THE MOTOR WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22755, 16 December 1935, Page 3

THE MOTOR WORLD

Items of news—-short descriptions etc., comment, or inquiries-—will

THROTTLE FAILURE. In some cars the linkage between the throttle and the accelerator pedal is such that if the return spring breaks (or comes adrift) the weight of the parte tends to open the throttle wide. The driver then linds that when he raises his foot the pedal remains on the floor and the engine continues to run “ all out”. The immediate remedy is, of course, to switch off. If the spring has broken close to one end it may prove possible to reconnect it by means of a short length of wire. Otherwise try a quick repair by means of a stout elastic band or a piece of rubber cut from an old tyre tube. CARBON-MONOXIDE POISONING. Many motorists still do not appear to realise the danger of running the engine of a car in a closed garage or any other enclosed space. The small quantity of carbon-monoxido gas generated by_ an engine in a few minutes is sufficient to prove fatal unless it is dissipated in the open air. The gas is cpiourless and odourless, and its action is 'so swift that a person affected almost invariably col-, lapses before he can reach the open air. The action of the gas on the blood, moreover, is cumulative to some extent, and many minute doses may have a very serious effect. It is strongly advisable, therefore, always to run a car out of a garage before making adjustments, and to leave the back of the car near the garage doors at night so that the exhaust is discharged into the open air when it is started in the morning. SPARK PLUGS. There are various methods commonly used when a faulty sparking plug is suspected, but they are not all infallible. For example, if the plug is taken out and

laid on the cylinder head it may show a spark when the engine is turned over, but under actual working conditions in the cylinder head, where the plug has to work at almost five times atmospheric pressure, the current may be finding an easier path via a short circuit, or through dampness somewhere in the ignition system. Even a neon tester will sometimes show a good flash when there is a dead short through the plug, and there are considerable variations in tho value of the flash. In such oases probably tho best method is the old one of shorting the plugs to the cylinder head one by one with a screwdriver. If there is no drop in, reve., naturally 'the plug concerned is not doing its share of work. Replacement is the best cure. ROAD RESEARCH. In a report covering two years to March 31 last the British Road Research Board claims that “ a good beginning has been made on a very comprehensive programme of research, tho need for which is based on the large sum of money, upwards of £50,000,000 a year, involved in the making and upkeep of roads in Great Britain and of the still more urgent problem of road safety. There are two main problems, durable road surfaces and n Omsk id road surfaces. Skidding is being examined from three angles. The design of the vehicle is important, in regard to methods, of braking, position of the centre of gravity, weight distribution, and ratio of width to length of chassis. It may be found necessary, the report states, to adopt the expensive and somewhat dangerous research method of skidding full-sized vehicles on a large surface. The old omnibus “ skating rink” at Chiswick might be borrowed. Work has been done on measuring the slipperinesa of wet surfaces. This Confirms that wet roads are more slippery in summer than in winter. The tests have indicated possible causes of slippery roads, as, for instance, absence of stone in the surface layer. A small machine has been devised to help in discovering how to prevent the “ film ” which forms on a road in wet weather. The problem of durability is much more complicated. A vast programme of ' research on materials and methods of roadmaking and road-dressing is being initiated. It involves the use of elaborate machinery to test how roads stand up to modern conditions and how they can bo improved. * CHASING SPEED. While the Roads Committee "of the A.A, (Wellington) very properly condemns the action of any driver, even a traffic inspector, in travelling at 70 or SO miles an hour on any sort of New Zealand highway, what alternative does the committee suggest is left to an inspector in a chase after, a culprit? asks “ Chassis,’’ in the Dominion. Tho committee, apparently, is of the opinion that an inspector should rely On his siren. If reliance is to he made on raucous gadgets alone, and drivers are to be left to travel as fnat as they wish, then inspectors arc going to bo of little use in disciplining such drivers. , Sirens are of no use in bringing the wilful lawbreaker to book if he happens to have his foot on something that will allow him to touch 70, 80, or even 90 miles an hour, The mere taking of numbers, plus the siren, may bo a sheer waste of time if the speeder happens to he at the wheel of a stolon car, a car with illegible number through road travel, or a number deliberately obscured. Of course, there is an element of danger for pursuer as well as pursued when the pace is a cracker, but how is the deliberate speeder to be matched excejjt by speed. If a speeding owner-driver, knowing that an inspector is not allowed to chase him, piles on the pace and escapes even with his number taken, proof is going to be difficult. There was an instance in the South Island of an inspector on a motor cycle chasing a motor cyclist for speeding and having no tail light. When the inspector drew level the law-breaker kicked the inspector’s machine and caused it to collide with a kerbing, the officer being gravely injured. No number could no taken and this motor cyclist was never caught.

By ACCELERATOR.

of tours, the state of the roads, be welcomed by Accelerator,

. NEXT YEAR’S CARS. Mechanical development has slowed down (writes an expert), and the car as a whole is now receiving long overdue attention. The cars of 1936 differ from any others because so much attention has been concentrated on the coach work. A manufacturer can no longer succeed by merely producing ft perfect chassis; he has to think in terms of motoring in every one of its aspects. It is general, therefore, to find that new bodies are wider, and the seats considerably more comfortable and easier to adjust. Floor boards are not cluttered up as they used to be with awkwardly placed levers or shaft tunnels, and the view, unimpeded by unduly wide pillars, is wider than hitherto, while there is even some form of ventilation without it being necessary to create a howling draught round the seats. Water does not leak in when the car is travelling through heavy rain, engine fumes are kept out, and the body is more durable because it is set on a really stiff frame. The mudguards, especially those at the front, are, in many cases, an essential feature of the design, and, being wider, keep the body cleaner; spare wheels are less of a nuisance, and better housed; a little more luggage can be carried, and that more conveniently; and, since the seats are within the wheelbase, and the springs better, ridding comfort as a whole is increased. All this entails designing the chassis for the body, and in many cases it has been done, while it will undoubtedly be the accepted procedure of the future.

It is now necessary that a frame should be a real girder, rigid in itself, because engines and gear box are no longer rigidly fixed to it to act as cross-members. To provide larger bodies on a given wheelbase lire power unit has had to be placed farther forward. With the same end in view the engine is made more compact

and the steering gear redesigned, and, since the front of the car now projects beyond the axle, something has had to be done to the tail of the body to give the car good lines. , The result, of course, is that the car is noticeably different in shape, a change that has been taking place for the last two years, so that the forward engine designs now predominate. Many designers have adopted independent front suspension, which at once changes the whole front, of the oar. It is obvious that the practice will increase. Incidentally, the complicated appearance once given to a car by the adoption of independent suspension for tho front wheels is no longer so noticeable. Many of the 1936 cars, by the way, have a system of four-wheel jacking which gives very easy operation, in distinct contrast to oars of a year or two ago provided with hand-operated screw jacks which were difficult to locate and operate owing to prevailing body fashions. Steering column adjustment for rake is not uncommon, but now the steering wheel can, on several of the latest cars, be moved easily nearer to or fax'ther from the driver. Instruments are now grouped in decorative panels, sometimes in one dial, possibly in two, and white faces are becoming popular in place of the usual black. The dials are well lighted by concealed lamps, and a rheostat is provided, in a few cases to give graduated illumination at will. This refinement is only fully appreciated after use, THE AGE OP SPEED. A suggestion that by-laws and statutes should be brought into line with modern traffic requirements Was made by the Mayor, Mr Ernest Davis, when he presided over a representative gathering of transport interests to plan a “ safety first” campaign in the Town Hall ta Auckland last week,' “ Motor transport is getting faster and faster as cars develop in power,” said the Mayor, “ The craze for speed in many drivers seems to be uncontrollable. This is wrong. Frequently one hears comparisons of the time taken to cover a recognised distance, such as from Auckland to Rotorua in three hours —a performance which is gaining for itself a similar import to the golfing ‘ holing in one.’ 1 am inclined to believe that motor insurance is one of the causes contributing to cureless or reckless driving. “ It is clear that heavy traffic on the main roads would give way more if the insurance policy on such vehicles was at stake. Under the ideal system every highway accident should be inquired into by a competent court or tribunal, and not only should the licence to drive bo considered, but the saving clause of the insurance policy, as it applies to the defendant’s interests, should be defined. “By that I mean the driver, if unsuitable, should be debarred from having an insurance cover on the vehicle, although the third party risk should be retained on it. Moreover, I am convinced of the necessity of having driving licences subject to annual test to meet the variations which develop in eyesight, ability and mentality. With the object of further strengthening the control generally, I consider that the by-laws and the statutes should be brought more into line with modern requirements, , , “ It is my intention from time to time, concluded Mr Davis, “to recommend to the City Council improvements in our traffic regulations. One of my ambitions whilst in office is to try to make the traffic system in Auckland city of the best controlled in Australia and New Zealand. Assisting this objective will be an endeavour to establish the utmost degree or co-operation and co-ordination between the council’s traffic department and the Police Department.” TIPS TO TOURISTS. The following is the concluding, instalment of a series of articles compiled by General Motors, New Zealand, Ltd., in the hope that they will be of assistance to motorists in their holiday touring: -—Points on Comfort. — The comfort of the driver and his passengers on a holiday tour depends partly on their utilising the special features built into their car, and partly on their own initiative. The experienced long-distance tourist thinks nothing of a run of four or

five hundred miles a day, because he has learned how to rest and relax during the run; whereas, many whose average dnvinc is but a few miles daily in the city or 100 miles on Sundays, become fatigued on an all-day trip, simply through failure to avail themselves of the refinements which the manufacturer has provided. Fatigue is the chief cause of discomfort on a long tour, summer or winter; in the summer, heat and glare are added burdens. The manufacturer has come to the aid of the driver with improvements that enable the driver to combat these sources of discomfort, and the experienced driver has tricks of his own to bring further The actual muscular effort required to drive a car all day is not great; the fatigue of a long drive results more from being forced to remain in a fixed position than from actual expenditure of energy. You would get just as tired, of course, it you remained in an easy chair at home all day. The experienced driver will vary ids position as frequently and as widely as possible, by moving the easily adjustable front scat back and forth, and by shifting his posture on the seat. Muscular effort in driving is chiefly in the operation of the pedals. The experienced driver will save a lot of energy in their use. It docs not take much elfoit to depress the clutch and brake pedals, but to hold them down for extended periods is extremely fatiguing, -therefore, you won’t find a knowing driver waiting in gear at a signal, with tho dutch nedal held down; hell bo m neutral, resting his foot and- leg. bitmiarly, at a halt on a grade, be will bold the car with the hand brake, not with Ins foot. On long stretches of clear road, or on long climbs requiring full throttle, the driver may set the hand throttle and rest his accelerator foot by a change of position. On a steep down grade, he will save his braking muscles by shifting into second gear. Combating hot weather also has its tricks. No-draught ventilating systems offer a wide variety of effects, but many drivers fail to reap full advantages. Ihe rear windows of a sedan should be open, for instance, even if only the front seat is occupied—because it induces circulation of air throughout the car, from front to rear. A point to watch in hot weather is tyre pressure. Tyres inflated in the cool of the morning with coid air from a compressor tank will increase in pressure from the heat of the road and of running, and may become too hard for comfort, On long drives, it is a good practice to halt by the roadside at regular intervals — say for five minutes every two hours—for a “stretch.” It helps, too, to got

out of the car for a few minutes at strips for petrol. Eye strain has much to do with the fatigue of driving. Use the adjustable visors of your car whenever possible, and wear tinted glasses to kill the glare of the road. - THE MOTOR CYCLE A.A. (OTAGO) CYCLE SECTION. SOCIAL RUN. , About 50 members and friends were present at the A.A, (Otago) Cycle section’s social run to Buckland’s Ford. Besides tho motor cycles many attended in cars. Brilliantly fine weather favoured the picnickers, many of whom took the opportunity to bask in the sun and enjoy a swim in the bathing pool. A few of the members amused themselves and the others with trick riding and fording the river, while cricket and various other games were indulged in. This was the first social run of the season, and, judging by the enjoyable time everyone spent, more would be appreciated. At tile Southland Motor Cycle Club's Oreti Beach races, held on December 7, P. Lyders and his Excelsior again showed their ability for speed by winning the championship event, Other Dunedin riders also competing were E. Rillstone and B. Rosson. The latter, riding the Mewhinhey Special, had more than his share of bad luck, and, although his 16-year-old machine appeared to i be the fastest bike on the bench, its rider had to be content with a second and a third. A thoroughly good time was spent by those enthusiasts who journeyed to Southland to ride in or to witness these races. TOURIST TROPHY. A total of 20 entries has now been received for the New Zealand Tourist Trophy Motor Cycle Race to be held at Waiheke Island under the auspices of the Auckland Motor Cycle Club on New Year’s Day. There will be a wide representation, as of the 20 riders 12 are from parts of New Zealand other than Auckland, including two from Wellington and three from the South Island. It is reported that the main part of the T.T. course—the road between Ostend and Palm Beach and between Ostend and Onetangi—baa been considerably improved, but that the “ back stretches ” are not in such good condition as last year. However, it is hoped that the entire route will be in a good state before the event is held. Practices will be held between Boxing Day and the day of the contest under the supervision of Cyril Goldfinch. RACING AT ORETI BEACH. The beach was in perfect order, the tide ideal, a good attendance of the public, and the weather excellent for the Southland Motor Cycle Club’s meeting at Oreti Beach. With 14 riders in the field, three of them from Otago, there was good competition in each of the six events. The big event of the day, the Ten-mile Open Championship for the Ariel Cup, was won by P. Lyders, of Dunedin. Second place in this event was taken by R. R. Tall, who had a particularly successful day, claiming first place in two events and second in two. W. R. Gutzewitz had a good win in the Four-mile Handicap event, C. M'Rae led from post to post in a close finish in tho Four-mile Novice event, and E. V. Nye had a success in the Eight-mile Consolation Handicap. The results were: — FOUR MILES NOVICE HANDICAP (ROSE CUP). C, M'Rae (348 o.h.c. Velocette), scr 1 E. S. Tall (499 o.h.v. Rudge), scr .. 2 P. Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette), llsec .. 3 Also competed: R. N. Murray (498 o.h.v. 8.5. A.), 4sec; J. R. Davies, Otago (348 o.h.v. A.J.S.), 38sec; Joe Farrington, Wailcaia (348 o.h.v. Velocette), 48scc. Davies and Farrington, the early leaders, had to withdraw. At the end of two miles M'Rae was leading from Tall and Fox. These positions were maintained, M'Rae leading at the finish by a small margin. Times: 3min 54scc, 3min 56sec.

SIX MILES OPEN HANDICAP. R. R. Tall (490 o.h.v. Pudge), 20sec .. I B. F. Rosson, Otago (997 s.v. Indian), I2scc .. •• •• P. Lyders, Otago (497 O.h.v. Excelsior), 8131* » 4 •* „ « ,• *. * * Also competed: W. R. Gutzewitz (348 o.h.c. Velocette), lOsec; E. Rillstone, Otago (348 o.h.c. Yelocette), 15sec; H. J. Munro (596 o.h.v. Indian), 15sec; C. M'Rae (348 o.h.c. Velocette) 20sec; R. N. Murray (498 o.h.v. 8.5. A.), 33sec; G. P. Douglas (497 o.h.c. Ariel), 20sec; C V Nye (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 33sec; I. Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 33sec. After two miles Fox, Nye, and Tall were in tho lead, and Lyders soon came into third position from seventh. A mile from the post Tall was leading, vox having withdrawn. Rosson had second place. Tall was first past the flag by 200 yards, 100 yards separating second and third, Douglas was fourth. Lyders’s average speed for the race was 67J miles an hour. Tail’s was 64L and Rosson e 64J. Times: smin 43sec, smin 42sec, Sunn 83s6c< v TWO MILES OPEN SCRATCH RACE. (Engines running at starting post.) R. R. Tall (490 o.h.v. Rudge) .. .. 1 P. Lvders, Otago (497 o.h.v. Excelsior 2 B. F. Rosson, Otago (997 s.v. Indian) o Also competed: H. J. Munro (596 o.h.v. Indian), E. Rillstone, Otago (348 o.h.c. Velocette), C. V. Nye (348 o.h.c. Velocette), F. Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette). From the first lap Tall was ahead, followed by Lyders, Rosson, Mujjro, Rillstone, Nye, and Fox in that order. Munro soon fell back, and Rillstone moved into fourth place. There was little between them at the post. Times: Imin 55sec, Imin 56 3-ssec. FOUR MILES OPEN HANDICAP. W. R. Gutzewitz (490 o.h.v. Velocette), 20sec •••••• 1 R. N. Murray (498 o.h.v. 8.5. A.), 35sgc •• 2 P. Lyders. Otago (497 o.h.v. Excelsior), lOsec « Also competed: R. R. Tall (499 o.h.v. Rudge), scr; B. F. Rosson, Otago (997 s.v. Indian), 14sec; E. Rillstone, Otago (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 18sec; C. M‘Rae (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 20seo; H. J. Munro (596 o.h.v. Indian), 20seo; C. V. Nye (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 30aec; F, Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 41sec. At three miles Gutzewitz had a good lead. Then came Murray, M‘Eae, Ryders, Rosson. Gutzewitz and Murray drew away from the rest, with M‘Rae in third place, followed by Lyders, who had overtaken the others. Gutzewitz won by 300 yards from Murray, Lyders, and Rosson. Times: 4min 6sec, 4min 9sec, Srnin 50sec. .10 MILES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP (Ariel Cup.) P. Lyders, Otago (497 o.h.v. Excelsior) . * •• 1 R. R. Tall (400 o.h.v. Rudge) 2 E. Rillstone (348 o.h.c. Velocette) .. 3 Also competed: B. F. Rosson, Otago (997 s.v. Indian), W. R. Gutzewitz (490 o.h.v. Velocette), H. J. Munro (596 o.h.v. Indian), C. M'Rae (348 o.h.c. Velocette), G. P. Douglas (497 o.h.c. Ariel), F. Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette), C. V. Nye (348 o.h.c. Velocette). Munro lost ground at the start, but the others got away in a line. Lyders was 50 yards in front, followed by Tall, with two miles gone, M'Rae being a good third. At six miles Rillstone passed M'Rae. Lyders drew away steadily and covered eight miles in ,7min 20sqo, and ho was then followed by Tall, Rillstone, M'Rae, Gutzewitz, Douglas, and Fox in that order. Lyders won by over 60 yards, Tall, Rillstone, M'Rae, and Gutzewitz following. Time, Ornin 9 2-sscc. EIGHT MILES CONSOLATION HANDICAP. C. V. Nye (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 34eeo 1 F. Fox (348 o.h.c. Velocette), 40sec 2 E. Rillstone, Otago (348 o.h.c. Velooetto), scr .. .. 3 Also competed; H. J. Munro (596 o.h.v. Indian) sseo. Nye soon took tho lead, and Rillstone at the finish was gaining on the leaders, Munro did not make a race of it. Nye won by 100 yards, 350 yards separating Fox and Rillstone. Times: Bmin 4soc, Bmin Csec, 7min 34sec. SPARKS According to information from the north many motoring tours are being planned for the South Island during the coming holidays. «■. * * An Oxford motorist summoned for a speed limit offence pleaded that he had only just parted from the examiner alter passing his driving test, and was so preoccupied with the advice he had received that ho did not notice the speed of tho car. Result: 10s fine.

A torch carried in the hand as a substitute for a lamp is not adequate light for ft road vehicle, says the Billericay bench.

“Race Driver Cool Confident Capable Mechanical engineering graduate —Looking for car to drive I—plaintive 1 —plaintive advertisement in American racing paper.

A motorist summoned for exceeding, the 30 ni.p.h. speed limit wrote a letter to the Willesdcn Bench: “It was with the greatest regret that I was travelling over 30 miles per hour.”

A motorist alleged to have driven with a fractured right arm in a sling at over 40 m.p.h. in a built-up area has been lined at Bingley, Yorkshire, £2 for being in such a position as not to have proper control over his car, and £1 for exceeding the speed limit. * >*; *

He was telling his aunt why the autoist was being questioned by the policeman * “ That fellow has been jumping- the traffic lights,” he said. “Extraordinary!” she remarked. “He doesn’t look a bit like an athlete.”

Chemical engineers are now working on a new type of phosphorescent pavement which is designed to make all roads selfilluminating at night. Such a pavement is a distinct possibility, it is claimed. During the day. because of the chemical composition of its surface, this road will absorb light from the sun’s rays. The pent-up sun energy, released in darkness, will light the way as if myriad electric bulbs were hidden in a roadbed of crystal.