NOTES.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 1, 2 November 1908, Page 26

NOTES.

Mr. G. Y. Shannon, of Clifton Teirace, was seen leceutly on a new ear — he has taken delivery of the new 20 h.p Rovei which he has had on order for some tune. The one we saw, equipped with Stepney spare wheel, Cape hood, and all appiutenanees necessary to comfoit, is painted a useful dust-grey colour and was tiavelhng very sweetly. Mr. Pinnock, of the Tioeadero, Wellington, is a proper motor enthusiast. Wellingtonians will see him out this summer in a new six-cylin-der Stuart car. This cai is painted green and upholstered in black, and piesents a very rakish fiont, while as regards noise, this is noticeable by its absence. British manufactuiors will probably be the last to tackle the question of standardisation, and if so their businesses will reeene treh death-blow We hear on good authority that American makeis of cais and component parts aie working to bring about the standardisation of the more vital components of motor cars, such as motor tiansmissions, clutches, and ivniveisal joints. Once American makers come to an agreement, it is almost good-bye to the Bri-

tish motoi manufactory. The Swiss, and especially the Amencan, machine-made watch, was the ruin of the splendid hand-made English lever, and when America gets dow n to business and standai discs motor parts, she will be able to sell a leally fiist-class motor cai in London at prices which will leave no maigm of profit to a cai not built on the same system. The cheap American car assembled fioni standardized paits made by factories , each one specially litted up to make one paiticnlar pait, will not be as good as a hand-made car, but it will suit the purpose of the great majority m the same way that a Waltham watch has leplaced the Knglish level Imperfect inflation is responsible, to a greater extent than anything else, for tyre "bursts" and quick disintegiation. When a tyre is not sufficiently pumped up the walls are continually bending backwards and forwards as the car moves, with the same result as when a wire or piece of metal is bent backwards and forwards, that is, heat is engendered in the threads, as a result of which they soon weaken, and in a short time the inner walls aie no longer strong enough to support the air pressure multiplied by the weight of the oar, and "buihts" result Lack of lubrication m a particular cylinder may sometimes cause so much friction that the cvlindei will lag, and, especially at low thiottle openings, will add little or nothing to the power of the engine TTnder such conditions the particular engine will probably heat excessn ely, and become so hot as to develop preignition and "knocking." Conditions sitch as these aie, however, likely to be detected during the operation of starting the motor, or _by a squeaking sound when the engine is running.