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MOTORING

BY ** ROADSTER."

"Roadster" invites articles and j paragraphs of interest to motorists for 1 this page. I DRIVING VISION. As traffic increases on the roads it becomes more necessary than ever to ensure that a driver's vision is unimpeded and the mistake of crowding nonessential equipment into the front compartment of a car becomes apparent. Driving vision is sometimes impaired l.v posting stickers and similar posters 1 en the windscreen. Some of these post- | res arc often large and form a blind -pot of dangerous proportions in the .Iriver's angle of vision. Almost a3 r foolish as the practice of posting stickers on the screen is that, of posting them .ri the rear light or rear window in i losed cars. The practice is very common. Misleading perspectives of what i» jjoiu# 011 behind a cflr arc likely 1 . be obtained even from the best rearvision mirrors, and the difficulties of accurate observation with the aid of a mirror arc increased if the rear window is partly obscured. It is not often realised how much of the right hand side , of the road ahead of the driver may be • .-lit off if a spotlight or rear-vision mil- j ror be fitted outside the car to the pillar ; i.i the windshield. The danger of these and other fittings mounted in tlie same position lies in their tendency to obscure the view of side streets except when the car is a considerable distance away from them. Another bad policy id the fitting of very large mascots to the radiator cap. This applies ■ particularly to the large dolls of various kinds sometimes carried on the radiator. Merely a slight inconvenience in the daytime, these mascots become very dangerous 011 ill-lighted roads at night because they arc in just the position to obscure tlie driver's view of pedestrians or cyclists when the car may be overtaking until it is too late to avoid an accident. CARELESS WAYS. | "Motorists are lapsing into careless ways at intersections and it is apparent that many drivers expose themselves and others to danger through sheer carelessness," says the Canterbury Automobile Association in its latest safety first message to motorists. "While there are many phases of delinquency at intersections,'' says the Association, "one of the worst is that relating to overtaking and passing other vehicles near or on an intersection. The regulations state clearly that no driver must pass another vehicle going in the same direction within 30 feet of an intersection if such a vehicle overtaken is going at a rate of over six miles an hour. "It is quite a common sight, particularly within >the central city area, to see motorists passing vehicles close lo and even on tho intersections. Needless to say such a proceeding is fraught with considerable danger. Motorists going towards an intersection at well over six miles an hour have given the hand signal of intention to make a right hand turn only to find that a fast overtaking vehiclo has come along witlun the 30 feet limit and blocked the way, thus causing traffic confusion. This important driving rule is being broken repeatedly and there is no excuse for it. There have been many close calls through this form "of traffic carelessness, and an appeal is made to all drivers to obey therule." The construction of a carburettor factory at Samara, Russia, is announced. When completed, this factory is to supply carburettors for the entire automobile and aviation-engine industries of the Soviet Republic. Hitherto all carburettors employed in Russia have been imported. The new giant car factory at Nijni Novgorod started work on January Ist. It is capable of turning out 140,000 cars a year.

NOTES. A Christchurch motoiist who has recently returned from a trip to Marlborough and Nelson was tempted to make a deviation to inspect Croiselhi's Harbour. He is sorry now that he did as the road was in a shocking condition and at the time of thejriji jvas in process of being metalled.* The road, which is about 15 miles long, leaves the Nel-son-Blenheim highway a short distance from the Rai township and climbs a thickly wooded hill, at the top of which a tine panorama is obtainable of the surrounding country and the sea coast, wilh D'Urville island in the distance. The Christ-church man found the road very full of bumps and potholes in the eariy stretches, and much worse in the latter stages. Gangs of men were spreading heavy metal over the surface and in one instance it was necessarj to stop the car in order to wait until the metal to be broken up was small enough to allow the car to pass over it. As no roller was being used on the job it will apparently be a long time before the road consolidates. \ demonstration- of the strength oi an India Super All Black motor tube was given vesterdav afternoon in the presence of'"Roadster." Claimed to be leak, heat, chafe, and tear-proof, an ordinary iJU x 0 tube was taken out of stock and inflated. When "Roadster' made his inspection, the tube had been absorbing air for about four hours and it was expected that the pumping would continue for another hour. The tube was then so large that 110 one seeing it for the first time would imagine that before pumping began it was only an ordinary one. When fully inflated, the tube was expected to be > 0 times its normal size and to contain 88,200 cubic inches as against 1260 inches normally. Set up in an erect position, the tube would be considerably higher than a tall man. Elsewhere in this issue will be found a photograph of one of the hatches supplying the Canteens of Morris Motors' factories in England. Morris works are generally a group of many factories, and there are numerous canteens which cater for the requirements of the employees. Meals arc served from the hatches where, as it will be seen, New Zealand produce —lamb, butteV, cheese, and honey—constitutes an important part of the menu. Moreover, the produce is 011 sale to the employees and a considerable quantity is disposed of, and freely advertised in the various canteens. ' As Morris employees are encouraged to purchase New Zealand produce from factory canteens to take to their homes, it will be readily seen how important this must be in stimulating the sale of New Zealand produce through the usual sales channels. Conversion of the railways tracks into motor ways was ait unusual suggestion put forward at a repent lecture (in England) 011 "Railways and Roads." It was only necessary to remove the sleepers and rails and put on a layer of concrete, of which the cost would be about £3OOO. a nj'k single track or 111 millions m all. Al vehicles on entering would be weighed and a toll charged according to the .weight and distance to he covered, lue annual cost of maintenance would be trifling—the' railway companies, stated the lecturer, spent £22,000,000 a year on 'track maintenance. There has been a large increase "1 the number. of cars in Czechoslovakia during the past few days. In there was one car to everv 243 inhabitants, but in 1931 the figure rose to one to every 120 inhabitants. There is evidence from most licensing offices that motorists are showing a distinct preference for quarterly licenses in England.

j Oil many makes ot cars with w ire | | cable-operated brakes, there is a piece j i of cabiu protruding from the brake- ] j cam firms. It is possioie, wlion clean- \ i ill" oiling, or making adjustments to ! the' back axle, to get a nasty cut from i j the sharp wire ends. Prevent tins to I making a neat pad of insulating tape, t j and binding it over each end. j ! An elephant has just taken part i" j ■ a novel test ot' strength ot the piessCH , ! steel which is the modern materia. ; I used for motor-car bodies. -.V '!' j ■ was lixed on top. of a car httxl with | a bodv of one-piece construction. .1 . the pressed steel company's works, anci t a live-ton elephant was invited to Mj'l on it from a warehouse floor at the same level. The huge beast ' j hesitated, and the body stood the tes . j The international Motor acluing • ! Union, at its ninth 'V 111 ''*its ' | held recently in BnisteW. an aided , mcdol to Kaye Don for the ? est ol |L t s I ing periormance ot the • * i I medal of honour for the best « ; J Captain Mnssieii France. i When a lorrv taking a cow to inai- , ket collided 'with a motor-car mar ■ Ashl)V-de-la-Zouch recently, the <oi> , was flung into the air. turned a somer- j 'sault, and landed unhurt in a ditcti. ; According to an ordinance issued by the Governor of Home, a Iresh campaign against noise started wit.i the New Year. It is now illegal for dri\er.-> , ol motor vehicles to sound their horn-* j between the hours of 12.31 a.m. ard <J 1 a.m. within the city hounds. ' An American multi-millionaire, who j ! i>- an aviation enthusiast, has had an i ! all-glass body fitted to his car to enable i 1 hi in to watch aeroplanes flying over- j head whilst he is travelling along the j road. ' Twenty iii-.nr.mce companies have j decided to discontinue automobile lia- j i bility insurance owing to the roinonl- ; sory automobile law in tbe 111 i tod j states. ! A return of street accidents in .Man- j Chester for 1931 shows that the number j of persons killed was reduced by !_'•> per j cent. ! A mechanical horn ouerated by < control-cable from a clutch-type lever | is a novelty advertised in a French ; coufemporarv. Lord Ponsouby of Shuibrede is in , Favour of underground parking places i for London on communal lines. ! In order to obviate the shadows cast j by inadequate street lighting which cause many accidents, the Automobile j Association in England urges a stand- j ard system of street lighting. A great road-making scheme is an- : neiineed by the Greek Government. It involves new arterial roads linking up j different parts of the country, the total j mileage being 1500. , TO RESTORE POWER. CLEAN IGNITION AND i CARBURETTOR. j Most motorists have experienced the feeling that the engine of the car lias lost its liveliness, and that for some reason it is not pulling and accelerating as it should. The conventional ob- j scrvation is that the engine needs decarbonising; but actually, in many cases, a little attention to the ignition and carburettor will often restore liveliness. If the carburettor is. cleaned so as to remove any traces of dirt and water, -Itlie spark plugs examined and adjusted, or cleaned, ■. as' may be necessary, and • the contact points of the ignition "make-and-break" dressed and reset, a new lease of life may be given to the engine. It is also advisable to cheek the tappet clearances, as too wide u . gap there will affect the lift of the valves, and cause loss of efficiency. - I I Mr William Riley, founder of the | Riley concern in England, recently I celebrated his 80th birthday. 1

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19320311.2.12

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,859

MOTORING Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 4

MOTORING Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 4

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