THE MOTOR WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23886, 14 August 1939, Page 3

THE MOTOR WORLD

By ACCELERATOR

MOTOR CAB IMPROVEMENTS According to the president of one of the worlds largest automobile corporations/economy of operation, safety and comfort rather than speed are the factors which motor car designers should now direct most of their attention to. Whilst good progress has been made along these lines, there is yet ample scope for further improvement, The development of accessories and the over-all cost of fitting them to a car, in his opinion are now out of all proportion to the cost of the car itself. As regards engine output, this authority cites the fact that, whereas aero power units have reached a stage of development where they give off a horse-power for every IJIB weight of the engine, about one horse-power for every 51b of engine weight represents present-day practice in the motor industry. Obviously, there is room for improvement in this direction. In regard to the'rear-engined car, the motor industry seems, for the time being, to have reached an impasse. As to performance, it is probably correct to assume that the modern car has speed beyond actual needs, and certainly ahead of the safe speed carrying capacity of most highways. LOCAL INDUSTRY Owing to import restrictions and the prohibition of importing cars completely assembled, the local agents for Citroen cars are now Importing cars in knock-down corfcition. and are assembling these units in Dunedin. This~is the first local company to import cars in this condition, and this new industry will create employment for several men. Each car arrives complete in a separate case, the body, engine, and gearbox being the only components already assembled. All nuts, bolts, electrical equipment, instruments, back axle, brake gear, suspension and internal fittings have to be assembled. All paintwork is covered with-a priming coat only, and has to be finished, the leather upholstery is cut, shaped, and stitched, and has to be fitted to the seating. This work involves a considerable outlay in wages to various sections of the trade, and must be regarded as a sound contribution to local industry. AIRCRAFT FACTORIES AND THE REPAIRER New aircraft factories In existing centres of light production engineering have, without doubt, attracted many excellent workmen from their normal jobs (says the Autocar), But where the pool of labour is considerable the effect of that drift has not been so serious as it might have been, By the establishment of new factories in the "heavy industry" areas or " special areas " a rather more serious state of affairs arises, particularly so far as the motor trade is concerned. In certain areas the garage, service station, or repair depot has been the only establlishment employing skilled men accustomed to light mechanisms and conversant with internal combustion and automobile practice. Now. whereas the new factories have been ostensibly located in these areas to absorb the unemployed "heavy" engineers, textile mechanics or the like, it has been inevitable that many men from garages and service stations should hurry to them, attracted by the appreciably better.. pay and "extra, time " that was going. And who could blame them? As a result, one hears of important provincial garages and service agents left almost stripped of skilled men, of small repair shops with only the proprietor and a boy or two on the premises, and even small " one-man " establishments (often run by a conscientious mechanic who has more pride in his work than making money) degenerating into mere filling stations run by the owner's family for the time being. Eventually, however, the situation Will right itself. Intensive production of aircraft equipment cannot go on for ever, and when it does cease a new pool of skilled men will be available to flow back into the motor trade, both on the manufacturing and repairing sides, bringing with them fresh ideas and a higher appreciation of fine workmanship and high standards of exactitude. STOCK CAR SPEEDS A closed body standard stock 4500 c.c. Bentley recently recorded a speed of 114.62 m.p.h. on Brooklands, England —the fastest speed yet achieved on that track by a touring car fully equipped for the road. Captain George Eyston was at the wheel. A few weeks back a similar make and powered car was driven 107.42 miles in the hour by a private motorist on the Montlhery track, Paris. These achievements demonstrate the great advance made in recent years in the power output of high-powered saloon cars, many of which are now capable of travelling at a speed that only specially prepared racing machines could attain a few years back. WORLD'S LAND SPEED RECORD In the near future the wealthy London fur broker, John Cobb, one of Britain's greatest racing motorists accompanied by Reid A. Railton, the builder of. the revolutionary designed four-wheel driven machine with which Cobb at his first attempt, reached a mean speed of 350.2 m.p.h. last year, are due at Bonneville Salt Flats. Utah (U.S.A.), for a further attack on the world's land speed record. It will be remembered that last August Captain George Eyston (6000 h.p. Thunderbolt) and John Cobb (2600 h.p. Railton) were both at Bonneville, intent on increasing the world's motor record. Eyston succeeded in adding nearly 34 m.p.h. to his own record, established in 1937, by attaining a mean speed of 345.49 m.p.h. for a mile. Cobb, sitting in the nose of his completely untried strange machine, then made his first effort on the classic record, and, despite the fact that he had never previously driven at even 200 m.p.h., he amazed the officials and his friend Eyston by covering the mile in both directions at the mean speed of 350.2 m.p.h. Cobb did not hold the speed crown long. Twenty-four hours later, Eyston, who in the meantime had removed the fin from the streamlined tail of the "Thunderbolt," and also altered the nose of the body, streaked down the 13 miles hard salt straightaway, covering the centre mile at 356.44 m.p.h. On the return run he registered 358.57 m.p.h., his mean time for the mile being 10.07 seconds, equal to 357.5 m.p.h.—46 m.p.h. better than his 1937 achievement.

As Eyston had so greatly increased the speed of his monster 6J-ton machine through knowledge gained in his first efforts with that car in 1937, no doubt Cobb and Railton are hoping for a similar step up in the speed of the turtle-backed 3-ton " Railton " due to improvements effected in the machine which, at its first attempt, gained for Cobb the honour of being the first man in the world to attain on land a speed of 350 m.p.h. In point of time there was very little difference between the two cars last year—Cobb's mean time for the mile being 10.28 seconds and Eyston's 10.07 seconds The "Railton" is powered by two 12cylinder Napier-Lion aero engines in three radial banks of four cylinders Each engine (23,400 c.c. capacity) develops about 1300 h.p. at 3300 r.p.m. One engine drives the front wheels, the other the rear. Ice-water tanks are used to cool the power units.

Items of news—short descriptions of tours, the state of the roads, •to., comment, or inquiries—will be welcomed by Accelerator.

ELIMINATING OIL FUMES On cars fitted with an oil filler pipe which is attached to the side of the crankcase, and have an air cleaner of the cylindrical type fitted to the carburetter, it is a simple- matter to eliminate oil fumes which may arise through wear in the following manner:— The materials required are a length of flexible metal tubing, such as the inexpensive gas type, and a rubber stopper the size of the oil filler pipe. Drill out the rubber stopper and insert one end of the tube to make a really tight joint. Next take the original oil filler cap and drill this at the top to take the other end of the tube, and solder the joint. It will be found that the oil filler cap which previously acted as a breather can be inserted in the hole at the end of the air filter. Push it in for half its length so that the induction of air to the carburetter takes place through the breather holes in the cap. This will not upset the running of the engine, and will induce the oil fumes into the combustion chamber, thus supplying automatic upper cylinder lubrication and oil vapour to the inlet valves. FIZZY FUEL A gentleman in Poland has produced a.new cheap "sparking" fuel for petrol engines. Professor Kling, director of the Warsaw Institute of Chemistry, is said to have discovered that by dissolving a certain gas under pressure in commercial alcohol a liquid fuel comparable with grade A petrol can be obtained. A fuel, that is to say, which calls for no structural engine alterations, such as raised compression ratio, etc., and costs only about half as much as No 1 spirit. There are several snags, of course. A fuel with all this gas hottled up>in it (whatever the gas may be) necessitates strong and hermetic fuel tanks; also, one would imagine, a complete rearrangement of the supply system between tank and carburetter. What this organ—the carburetter—may have to say about the matter is yet another question. Professor Kline himself admits that the retail distribution of his fuel means the design and installation of new petrol pumps capable of withstanding a considerable pressure. However this may be, the Polish Government is taking an active interest in the fuel, and large-scale experiments are stated to be in progress at the moment. PLUG FOULING—A USEFUL HINT It is sometimes found that during the running-in of a new car there is a tendency for the sparking plugs to become fouled. A little thought will show why this should be so. When a car is being " run-in" it is essentially being operated at its minimum efficiency, whereas all the accessories fitted to it are obviously capable of withstanding all the stresses placed on them under normal or even hard driving conditions. Plugs in particular have always "to do two things—keep hot and keep cool! They must retain sufficient heat to bum off the oil thrown on to them, and at the same time they must conduct sufficient heat away from themselves to prevent pre-igni-tion. When an engine is running slowly the plugs do not become very hot, yet all the time oil is being splashed on to them. ■ Under normal running' conditions plugs can" cater for these opposing conditions, but apart from the continual slow running of a new engine, most owners use upper cylinder lubricant, which naturally increases the amount of oil the plugs must withstand. Cleaning and careful gap setting are all that is necessary to overcome any fouling difficulty, and when the car ha 6 completed its running-in period and is working under normal conditions it will be found that any fouling tendency will automatically cure itself. Whether or not fouling has been experienced during running-in it is strongly recommended that after their first 500 miles the plugs should be carefully cleaned and reset. Thereafter it should only be necessary to give them attention every 1500-2000 miles, and this regular inspection will ensure trouble-free service. DRIVERS' SCHOOL A training school has been opened for Great Western Railway road-motor drivers in England. The school comprises a classroom messroom, garage, and a system of roadways. The latter includes a skidding patch, various types of road junctions for practice in turning and reversing, gradients, and a variety of road signs. The lectures to be given will include the subjects of road sense, avoidance of accidents, the care of vehicles, and the Highwav Code. Instruction will be given in the use of the principal, types of commercial vehicles. Training will extend from a week to a fortnight, and it is expected that 150 to 200 drivers, recruited from the company's staff, will pass through the school annually. AIR As motoring grows in popularity it seems to become more expensive. Quite apart from next year's increase in horse-power tax, the last month or so has seen a gradual disappearance of "free air," says the Autocar This is particularly noticeable ott Sundays, when 1 have seen boards hung by the air pump with the words, "Air 6d." printed on it. It was not so very long ago that garages gave free distilled water for topping up the battery, but that went out of fashion, too. a few years ago. "Free air'' must be a nuisance to some garages where customers will buy a gallon of petrol and clutter up the space around the pumps for an unconscionable time. High pressure air pumps cost quite a lot of money, and have to be Government stamped. When one thinks of it, we have no reason to expect to get the use of them for nothing. SAVING BATTERY Drivers who have strictly conformed with the new regulation regarding the dipping of the headlights on their cars have probably noticed that the practice conserves the power in the "battery. There are many stretches of roadway from the city to the suburbs where it is not at all necessary to use the full lights, with a consequent reduction in the drain on the battery. The saving is noticed when it comes to whirring the motor over in an icy cold start, and in a dozen other directions. BATTERY CORROSION A simple method of removing corrosion from the positive post of a battery and its cable lug is to take a small tin. fill it with water and heat up. Then throw in a small quantity of soap powder, or even a piece of soap itself. Dip the cable lug into the solution for a few moments; the corrosion can then be wiped off. and at the same time all traces of the acid adjacent will be neutralised The battery post can be cleaned by soaking the corrosion with soap solution. If the post and lug are then wiped dry and smeared with vaseline, further trouble of this nature will be avoided. TIGHTEN U-BOLTS A clatter from the axles can often be traced to slack U-bolts which hold them to the springs These come in for a terrific amount of buffeting as the car rides over irregularities in the road. Loose U-bolts, hence loosely secured axles, are often the cause of.

erratic steering, a tendency to wheel wobble, faulty braking, and so on. Whenever you make a periodic inspection of the underside of the chassis, at the same time check over the Übolts on the springs. On new cars it is particularly advisable to tighten up such bolts: indeed, any exposed nuts and bolts of a similar nature should receive attention. The mere fact of the springs beddinß down with constant flexing is sufficient to produce slackness in these bolts, particularly in the early Btages of the life of the car. STOP FROST ON WINDSCREEN If no defroster equipment Is fitted to your car. a simple means for obtaining similar benefits, although not quite so efficient, is that of propping ppen the rear end of the bonnet. A wedge about Sin thick would probably be sufficient; warm air streams out of this opening as the car travels along and the current is deflected over the screen, the heat being sufficient to prevent frost formation, also to help in preventing interior condensation PROTECTING CHROMIUM PLATING A simple method of maintaining the finish of chromium plating during the winter is to coat all parts with vaseline. First thoroughly clean the surfaces so that all mud and tarnish Is removed, using, if necessary one of the many chromium-cleaning preparations that are on the market. Then melt the contents of a small tin of vaseline and. with a soft cloth, smear the chromium parts with the liquid vaseline. A thin, even coating all over results. The parts can be left until the fine weather returns, when the vaseline can be removed with any good-quality cleaner. ROYAL HIGHWAY " Queen Elizabeth Way " was opened by the King and Queen during their Canadian tour, without their car coming to a standstill. The great new double-boulevard highway from Toronto to Niagara Falls known formerly as the middle road" was crossed once by the royal entourage on its way to Niagara Falls. The royal car interrupted a beam that caused a flag to drop where the highway entered Ontario. CONVERSATION PIECE "Would you mind telling-me what you're going to use it for? "• asked the garage hand as I handed him a bottle to fill with distilled water. I was rather astonished. "Why. for a battery," I replied. ,'* Oh, said the garage hand. " that's all right then! Only, you know they buy distilled water for babies." "For what?" I asked weakly, hardly believing my ears. "For babies,* 7 repeated the garage hand. " It's like this: we had a woman, come in here for distilled water and afterwards we found out that she was buying it for her baby. Well, we can't guarantee that this distilled water is pure enough for babies, and we don't want any trouble with coroners' inquests." THE MOTOR CYCLE A.A (OTAGO, FIXTURES August 21.—Monthly meeting. August 26.—Mystery run. September 9.—Paper chase. September 18. -Monthly meeting. September 23.- -Scramble October 7.—Slow hill climb. October 16.—Monthly meeting October 21-23.—Labour Day trial. November 4.—Field day. November 12.—Social run. November 20.—Monthly meeting, November 25.—Hi1l clfmb. December 9.—Mystery run. December 17.—Social run, December 18.—Monthly meeting. These fixtures are subject to alteration. CLUB NOTES Owing to the Ranfurly Shield match at' Invercargill and also the annual dance and prize-giving of the Timaru Motor Cycle Club, the social run which was to be held last week end, was cancelled. For those remaining in town, however, an unofficial afternoon run was held to Portobello in glorious spring weather. While down the Bay the opportunity was taken to visit the Marine Aquarium, which was reached after riding for approximately a mile, in. mostly mud, over a half-formed road, but providing those present with plenty of fun in trying to get through" without footing. To most of the members -the Aquarium was something new and very interesting, for they were able to view some very uncommon flsh at close quarters. The members who made the trip to Timaru .poke only too highly of the enjoyable time they had and the success of the Timaru Club's annual function. . „,, _ ' A report from the Table Tennis Committee states that both teams which are entered in the C Grade competition are doing very well. The first team is well up the ladder, occupying second position, while the other team, although not so highly placed, is meeting with a fine measure of success. SPARKS "I should like a diagnosis,'* remarked a motorist to a youthful mechanic at a garage, pointing at the same time to his car engine. The youth gaped and then went inside the garage to consult Wisdom in the shape of another youth, not much older. Then he returned, explaining apologetically: "We're out of stock at the moment." v * * New York Stale has passed laws raising the speed limit to 50 miles an hour by day and 40 by night in an effort to decrease congestion. The police think it will not increase accidents. Others think it will. * * * Japanese markets have been closed to imported cars owing to the petrol restrictions caused by their war. During a recent month petrol allotments were 12 gallons for each car of 30 horse power and above. * * * A special newspaper for children, the Green Light, the object of which is to stress the importance of safety first, is now published by the National " Safety First" Association, London. It is edited by Mr C. E. Hodges. "The Mayor of Toytown." Attractively produced it attempts to make safety teaching impressive by giving it interest without using negative injunctions. * * # The fire department in New Jersey answered an urgent telephone call asking them to send someone right away. A few minutes later the fire engine dashed up and was met by a woman who said: "Oh, dear, it's you. I wanted a taxi!" * * * New York police have decided that motorists who have only recently obtained their driving Jicence must carry an L plate. ¥ ♦ * Solicitor: "What make of car was it?" Witness: " She couldn't tell me. She said she had only just bought "it." Not well enough acquainted to.exchange names. * # •¥ "Will you please remit the amount of the fine and I will forward it to you." wrote a defendant to Grimsby Borough magistrates. But. unfortunately, magistrates aren't made like that. * * * Defendant, at Wood Green Police Court: "How could I know I should have been here at 10 o'clock? I didn't have a programme." Not even one printed on delicate blue paper? * * * " Snakes and Ladders'" is the term that has been applied to the "turnleft," "stop" and various other signals which motorists have to follow nowa- I days. I V * * A 20 m.p.h. speed limit in the city area is asked for by Edinburgh Town Council. But there are many objectors, needless to say.