MOTOR NOTES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17179, 8 February 1930, Page 9

MOTOR NOTES

COLOSSAL .\f<)T( >R SITRPLUS,

7,00(1,000 CARS TOO MANY. THE EUROPEAN- MARKET. A position unprecedented in the history of the industry faces the motor trade of the United States of America, reports the London Daily Telegraph. Production 7ias exceeded consumption to such an extent that the- market is confronted wtli a colossal surplus. Widespread alarm as to the effects, both in the United States and abroad, is reflected in the questions asked in Parliament on Tuesday, In brief, the position is that: — The full capacity of all American factories is now 7,1700,0(10 cars (excluding commercial vehicles; a year; Production this year will reach a total of .5,000,000 cars, The total demand will not exceed 4,000,000 cars, of which 1,01)0,000 will have gone to new owners, 2,400,000 to replace old cars, and (500,000 for export. This estimate, made by a leading American expert, is based on the figures for the first ten months of the year. Production is now, apparently, sharply declining, but even so, there is in sight a surplus of supply over demand of a million cars —and that even with the factories working, on tlu> average, at about 70 per cent, of capacity. Tho question for America and for the rest of the world is: How is this surplus to be disposed off A possibility that British manufacturers have to face is that there may be a great effort to stimulate export, in other words, to dump cars (possibly at cut prices) in Britain, Europe, and other oversea markets. WALT. STREET CRASH. This situation lias been complicated by the fact that the Wall Street collapse will, it is predicted, .mean a loss of sales equivalent, to 700,000 cars. 'Even a op per cent, increase in exports would not reduce the aggregate of surplus cars to any noticeable extent. Nevertheless, it is clear that America /nust eventually look abroad for th(> only-possible solution of her difficulties, other than the closingdown of many of her factories. The most significant fact in the copious statistics of the trade is that the “new owner” nfarket is dwindling. t ,'flie number of cars in use in the States was, up to a year or two ago, increasing by more than two millions, a year. It is now increasing by loss than half that figure. For every two cars sold to new owners five go. to replace old ears. Only in the export market is expansion now possible.

Banisli old-fashioned flypapers. Spray rooms with Flytox. Ends fly and mosquito nuisance in five minutes. *

NOISELESS CARS,

NOISE .MEANS WEAR. DETROIT, Mich. —The campaign against noise continues in the auto* mobile factories. Screeching brakes, groaning gears, and engines that seek audible self-expression are taboo among designers, not merely because the lady in the back seat dislikes their sound, but because noise is recognised as a signal of friction and attendant wear. Henry Ford’s goal, it is said, is to produce a totally silent car in a silent factory. “Noise means bad design,” lie is quoted as saying. “The sooner the silent car, the sooner tho perfect automobile. Wherever there is friction, there is wear. When we realise that noise actually means waste of material, labor and money we shall do something.” In other automobile factories efforts are being made !o reduce the shrieks and scrapings of machinery. M’oving parts are being made to closer tolerances. Forced lubrication insures a cushion or bath of oil where formerly a mist of oil churned up in the crankcase was deemed sufficient. There is one obstacle, however. It is not impracticable to turn out a noiseless car, but it is impossible to produce noiseless drivers. Yet not all noises now heard are to lie blamed on the drivers. Brakes that screech their protest when the lightest pressure is applied are really reproaching their manufacturers. Yet most of the screech in g at “stop” streets results from locked wheels and consequent friction between tire and pavement—an indictment, wholly against the driver. Within the factories themselves there is a distinct trend towards the reduction of noise, but it is a byproduct of more efficient production rather than a studied effort. Parts as heavy as engines and complete bodies are moved silently by conveyors and muterials-halulling systems, frequently suspended from, ceilings. Orankshnfts and camshafts still are hammered out by a mechanical evolution of the village smith’s strong right arm, but increasingly other forged steel parts are being formed by pressure, which is silent, rather than by force, which is noisy. The staccato of the punch press and the rumble of the forming press appear an inevitable concomitant of steel meeting steel swiftly and surely. ! LTCEXSK PLATES BECOMTNO STANDARDISED. The growing tendency in t he United States of America to standardise the or. 5 or combinations of automobile license plates is shown by the fact than in 1930, thirty-one States will change the color schemes, of their license plates as 'agUnst thirty-nine that change? (him last. year. There will bo .1.(5 different motifs in use in 1 :»30 compared wit! 23 color motifs'; used last ye.-.v, Tlipteea States and tin; U,strict of Cplumbiii will retain A-,, • .'25) color "mribiriataius. As the j Svf's decide upon the most effective , combination for visit,, iff v, it is thought, j they, will dispense with the practice of making yearly changes in their, license plates, LUBRICATION. Despite the fact that to-day’s in-! ternnl combustion automobile engine has reached a high state of perfection, is practically fool-*proof and requires a minimum amount of attention while giving a maximum amount ol' per- j formancc, there is still a demand for further improvement in the mar ter of j lubrication, when the valves, piston I rings, . pins and upper cylinder parts | are taken into consideration. This lack of lubrication is particularly prevalent when the engine is first started up, and exists until it is thoroughly warmed up, and even then in tho minds "of 'many, the lubrication is not complete. While the modern pressure system does a wonderful job. it cannot reach all parts of,the engine immediately and the amount of wear that takes place in the first live .minutes of running, commonly called flic “warming-up period” is abnormal. To provide lubrication during the \ynrming-up period and to give a sort- of auxiliary lubrication to valves, push-rods and other upper engine parts that are subject to heat, several systems of “top cylinder lubrication” have been placed upon the marllifi within the last two years, all of which seemingly accomplish their purpose. There must have been need for the introduction of these systems, for surely if there were no demand for* thi}-j auxiliary lubrication, said systems would not have appeared. Cylinder wall wear is generally conceded to be the greatest when starting up an engine cold. ’flic engine has been standing overnight, or even longer. Any oil which might have collected on tlie cylinder walls has by this time drained back into the crankcase. When starting the engine the iron piston rings begin to slide up and down, scraping the dry cylinder walls; and this scraping effect continues! until the oil is thoroughly distributed,’ sometimes even after the pistons p;x- ; pnnd to their normal running lit.’ Providing lubrication during this period is but one function of top cvlniiqr lubricators. The valves, particularly, the- exhaust valves, operate under extremely high temperatures. The paradoxical part of this situation is thaiy the valves and upper cylinder walls,,| which get the hottest, also receive the] least lubrication. The stems, particularly run dry, to say nothing of tlve 'push-rods and guides. Again, Uq>: cylinder lubrication, it is claimed,! takes care of this end, in addition to! softening carbon deposits and dissolving gum from valve stems. If the present systems of lop cylinder' lubrication prove .effective in all respeefs, it will no doubt be only a mailer of a short time when they \y i 1 1 * probably become a standard equip-, ment on most cars. ‘ . ‘‘Hitting on all six:" - f Ob Boy ! , It’s great to lie fit., i (treat to take the steep grades on top. Great to have power and to spare forj a spurt. Nerves are everything. Feed them. They need phosphorus. j Marshall’s Fospherine, is concentrated, nerve food —phosphorus in form for in-s stunt, assimilation., No more nervousness,, irritability, sleeplessness—loO doses, of “.Marshall’s,” 2/o. Chemists and stores.”

BRITISH PLAN COMPULSORY . INSURANCE FOR MOTORISTS. Every British motorist will have to carry n certificate showing 1 hat lie is insured against third party risks if the Dill now being prepared by the Ministry of Transport becomes law. | lii addition to providing for com- 1 pulsory insurance of drivers, the bill stipulates that certificates, of insurance, like the driving license, will have to be shown to policemen on demand. SILENT CARS AND PLANES. LONDON, Dec. .14. A Canadian officer, who lost, both legs during the war when he served with the Canadian Light Horse, has recently invented an apparatus which, it is claimed, will silence airplanes and motor ears. J. Tyller, who is now living, at Hove, has tried his invention on a motor lorry and noisy gas engine .with great success, proving it an almost, perfect silencer.