High Road and By-Road

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 18986, 1 July 1933, Page 24 (Supplement)

High Road and By-Road

WATER AND DRAUGHTS.

HOW TO KEEP THEM OUT. While modern closed car-s are very highly developed In respect of water and draught exclusion, there is plenty of scope for the owners of many older types, both open and closed, to make their coachwork more 'comfortable, states an English motor journal. Entry of water at the top of the windscreen can usually he prevented by tacking a flap of hood material along the front hood bow, so that it rests on top of the screen or lies just in front of it about an inch deep.

Leaky roofs and hoods should be painted according to instructions with any of the dressings on the market. Use a wide brush, and apply the preparation thinly and evenly, giving subsequent coats if necessary. It is important that the hood be dry and free from dust before painting. Holes in the hood may be patched from inside with a tire patch stuok on with plenty of solution. Side curtains are often both unsatisfactory and dangerous, owing to the celluloid windows being too small or having become scratched. Removal of ccilluloid is not expensive or can be done at home by stitching through the old holes. Where curtains are fitted it may be worth while making a set of modern stiff screens composed mostly of celluloid, and arranged 1o peg into holes drilled into the body sides. Celluloid which is only slightly scratched can be cleaned fairly satisfactorily with metal polish. Draughts through badly-fitted floorboards, control slots, and from beneath seals can cause much discomfort. In the case of slots it is usually possible to fit rubber flaps to keep them closed without interfering with the operation of the levers passing through them. Badly-fitting doors often allow very troublesome draughts to blow against the passengers' legs. These can be excluded in some cases by tacking along the door frame a length of soft rubber tubing, which will be compressed when the door is closed.

QUEER MOTOR LAWS. The following, 'taken from the “Morris Owner,” tells of some queer laws in regard to motor vehicles in various parts of the globe:— “ British motorists are accustomed to grumble about the growing complexity of our own road laws, but as yet we have nothing to compare witli some of the old regulations that govern road-'users in other countries,” says the article. “ What should we say, for instance, if, while bowling quietly along, puffing contentedly at a cigarette, we are stopped by a policeman and told ’that we should be charged with smoking while in charge? That is what would happen in .some of the larger cities of Norway, where both smoking and drinking by the driver of a motor vehicle are banned by law. “A recent enactment places Turkey well in the van of countries having curious motoring laws, for by a regulation issued 'by the Municipal Council of Stamboul (Constantinople) •a few months ago driving licenses may be issued only to men over 25 years of age and married. This decree was not made with any desire to coerce the Turkish bachelor into matrimony. “The large number of fatal accidents in the city during the last few years created an urgent demand for action, and the authorities agreed that tiie most cautious driver is the one who has shouldered the responsibilities of marriage. “As recently as June of last year Egypt adopted an unusual regulation in the form of a ban on private cars coloured red. This colour is to be reserved for Royal cars, to facilitate their passage.”

FOR DAMAGED TYRES. When a hole Is caused in an outer cover either by a blow-out or by a bad cut, It is usual to repair the damage temporarily, if that cover has to be used immediately, by inserting a sleeve in the cover behind the hole. When a sleeve is used for this purpose the repair should be regarded as strictly a temporary one. If the cover is worth repairing this should be done without delay by effective vulcanising. If the cover he badly worn, or the fracture in the walls of such a nature that successful vulcanising is impossible, it should bo replaced as soon as possible. A sleeve can nearly always he used to enable a damaged tyre to cover 100 miles or so in an emergency, hut ils use has a number of disadvantages. One of the most important of these is the fact that it. destroys the balance of the wheel and gives rise to the danger of wheel wobble, which may permanently damage the front-wheel bearings or kingpins when the car is being driven fast. Moreover, it is practically impossible to avoid friction between tiie sleeve and the cover and the sleeve and the inner tube. This friotlon may so seriously wear the inner tube that ultimately, not merely the damaged cover, but both cover and tube have to be replaced.

STIFF STEERING. The main causes of stiff steering are lack of lubrication, Incorrect adjustment, or wrong castor-angle of the front wheels. If there Is no trace of stiffness when both front wheels are Jacked up, the fault probably lies in the front wheel setting. If the stiffness persists, try disconnecting the steering iinkago at the end of the drop-arm from the steerage gear-box. if the wheel still turns stiffly, Hie fault is in the reduction gear. If it is then free, look for some fault such ns misalignment, which would cause friction in the linkage.

A common fault with many drivers is the way they give signals when desiring to turn to the right. instead of extending the right, arm straight out, some motorists crook the arm in a ‘‘slop’’ signal, white others, to attract attention, waggle I lie hand up and down, leaving the driver behind them in a quandary. Tim right-turn signal, properly given, is diseerniblo by all, and no “hand llupping'’ is over a«cesg&rxv— r-

A COLUMN FOR MOTORISTS.

DRIVING AND BRAKES.

DESIRABLE HABITS. Habits in driving are among the prime factors in the success of toe motorist with his brakes. Leading authorities have expressed the conviction that proper uso of brakes will not only save them, but also improve them.

Some of the practices which prevent brakes from maintaining maximum efficiency include the following: Allowing the wheels to slide where the road surface Is wet or slippery thus wearing the tires unevenly and permitting uneven traction to upset brake equalisation. Failure to time one’s driving to match the action of automatic traffic signals. Going too fast over the top of hills so as to require excessive use of the brakes on the down grade. Driving with the holding brake partly engaged. Failure to have the moving parts of the braking system lubricated and kept free from rust. Insufficient operation of any one set of brake shoe means excessive wear on the other three, which then must carry the whole load. Service men frequently find individual brakes which do not release properly. This results in excessive wear on the lining, and throws the entire system out of equalisation. ■Brakes should have frequent inspection, but- constant readjustments should not be necessary. SLUGGISH ENGINES. WINTER FUEL THE CURE. Winter brings with it, not only bodily discomforts to motorists,, but the same chills and stiffness the flesh is heir to, occur in the car the motorist drives. Motorists do not, in New Zealand, put “overcoats” on their cars as is the practice in other countries, to prevent the engine being “frozen stiff.” Still they can exercise sympathetic discrimination in the choice of the right fuel and oil for winter use.

One of the first things that happens on frosty mornings when winter covers the garage with frost, or bleak Sou’-westeriies blow on parking areas, is the engine becomes sluggish at ■starting. This means that a petrol must be selected that will vaporise swiftly. Correct high volatility means that the fuel charge will vaporise in a splitsecond, even ’ on the frostiest morning likely to be experienced, and give your motor that =plit-second start so desirable to save the life of your battery, and to prevent cankcase dilution. ADVICE TO THE KERB-SHY.

It may not matter very much If over-anxious drivers and their passengers flap arms and hands in all directions, hut there are other peculiarities which are somewhat less acceptable to older drivers, states an editorial in “The Motor." fl’he most Irritating of these is holding the crown of the road while travelling at a snail’s pace. No good driver likes to fluster a novice, if only for the very excellent reason that it may precipitate a hastily over-corrected swerve with dangerous possibilities. At the same time when a long stream of faster traffic is hold up by one who timidly refrains from venturing within a yard or two of the near side of the road, tempers are apt to lie frayed and awkward situations created. The kerbshy should hear in mind that they are sometimes more dangerous than the “thrusters” forcing their way along tiie off-side of the road, whose conduct is naturally deplored by good and bad drivers alike. SAVIMQ PETROL. ■Many motorists who are anxious to keep petrol consumption down to a minimum will he interested in the factors which influence petrol wastage. These are:— Permitting brakes to drag. Letting the engine run at high speed when idling. Driving too long in first and second gear before changing to “top." Racing the engine in spurts when waiting at traffic stops or for passengers to embark. Uneven acceleration; that is, jerky use of the accelerator pedal. Driving with fouled spark plugs. Tills wastes about 20 per cent, of the petrol used for every plug that is out of commission. When plugs have been in use for .10,000 miles they should be replaced with new ones. A GOOD TIP.

Novices sometimes experience difficulty in knowing when their front wheels are pointing straight ahead. The trouble can he overcome quite easily by marking the steering wheel, either temporarily by tying a piece of string or tape round it, or permanently by making a smalt dent in the upper face of the wheel-rim by means of a small drill and then touching in tho dent, with white enamel. The position marked should be at the exact uppermost point of the wheel-rim when the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position, and an advantage of the dent is that, In addition to being neat, it may easily be felt by tiie thumb when driving in the dark.

A junk shop near a railroad crossing in Denver carries a signal with ibis hint to motorists: “Go ahead; take a chance. Wo'll buy the car.” Once ujion a lime a man stopped to pick up a horseshoe for luck, and a car came along and knocked him over a fence into a field of four-leaf clover.

Reporting on the Increased road accidents in .Manchester, the chief constable says these are chiefly due to people leaving the pavement witli their hacks In approaching vehicles, and running behind, before, or between vehicle**

SPARKS. Light oil containing 33 per cent, petrol is reported to have been discovered in Brunei, British Borneo. A company had persistently searched for oil in that ditsriot, but previously had discovered only heavy oil in shallow wells. A reduction of 2,000,000 in total passenger car registrations from 1929 to 1932 is recorded in the United States ol' America. In England and Wales the installation of traffic light signals has up to the present released 503 constables from traffic duty. A recent decree by Herr Hitler abolishes the tax on new motor-cars, and the cars will be free of tax so long as they remain in the hands of tiie original owner. When sold, however, the old tax of 12.6 marks per 100 c.c. will be imposed. Out of 510,654 candidates examined during 1932 for the French driving license, 316,837 were successful. Successful candidates Included 28,21.7 women out of 47,970 who presented themselves for examination. Driver; I wasn’t going 40 miles an hour, or 30, or even 20. Constable: Steady, now, or you’ll be backing into something. Sixty per cent, of motor accidents occur In daylight hours, say an exchange. Well, as most cars go to bed with the fowls this is not surprising. Forty-three new members were elected by tiie council of the Canterbury Automobile Association at 'the meeting last week. This makes 4*. for the year to date. Surgeon (to attendant): Go and get the name of the accident victim so that wo can inform his mother. Attendant (three minutes later): He says his mother knows his name. One of the latest devices to foil the car thief in Britain is Ihe invention of cx-Chief Constable Wensley, who retired l'rofn Scotland Yard a year or two ago. When a driver leaves bis car lie draws a metal shutter across Ihe lop of the wind-screen. This shutter bears, in large letters, the word "Parked.” It cannot be pushed back until it is unlocked on the driver's return, and removing it would require tools. Should the car thief try to get rid of it in this way, he would be sure to attract attention. Should he drive off with the “ Parked” shutter in position, he would announce to ail the world that the car was stolen. The idea seems more practical than that recently produced in Prague with the same object in view. This device fires live blank cartridges if anyone tries In remove the car, and follows up with live of the ball vnriely if the thief persists. It, sounds sufficient to warn off any robber, but the consequences lo innocent passers-by in the line of lire might be disastrous.