same, but that, at 60 miles per hour it was halved. These results may be slightly modified in very hilly country, because a higher average speed may enable certain gradients to be taken with a rush in top gear which would otherwise have necessitated changing down. Naturally, the use of a lower gear increases the engine speed, and more petrol is consumed. It is, of course, bad practice to allow an engine to labour pulling the car slowly up hill in “top,” but, all the same, too frequent use of the causes an unnecessary waste of fuel. The careful driver must endeavour tb strike a happy medium between those extremes. The next point is that the speed should be kept as steady as possible. The driver who is constantly accelerating up to 50 miles per hour, immediately afterwards having to brake heavily for a corner or other traffic, uses far morn petrol than one who is content to plug along at more modest speeds. This is simply due to the fact that the power needed to accelerate' the mass of the car is much greater than that required to keep it running at a steady rate. Petrol also is wasted by a jerky action of the foot on the throttle. In some cases throttle springs are unduly light, so that on a rough road it is difficult to keep the foot steady without some form of rest. An English- expert stated recently that it is a great , pity that people do not make greater use of the hand throttle control, because a steady setting is far more economical than one which is constantly varying. When cruising on a main road it will usually lie found that, having attained the speed required, the throttle can be closed slightly without losing headway. Use of tlio minimum throttle opening is economical. TESTING “AIRWHEEL” TYRES. Two years ago (he Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company evolved a new superballoon tyre for motor cars—the Goodyear “ Airwheel ” tyre. This was in, reality an adaptation of their famous aeroplane tyre of the same name. Before marketing this product, however, extensive tests wore carried out to prove conclusively that this tyre was in every way

By ACCELERATOR.

flfema of news—short description., of tours, the state of the roads, etc., comment, oi inquiries will be welcomed by " Accelerator.’ J

superior to existing balloons. The. following are a few of the testa carried out. The car, equipped with Goodyear “Airwheel ” tyres, is driven at a good speed over a special route. The track to begin with is a rough brick pavement, a set of train tracks cross it, the car then turns off into a deeply-rutted clay road, it is accelerated, and, with maniacal recklessness, driven zig-zagging back and forth over the ruts; then back again on to an asphalt highway which, ori examination, closely resembles a washboard —yet, if you were blindfolded within the car, you would swear that you had been driving over a good smooth road. Another test made to prove the shockabsorbing qualities of these tyres was to place a bottle of milk on the hood of a sedan car equipped with Goodyear “Airwheel ’’ tyres and drive over the sleepers of a railway track. The bottle of milk remained stationary. Thus were the manufacturers satisfied that these tyres would give luxurious comfort. The next test was traction, A con-ventionally-tyred car is driven over a wet asphalt road and tries a turn, going into a dangerous skid, from which only expert driving avoids a capsize. A car fitted with “Airwheel ” tyres tries that same turn 15 miles per hour faster without yielding an inch. Another test is made on sand. The conventionally-tyred car digs in, but the fatter, doughnut tyred act like snowshoes buoying the car up with just the tread gripping the surface. Then comes the safety test —a special two-barrelled gun is attached to the front of the car, aimed at one of the front tyres. The driver accelerates to 60 ra.p.h., then pulls the, triggers, firing both barrels at the - tyre, causing a blowout. He then gradually slows down and pulls the car up, having it under perfect controk the whole time. Such a test on an ordinary .tyre at such a speed would throw the car off the road. It is air pressure, not air volume, that causes trouble with blowouts. In these' lowpressure tyres there is not sufficient air pressure to make a car jump out of control. THE MORRIS RANGE FOR 1933. As befits Great Britain’s largest producer of motor vehicles, the Morris range for 1933 is remarkable for outstanding improvements' to an already fine- range of cars —smarter lines and greater speed, coupled .with safety. On exafriining the Morris cars for 1933 it is not hard to understand why they achieved more than one sale in i ry three in Great Britain, and that export has increased in the past 12 months 41 per cent. , ■ The outstanding model of the 1933 Morris range is an entirely new 10 h.p. fourcylinder car, which presents a very fine solution of to-day’s problem. It is difficult to say which class of buyer will be more impressed with this new Morris Ten, and it will win owners from two distinct classes—the former owner of the “ baby ” car in search of more room and the previous owner of larger cars who will find a ■ car that has as much room as his former high-powered model, engine performance comparable with it, without having to encounter heavy - operating costs. , ....

To some, the attraction will be the low price, running economy, and utility performance. Others will choose, it. for its delightful appearance, its provision of practically every luxury to make driving safer, and riding more tomfortable and carefree. The Motor, a conservative English journal, says about the new Morris Ten: “The planning of the engine and chassis leads one to expect something quite above the ordinary, in performance and roadworthiness. The Morris Ten fulfils all expectations in these directions, and gives the additional impression that although new it has undergone very considerable testing before presentation. .The .car. placed at our disposal had covered 'well over 12,000 miles in the 7 hands of va'rions drivers. It was standard in every detail; and not tuned for the occasion, so that purchasers of the production model can reasonably hope to obtain equal, if not better, results, The.; testing out of the car has been of a- severe ’nature, and carried out on the severest gradients which these islands of ours can produce. “First impressions of the, Morris, Ten are that it is a car of much greater power and size than actually is the case. Viewed from the driving, seat, there- is a big expanse pf bonnet which helps considerably to strengthen this impression. Coupled with this is the fact that, .the engine is well forward in the frame, and the radiator is located in front of the axle, both of which tend to enhance the big-car appearance.' “The engine is outstanding for' ability to pull at low speeds-on top gear, and quite an appreciable gradient ' can be taken at 6-8 m.p.h, without the slightest signs of pinking or unevenness in running. Even when the throttle is opened wide the power unit responds with an effect akin to a steam engine. “It is smooth at all speeds, even when revved to its limit on the indirect gears,/ and it can be driven indefinitely, at 50 m.p.h. “ The clutch _ has a smooth take-up, while the gear’ change is exceptionally easy in both upward and downward directions. Although a reverse catch is not fitted; there is no danger of fouling this gear, for the tension of, a- strongspring has to be overcome before reverse can he engaged. . “The splayed rear springing, coupled with the fitting of shock absorbers all round, gives excellent road stability, and enables really bad road surfaces to be taken without appreciable slackening, of speed, there being practically no tendency to pitch or roll. •' " Braking is a particularly _ good feature, and the Lockheed hydraulic system employed enables the car to be brought to rest ‘all square’ irrespective of speed and'with commendable smoothness. The hand brake also is capable of holding the car on any gradient; it is entirely independent. “Other good features of this really excellent car are the comfortable driving position, all-round visibility, light and accurate steering, gearbox silence, good steering lock, and general manoeuvrability in traffic.” • <

Petrol consumption varies from 35-40 m.p.g., and the car is fitted with fourspeed gear box with silent third to give' greater flexibility and a very high average touring speed. Triplex safety-glass is fitted throughout.

THE AUSTIN PROGRAMME. The Baby Austin is in a ,sense the father of the baby car and the new baby has increased its dimensions, being now Gin longer and 3Jin wider. That of itself is a healthy sign. Other improvements in the latest model are the fourspeed gear box with silent third gear, the new Zenith carburettor, the petrol tank is at the rear, and the lamps are chromium-plated. Another new model-'is the Light Twelve l Four. This car has a powerful fourcylinder engine of 1535 c.c., notable for its sweet running quaitiesy and it will undoubtedly prove a worthy alternative to the Twelve-Six, at a slightly lower price. It follows proved Austin practice in having an engine with side valves, a four-speed twin-top' gearbox, and a three-quarter floating ' rear axle with spiral bevel drive, and, apart from (ho engine, adheres very closely to the design which has proved so successful in the now famous Twelve-Six. The Austin Ten-Four ■■ is impressive. Apart from the sturdy build and compact power unit, the clever layout of the frame sweeps down behind the engine and extends almost to the full width between the rear wheels. It is largely due to this construction that the. wonderful stability of the Ton-Four can he attributed. The Ten-Four model is a car of enticing comfort, with a four-cylinder engine, having a petrol consumption of 30 m.p.g.', in addition to outstanding performance. This car admirably meets the modern need of economy motoring for (he average family.

THE . MOTOR CYCLE FIXTURES OTAGO MOTOR CLUB’S CYCLE SECTION. January 17.—Monthly meeting. January 28. —Sports at Brighton. February 11,—Night trial. February 21.—Monthly meeting, February 26.—Social run. SOUTHLAND MOTOR CYCLE CLUB. December 20.—Grass track races. January 10.—Grass track races. January 21. —Oreti Beach races. * SPARKS Thirty-six new members were elected by the Canterbury Automobile Association last week. * * *• Indiscriminate horn-blowing is useless, and annoying to others. Use the warning signal with discretion. •V- :{■ Lubrication of the cylinder walls of a cold engine does not take place until' after about 500 revolutions. * * $ In the first eight months of this year approximately 1,120,000 cars were, produced in the United States. This compares with 2,022,000 in the corresponding period of 1931. ■*•■ ■ * * The world consumption of petroleum products during 1931 is estimated at 47,666,000,000 gallons, and petrol, gas and fuel oils represent about 83 per cent, of the total consumption. * •-!! * All motor cycle riders who cover a lap of Brooklands track at 100 miles an hour a , re entitled to a gold star presented by the B. M.-C. R. Club. The first gold star was won by the laite H. Le Yack in 1922. * * * Motorists on a coastal road iri England were recently held up by a swarm of flies. There were many species amopg the swarm. They came apparently from the sea, and.by the time night fell they had mostly disappeared. * * * Light oil containing 33 per cent, petrol is reported to have been discovered in Brunei, British Borneo. A company had persistently searched for oil in that district, but previously had discovered only heavy oil in shallow wells. * * * It was reported to the Canterbury Automobile Association Council last-week that £4033 was owing in current subscriptions and £2535 in arrears. “ There is a reservation against this,” said Mr W. R. Carey, “and the treasurer assures me that money is coming in as well as at this! time last year.” * ' * * . The danger caused through men using graders leaving shingle heaped up at the sides of roads at the end of the day was mentioned by Mr L. M. Wilson at the meeting of the Canterbury, Automobile Association last week. The subject was referred to the South Island (N.Z.) Motor Union. . , . ** w * A road on the outskirts of Ca’rdiff was found to have-'been plastered with broken glass for a distance of 40 to 50 yards just before dusk one night recently. The police took the view that it was the work of a band of motor thieves intending, to hold up motorists.