THE MOTOR WORLD

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16833, 8 September 1922, Page 2

THE MOTOR WORLD

Notes and News by

“Radiator.”

The appearance recently of a motor taxi in this town has occasioned public interest. Many new motors are making their appearance in Christchurch streets. This is a good indication of the brightening up of business, while, of course, the call of the sunny days and the, opportunities for touring induce many to buy cars. Be sure that all hose connections are changed once a year. Hot water rots the rubber, loosens up the fabric which gets in the way of the water, cutting down the efficiency of the cooling system. In Now Jersey a motorist was fined 2odol for violation of the State law which prohibits one-arm driving. According to the magistrate it takes two arms to drive a car properly, and two arms to hold a girl properly., The necessity of having oil of a very good quality for the car and cycle can never be too greatly insisted on. OF course, it will take a long time for inferior grades to make any sort of competition with the standard grades, but there will always be those who will buy a. certain brand of oil for the reason that it is cheap. There are some oils, however, that have a most deleterious effect on vital parts of the motor. One overseas journal sums up the position in this way:-—-‘‘lf wo had the hearts and the dramatic powers of the tooth paste advertisers we would start right in to scare you on this subject, because we are firmly convinced that pool- grades of oil, improper attention to the oil supply, and dirty, worn out oil in the crank case have done mor6 damage to motor cars than films and the deadly arid mouth have ever done to the teeth.”

It is often the part of wisdom for a first time automobile buyer to purchase a ear that has been used previously for his own best interests. There is not only quite r great deal to learn about operation aml care of a car. but there is also the damage that the now owner does to a car through inexperience, in driving and other causes. Adoption of a secondhand car to “ learn on ” is therefore good practice for the man who regards bis automobile as an investment rat-hei than a luxury or an expense. In buying a used car, from the standpoint of the purchaser, there are several questions he can ask the salesmen and insist on an answer with which he should satisfy himself, some of which are :

What is the condition of the tyres and how long are they likely to stand up? Is the motor in good condition ? Has :t undergone overhauling or been through the repaii- shop since the dealer acquired it? These are some of the leading points that the buyer can cover anti satisfy himself on with ad vantage. New paint and polished up nickeled parts can cover a lot.

American journals have been draw- : ing attention to the damage done to • tyres by the oily condition of some of

tho highways. One San Francisco writer says:—“Owing to the climatic conditions and extreme temperatures, the Eastern roads are constructed far heavier than those in the West, the roadbed going down to eighteen inches in the East, while out here an eight inch roadbed appears to meet our ordinary requirements. However, the Western road surface contains a greater volume of oil and asphalt in tho tt arm weather, and coats the tyre with a thick layer of substance decidedly injurious to the rubber, and is one of the principal causes of “ tread separation.'’ Practically every tyre repair man lists the major portion of tyre grief in the summer months under two general heads—blowout,s from excessive generation of boat and tread separation, due to deteriorating effects of oil on rubber.” BY LAWS MAKE FOR CONGESTION. Commenting on street accidents, a correspondent, while admitting that, tramcar passengers seem always to be in a desperate hurry to catch the kerb, and will not wait for any vehicle to move away, wants a by-law passed that will compel motorists to halt on reaching n stationary tramcar. Such a regulation. however, will not hold much (says the Melbourne “ Argus ”) ; it will not, cannot, facilitate the passage of traffic, but will make congestion worse. If the authorities had thought that such a by-law would be beneficial, it would have been operative ere this. By far the larger number of accidents reported in connection with motor vehicles are those which the drivers of these vehicles could not . possibly avoid owing to the indecision of pedestrians, and miracles are performed every day by motorists in preventing collisions with undisciplined traffic units, foot and other, for which, however, they receive no credit. They are best re membered by their so-called misdeeds. But the introduction of regulations pro hibiting “jay-walking” will be the first hard lessons for the foot passengers to learn in connection with the control of street traffic. As the volume of traffic increase*, as it must, the authorities will suddenly recognise the inevitable—that railed traffic has no right place in our busiest thorough fares, and that the streets must he cleared of what the late Sir John Madden, in reference to tram cars, was pleased to term “ moving obstacles.” Public service vehicles plying in the centre of the streets are the cause of

so many people crowding on to the roadway to join, or quit the vehicles. Wo run eliminate that drawback, as other cities have done, by the substitution of tramcars with the modern motor omnibus. Jn line with that forward movement i« the decision of

the Railway Commissioners to utilise the efficient internal combustion motor unit on lines where the traffic- is so

light that, it docs not pay t<\ operate the comparatively cumbersome locomotive and train. In other ways the superior speed of the motor vehicle might be employed to good advantage, whicii is infinitely better than decrying it as dangerous.