MOTOR & CYCLING WITH TENT AND MOTOR

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

MOTOR & CYCLING

WITH TENT AND MOTOR

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS JOURNEY.

A RU'n TO NATIONAL PARK.

(By “Trip”) * With Christmas less than three weeks T away, preparations are now in full T swin" for the motor-camping holiday. t During the last few weeks we have run £ over a number of the journeys that take T but little time, which are suitable iol brief Christinas vacations. _ This wpeK { we will deal with Tonganro and the . National Park, and the various side- j trips which make this one of the most 3 pleasurable of North Island holiday 5 Somewhat similar in type to that dealt } with last week. Prior to the buildin D , of the magnificent Chateau Tonganro, 1 the National Park was pre-eminently a , camper’s paradise for only those wh i were prepared to rough it in the various huts, or camp out in tente court visit , it Some who enjoyed holidays there : when nothing but these primitive ar- • rangements were available now lament ■ the greatly increased populanty ot , Tongfriro. However, there are sW ( facilities for motor-camping, and special provision has been made at the C > for campers to have meals there if they wish to do so. Christmas is the ideal ; time for camping there and as there wiU probably be a record crowd, those visit Lg Tongariro then should have a very I bright time. > I GETTING there. While there may be some who are dissatisfied because of the inc F popularity of Tongariro, none will regret the passing of the worst stretches of road in this area. There has' been, a steady improvement in these roads for the past three years, and although some of the side-roads in the King Country are still fearfully rough, main roads are in fair order, and aie practically all-weather roads now. Being practically in the centre of t island, Waimarino, from Which immediate access to Tongariro is gamed,, is about the same distance from Auckland and Wellington, and can also be reached fairly directly from most parte of the North Island. A visit to the National., Park works in well with a round tnp taking in Taupo, Wairakei and Rotorua as well. One of the real advantages of Tongariro to the Christmas camper ■with but little time on his hands is that it can be reached in one, lon ? from a great many parts of the It is a very long and tiring days jouipev from either Wellington or Auckland, but from Napier (via Taupo), New Plymouth, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Rotorua it is a fairly easy day. ALL-WEATHER ROADS. I The roads through to the Chateau from practically all directions are in effect all-weather roads now, although there are a few odd places that may give a little trouble in the worst of leather. Even the Warturu-Raefahi. road, which has been the bugbear of . motorists for years during wet spells, 'is now in much better order, while those who remember the Raetihi-w a.taarino road at its worst would marvel if they could see the improvement which metal has brought. There is an all- | weather road from any of the points mentioned above, although this road is not always the shortest. For instance, the shortest route from Napier would be via the Napier-Taihape road, thence to Waiouru, Raetihi and Waimarino, but if the weather were at all bad the ■safest route would be via. Taupo, for you are then certain of getting through.! There are unbridged rivers and unmetalled stretches on the Napier-lai-hape road, and it is veiy steep m places. A. very popular route from the south is- through Wanganui to Raetihi. This road winds about a good deal, but there are some fine scenic stretches, and you pass through very interesting country most of the way. It te well metalled and willigive no trouble in the y» rst weather. As mentioned earlier the final run in to the National Park is from .r Waimarino.'Close to the station a num-ber-of: roads leading off to all corners of the North Island converge, and there is th'ere a very complete set of notice boards. Once on the main road to Tokaanii >and Taupo you cannot mistake .the ..way,..and the run-off to the ■ Chateau, itself is very clearly marked.. GREAT OUTDOORS HOLIDAY. Prior to the building of the Chateau only, those prepared to camp could this journey, and every visitor had to take blankets and food in with him.; I ■Provision is still ma<ie for campcis, but many of those who are on a motorI camping tour prefer to take advantage of the excellent accommodation available, and join in more fully with the sports that are arranged.each day. Tor those who wish to do this. at moderate cost there'’ is accommodation in what were formerly the Whakapapa hute, but which have been improved very considerably. Motor-campers can camp near the Chateau, and can secure stores, or have meals either at a cafeteria or in the hotel itself.. For those who are really fit the walks in this region are innumerable, for RuaI pehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro are all within striking distance, and there are I many small lakes dotted here and there .throughout the parfc. Some of the streams provide very good fishing, although the region is not yet particularly popular with fishermen, probably because of its close proximity to Tokaanu and Taupo. Here in the midst of snowcapped mountains will be found boiling streams, blow-holes and all the thermal activity which occurs further north. There are a number of huts scattered throughout the park, from which easy access is gained to the different peaks, and although many of the climbs must be reserved for those thoroughly fit, a holiday at Tongariro provides variety and many pleasant tramps for those whose age prevents indulgence in the more strenuous pastimes.

MODERNISING AN OLD CAR.

POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.

Quite a number of prospective motorist* cannot afford a new car, and therefore are limited to a machine of low price. Many of these owners are sufficiently interested in the mechanism to have the cars they buy as bargains put into really satisfactory running condition. .. , . . A 12-year-old machine, for instance, can be bought for about £2O- £4O, but unless the buyer intends to do his own “modernising,” the bill for putting the car into good running order may be more than the purchase price of the . This question of reconditioning cost often is overlooked by old-car buyers, but is one which must be faced. The, greater the amount of “reconditioning

that is beyond the limits of the skill, or equipment, of the “bargain buyer,” the greater will this reconditioning, or modernising, cost. . . In all probability in an old car the cylinder bores will be oval, necessitating reboring and the fitting of oversize pistons. The crankshaft journals will need grinding, all bearings will want refitting, and at least one set of gear wheels in the gear box may have i be'renewed. These are probably the most expensive mechanical items in the modernising programme, as renewing universal joints, wheel bearings, and other components, will not call for machining operations. ; Springs, whatever their age, usually can be set up, tire brake system put in good order without much difficulty. Front Wheel brakes can be added, since many modern front axles, obtained from a wrecker’s, can be applied to old cars, provided the springs and frame are reasonably substantial. These additional brakes may not be so good as a ■modern four-wheel system, but they will be better than rear brakes only. Shock absorbers are more troublesome to add, and may cost a good deal for brackets and fittings. On some of’ the-older cars a modern carburettor works wonders, but, curiously enough, on others it merely introduces unforeseen difficulties. > , The costs of repainting and upholstering will vary according to the class of work wanted, and, what is more import-' ant, the state of preservation the car is in. If former owners have taken wood edre of the paintwork, its renovation will be a comparatively simple and inexpensive matter.' The introduction of ' low pressure tyres may bring complications, such as wheel wobble, and as a rule the chassis should be inspected carefully to see that there is ample clearance for these bigger section tyres when the car is travelling and cornering fully loaded. ■The successful result of a conversion of this type will depend to a great deal on the skill of the. new owner, and to make the conversion economical it is obvious, that the cost price of the old car must be very low indeed before the heavy expenditure is made.

INDIVIDUAL PETROL,DIET.

FORECAST FOR MOTOR-CARS

The time may come when the careful motorist will take his ‘hew car to a consulting engineer and have him prescribe for it the-particular petrol diet which will result in the longest life, greatest power and speed, just as careful modern parents have the diet of their babies prescribed by child) specialistA This interesting prospect is forecast by a report on a four year study of petrol conducted bv the department of engineering research of the University of Michigan, U.S.A. Professor George Granger Brown, dean of the school of chemical engineering, has charge of the experiments, which required the driving of especially equipped test cars for more than 16,000 miles and the. testing of more than 100 samples of. motor spirit. While the results are largely of interest to- the technician and the petrol- manufacturer, Professor Brown’s summary contains a hint or two for the buyer of motor fuel. The fuel buyers have been guided almost entirely by advertising claims, while, the manufacturer was never quite certain as to the qualifications and beet methods of producing the ideal fuel. The bulletin, with its 110 diagrams and 30 tables of experimental da,ta, is expected to throw new light on the problem.

“The work began four years ago,” Professor Brown said, “and was intende' primarily to ascertain in what i anner the fuel condensed from casinghead and natural gas.might be efficiently blended with the distilled product. It became obvious immediately that the whole matter of fuel efficiency under varying conditions would have to be studied. i

“What was desired, was a spirit which would, vaporise readily at low temperatures, insuring easy starting in cold weather, yet which would give satisfactory performance on the. road once the motor was warmed up. Until recently it was thought that the ideal fuel was one which could be completely vaporised as is the case with many high-test or aviation fuels. Our tests, however, proved that this is not time. Gasolines which will vaporise completely when the motor is warm actually give fewer miles t> the gallon than many so-called low:test fuels. We also determined .that a blended product is usually superior as a fuel.to the original material.

“Im? modern, motor cars the carburettor, is-equipped with an-efficient accelerating, /device and the’ manifold ,5- heated to high temperatures. For ! this reason fuels with i at' least 35 per cent, ofi-vaporisation at low- temperaiurej are required’ ’for satisfactory operation soon after the motor is started. But to prevent, loss in power and acceleration the-fuel should not be more than 75 per cent.- vaporised even at the highest temperatures to be found-in the intake manifold. ; '' .

. “The blending formulae which we have derived from our tests should Serve a double purpose. They will permit the refiner to blend his product /to 4uit a particular type of motor and to insure perfect performance under given conditions. Moreover,'in making the most efficient use of casing-head or natural petrol and of the heavier naphtha, they will increase our production of petrol and thus aid in the conservation of natural- resources. .

“The annual production of natural petrol is about 12| per cent, of the total production. Most of this material is blended with refinery product to obtain easier starting in cold weather. If, now, this quantity of natural gasoline were balanced with an equal quantity of naphtha, a practice not being followed to any extent at present, an equally satisfactory fuel would result. The blend then would be composed of approximately one-third material which would be volatile at very low temperatures, one-third which would be volatile after the motor had- warmed up, and one-third -which, probably, would never be completely vaporised.” Professor Brown stated his conviction that far greater efficiency court be obtained from the modern internal combustion engine if greater attention were paid to the particular work it was intended to perform as well as toithe conditions of temperature and humidity existing during the period of performance. With these factors known, he said, it was possible to write a prescription for an efficient'blended motor fuel, much as a physician' might prescribe a combination of drugs, .with-a view to obtaining a desired result.

DIRECTING LONDON TRAFFIC.

MANY SIGNS ARE USED..,

In London to-day at many places the roads are becoming a mosaic of lines, arrows, admonitions and other symbols indicative of some precautionary action to be taken by drivers and pedestrians.

Otten at the same places there are also vertical standard signs which a driver has to observe and obey. In one place in London there are, in addition, 10mile limit signs, a veritable anomaly when all the efforts of the constables are directed at speeding up the traffic which is released. . Thus, a motor vehicle driver has to, observe, so far as he is able, signs above, below and around him. He has also to look out for and obey the signals of traffic-directing policemen and drivers of other vehicles, and also to anticipate and prepare for the often erratic movements of pedestrians. It is hardly a matter for -wonder that even a driver well accustomed to all tnis sometimes misses a sign or misinterprets a signal at a time when his whole attention has to be concentrated upon the great degree of -uncertain movement with which he is surrounded. It is not surprising that a driver, finding himeelf for the first time in such vortices ae some London traffic < centres present, experiences difficulty in interpreting the Ground and other signs, and occasionally makes some mistake which may prove to be serious.