MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2318, 27 November 1914, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[Bt CI/T7TOH.] „

I Atlvlce to Buyors. Interesting advice to prospective purchasers of motor-cars was. given- by the "Autocar" in its issue of September 26, when it' wrote: — Quite apart f voni the assistance it. would 4 be to home industries if those who thought of purchasing a motor-car within the next few months were to buy it now, we think there is very .little doubt that present purchase would be good business in other respects; that is to say, tho buyer would effect economy. Tho fact of the matter is that there has not been a really great, war since the manufacturing nations and markets of the world wore,closely inter-conhect-ed, and, therefore, none of us has fully realised that, while one country may be hit harder than another, each one suffers very considerably, even though far away from the war zone. Although the manufacturing country which is least likely to suffer is America,'yet it-has its measure of trouble directly from the war, so that many causes which may bring about an. increase in'the price of European cars will, also, tend to increase the cost of American manufactures as well. In these matters it is very; dangerous ■to prophesy, and we do not intend to attempt it. At the same time, we may mention that the indications point to something very like a shtrtage of cars after tho war. Many hundreds,' or perhaps we should say thousands, which are being actually ■ used for military work abroad, will never come back again. The number of new cars being, manufactured is much smaller than is usual, and any existing stocks of chassis are being used up-for business purposes to make up for the shortage of horses. Despite this, the probability ' is that after the war manufacture will only be gradually resumed, the outputs in vogue before the war' will not be suddenly reinstated, and this alone wifl increase the_ cost of production, as tbe prices which have beeu based on an output of a certain magnitude will not hold good and cannot hold good when the output is resumed in smaller batches. It'therefore follows that those who are in a position to order cars now should do so for their own sake as well as for the sake of those dependent upon the manufacture and sale of cars. Incitoo, they will find that they will receive a degree of personal attention which is impossible in the full tide of manufacture, but which can bo given at the" present time, when things aro comparatively slack. However,. undoubtedly the main attraction from the buyer's point of view is the fact that at tho present time one can buy, <at comparatively low pricos, whereas after the war every indication points to an increase in price.

Quality May be Impaired. Tliors is also a point which is worth considering, and tnat is the vital ono of quality. It is, by no means unlikely that tho 1914 car will come to bo regarded for tho. next year or two in the light of a rare.vintage. It is an open question whether the cars made just after tho war in any part of tho world will bo as good as those made before and now while the special automobile steels and other highly developed materials are not all .used up. Nearly all tlieso materials after the war will be dearer in .both .hemispheres; and in some cases impossible' to obtain- for' many, months after peace' is signed. This will result in. less suitable but cheaper and more easily obtained substitutes being used. Just how far this influence will bo felt on oar quality depends on 'the trend and duration of thVwar, but there is no doubt that the longer tho war continues the more serious and lasting will bo the effect on the quality of materials used. ! This assertion" may be denied in certain quarters, and it is quite likely that it can be disproved in individual cases, but, so far as the broad tendonoy is concerned it is incontrovertible. We have only touched lightly on the fringe of the whole quest-'on, but we do not know whether anything would be gained by enlarging upon it, as we have said,- enough to show tho trend of affairs. Even supposing that there were no increase in price, or decrease in qualthere' is no doubt whatever that there will be no reduction in the prices of cars in general, so that the advice to purchase now is sound in any case.

Fuel Economies. , Whilst in normal times an increasing amount of attention has been given by ear V owners to avoiding; waste of fuel owing to the rise in price of it, ■undoubtedly now, in these abnormal times of stress (writes the "Motor"), it behoves every car owner to endeavour to get the utmost value for thefuel used. Greater care in driving to this end will have to be exercised. Unnecessary running on the lower* gears should be avoided and advantage taken of all down grados to throttle the engine to. a minimum or shut it off altogether. LeaVing the engine running when standing ib a practice that is little adopted nowadays, since with a modern magneto it is always possible to start up with the first or second swing, but it is worth bearing in mind that it is a source -of fuel wastage. .Careful adjustment of the carburetter, it goes without saying, is a 6ine. qua non in the attainment of economy.. If a slightly smaller jet can be -used—and in very many cases it will be found trtbe quite possible to do so — it should |» taken advantage of. Any tendencies*!*) carburetter flooding, should be corrected. Many car owners never think of examining- tho needle valve to seo if it'* requires grinding in. The value of that useful attachment, tho hand-controlled air valve, should, not be overlooked, as it forms a corrective to a wasteful ' carburetter if manipulated with due, regard to its proper function. Evon in so' simple a matter as. filling tho,tank wastage can bo avoided by taking'moro than usual care. Unsuspected waste may occur at the petrol shut-off tap and it should be tested to prove if it is petrol-tight.

Austin Hints and Tips. Ono of tho most interesting house journals turned out in the motor trade is the'"Austin Advocate." By this little monthly journal the Austin Company keep in touch with tho purchasers of their cars i throughout the world aud supply much valuablo information of general interest to all motorists. Prizes are offered for the best hints and the replies Sent in form an interesting feature of the publication. The following, for instance, are points worth remembering:— To Remove Tar from the Coachwork. —Smother the tar with butter in the evening and leave it on until next day. Place a littlo paraffin in a pail of water before sponging off, and finally finish with a roft bit of linen or silk and «• little linseed oil, "as the latter freshens dull places where the tar has been. -Being unablo to keep the pressure in. tho petrol-tank, owing to a small hole in tho latter, out of which some spirit was running, and, not having any of tho requisites for soldering it.at hand, a correspondent of the cate" procured a piece of soap about the size of a pea, pressed it into tho hole, and then obtained a piece of grease paperi ono inch by half an inch, ami also borrowed a small tube of liquid glue and stuck the paper over the soap to keep i,he wet from it, and arrived back homo without further trouble. To make a urease gun for filling the differential take a liquid metal polish tin, unsolder tho bottom, and then solder tho tube on to thb other end. A lid off cocoa tin, screwed on to a piece of wood will servo" as a rammer. , It is difficult to drive in the rain.

belund a wind screen, and annoying to have to dispense 'with its protection. To avoid doing this, or being obliged to partially open it, procure a square of yellow or brown Windsor soap. Rub tbo soap on tbe glass so that it is thoroughly greasy, then obtain a damp sponge or olotb, and pass it evenly across the glass in one direction only. In this manner it is possible to drive without discomfort in ordinary rain for 50 miles, when the screon will require re-dressing.

Here and There, Legal lighting up time for motorcars and motor-cycles: To-day, .7.17 p.m.; nest Friday, 7.24 p.m. .According to the official figures lately to hand, the exports of motor tires from the United States during the year ending with June last attained a value of_ only £701j053. as - contrasted with £788,644 in the preceding twelve months. Not only is the United Kingdom the largest customer for American motor tires, but the shipments to that country increased ' from £225,143 to £300,688, or close upon half of the total. There will be no Scottish motor show this year, the council of the Scottish Motor Trade Association having unanimously resolved to postpone it on account of the war. A movement is on foot in New York to raise the price of garage until'some profit may bo gained, and to lower tlie price of petrol until tho garage proprietors do not obtain a higher profit than's' per cent. Hitherto garage has been charged less than cost price, the dealer relying on heavy profits from petrol to make his business pay. . Quite a large export 'trade in motorcars has hitherto been done by Germany to the • Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Rumania, Eussia, Brazil, and Argentine. A very substantial sum of money could and should be diverted to British manufacturers from Germany's export trade hi-motor vehicles, amounting to something like 3J million pounds sterling per annum. Favourable reports are still coming through concerning the output of American and Russian oil wells, and no immediate or prospective shortage of fuel is evident.