MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2377, 5 February 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[Br Clutch*] Road Deterioration. During last year nearly 500 motorcars and motor-cycles wcro added to tlio registration list in Wellington City alone. Olio result of this is to bo seen in tho increasingly rapid deterioration of the roads in the surrounding country districts. Tho Maaiawatu Road from Wellington to Pahautanui, for instance, is by no means what it ufied to be, and tho destructive effect of motor traffic is particularly noticeablo on that stretch from Porirua to Paremata, • where ih<k surface on tho corners is being literally pulled to pieces, while elsewhere a rapid development of small potholes is going oil. The condition of the Hutt itoad is, of course, notorious, but this is mainly due to the entire absonco of maintenance work 6iuce tho road was handed over to the local authorities in March last. Happily the City Council is now about to take tho road in hand, and some effective work on modern lines can no doubt be looked for. Another much-used motor road is that to Day's Bay, and for along time past it- has been nothing but a succession of jolts and bumps. Neither of the two county councils on whom falls the maintenance of the main roads around the city haa adopted a progressive roads policy. It is the np-country councils which one finds experimenting with road improvement work, and perhaps the reason is not far to seek. Since the advent of the motor it is safe to say that almost the whole of the traffic which is pulling the main roads in the Hutt and Makara counties to pieces originates outside of those countios, and yields nothing in revenue to either of these local bodies. It is hardly to be expected that the residents of these two counties will look pleasant and pay the bill to build good highways for the benefit of motorists from other districts. With the, popularising of the motor each year sees city traffic extending out over a wider area of the countryside, and makes it more than ever accessary that the maintenance of the main roads should not be left to be borne by the farmers and other country residents whose properties adjoin them. Unless motorists wish to see their cars subjected to an annually increasing wear and tear —because there can be no doubt that the roads are becoming worse—they will do well to combine and urge on tho Government the necessity of putting the work of road main--tenance on a new basis, eithor by the State taking over tho main roads or by some other means. Without a change in the present system the pleasure of motoring will before long drop to nil, while the cost, with excessive wear on the tyres ana all parts of the transmission, will soar steadily up. The matter is ono that deserves the attention of a wide-awake motor association.

Ghristohurch to Mount Cook. During last week-end an interesting journey was made by Mr. F. W. Johnstoiij president of the Canterbury Automobile Association, in conection wuh that body' 3 motor reliability trial sto Mount Cook. Carrying passengers with him, Mr. Joliuston left Chnstchurch early on Saturday morning in his Panhard car. The party had a very pleasant run, despite one oir two light showers, and reached tho Hermitage in time for dinner in the ovening. Tho return journey was started on Sunday morning, and after an uneventful trip the party reached Christchurch in the evening. It is believed.that this_ is the first occasion on which this jottrcny has been mad© by motor in the time. Contrary to expectations, the roads were, on tho whole, in excellent condition. Nearing the Hermitage some rough patches were experienced, due to the recent floods causing the mountain streams to wash out the surface in plaoes. Repairs are being effected and the road should be in good condition when the reliability trial takes place.

Among the Southern Lakes. An extensive tour by motor through the Southern Lakes and provinces was completed last week by Mr. M. J. Miller, of West Ly+telton. With a party numbering five in all, Mr. Miller left Lyttelton in his 20 h.p. motor at 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve. A smart run across the plains brought them to Fairlie at 5.30 in the evening, when a stop was made for the night. _ Leaving the chief town of the Mackenzie Country at 9 the following morning, the party passed Lakes Tekapo ma Pukaki, en route to Lindus, where arrival was made at 7 p.m. The next day's journey took the travellers through the township of Pembroke, ou Lake Wanaka, to Queenstown, the route traversed being over the Crown Ranges at a height of 4500 feet. A stay of five days was made at Lake Wakatipu, during which time visits were paid to Paradise and Gelnorchy. Resuming the journey," Mr. Miller shipped his car on the Government steamer Earnslaw, which accomplished the trip of 23 miles to Kingston in the smart time of an hour and a half. The party subsequently left on the car at H a.m. for Invercargill, via Lumsden. While crossing the Mataura River, the car ■ stuck hard and fast among the shingle, the services of a hcrse being ultimately required to drag it to the opposite bank. To the chagrin of all it was then discovered that owing to being misdirected they had taken the_ wrong road. There being no alternative the car was headed back for the other side, the trip across the stream, fortunately, being accomplished without any untoward incident. Arrival was made at Invercargill at 8.30 p.m., this hour being the .latest that the car was onHhe •road during the whole of the tour. Mr. Miller spent nearly three weeks in visiting tho | outlying parts of the district. The party left on their return trip on Monday of last week, stopping eil route at Dunedin, Oatnar'u, and Timam. Altogether the car covered about 1260 milea without a puncture. In Mr. Miller'a opinion it was duo to the exceptional conditions that it was possible to take a car over such a route. In some parts of tho lake district there was no proper road —just a track across the tussock-covered hills. The dry weather also enabled the party to cross the unbridged streams without difficulty.' The route is such a- beautiful one for motors that Mr. Miller considers tho Government should improve the roads and make them more accessible to this class of traffic.

Motor Headlights. With a view to making motoring more safe and at the same time increasing motor courtesy, a number of Ainericau makers are this jear, according to the New "i'ost," providing systems tvbich make possible tho dimming of one's headlights upon approaching; a vehicle coming in tho opposite direction on an unlighted country road. Most of these headlight dimming devices aro stated to bo really simple in construction, and add very little complication to tho car's mechanism. The matter, one is clad to note, is receiving attention in lingland, and tho ''Westminster Gazette" says in a recent issue: "It is highly desirable that some recognised .system for deflecting the glare of motor headlamps should bo employed to minimise the inconvenience and danger which it olfers to other road-users. The trouble is that in selecting lor recommendation one or more of tho devices of makers who have studied tho ■ question affects the whole lamp-making industry, and it is for the good of all that 110 preference shall be shown. Having regard to this, our manufacturers should find in tho report of tho National Physical Laboratory, which has been investigating the subject on' behalf of rhe I.ocal Government Board, much useful data for future

guidance. It is said that no useful purpose could bo served by limiting the genoral intensity of th»> beam, as tho oyo is 111 a condition of dark adapta/tion at night, and a light which is much too feeblo to drive with in eafoty is sufficient in itsolf to dazzle anyone facing it. The only alternative appeared to bo to adapt a headlight in such a way that virtually all light is eliminated from that portion of its beam which would meet the eye of a person approaching the floodlight from Hid opposite direction. Tho portion of a headlight beam which a driver most requires is that which lies below a horizontal plane about three feet above the road, and also that which illuminates tho hedges and signs on the left-hand side. Experiments have shown that, of tho lens mirror and parabolic types, the latter is not so easy to deal with, unless louvres are used, while the lens mirror, both with acetylene and electric sources of light, produces a beam in which the upper right-hand portion seen the lamp is altogether blot- ™ J. 1 ' 1 At the present momont few headlights are used owing to their prohibition, but in their place lias arisen a state of affairs nearly as confusing. Xhe front glasses are lined with a coloured material, and as often as not other .tints are employed for the side lamps. But even this medley of colours is safer than the small white lights or side lamps in the darkened streets, though green strikes me as being the most suitable in tho circumstances. Hints and Tips. lie best way to clean the mica is . damp it with a rag soaked in vmegar. Afterwards wash the vinegar ott with clean oold water. No soap or other cleansing material should be used. When the engine is running fast, the ooohng water is forced to circulate at a j provided the radiator and the sizes of the inlet and outlet ! pipes are not properly proportioned to provide for any possible velocity of 1 Bow, there a bound to be a piling up i ot the water in the top of the radiator, lius is why the sides of the filler cap have a rusty appearance after a long journey. This can be obviated by outing out a piece of fibre or rubber from a discarded air tube, and placing it inside the cap so as to form a washer over the mouth of the filler. 1 . freat secret of economy in tyre lire is that of giving immediate attenDioun to email cuts. A cut on a tyre caused by a sharp flint or other instrument, if left, frill gradually provide means for meress of sand and wet which will start the rotting of the canvas .lining and gradually form into a "boil." A small vulcaniser can be bought for quite a moderate outlay, and the motorriii ' 0 ■■ one anf t attends to such lu tyres will find tnap the purchase of such an apparatus 15 *^ U i 3 investment. ■ A clos© adjustment is certainly correct in principle, though there may be instances where an unequal clearance has been allowed for some special reason, such as to get the timing of the valves equalised, but the difference should not amount to very much, say only from one to two millimetres. The standard clearance is half a millimetre, though even this is more than is necessary to allow vfor the expansion of the valve stem when it becomes heated to the maximum. A close adjustment is necessary. to obtain the full effect from the cam in lifting the valve, and it is also a very important factor in reducing the noise of the valve action. As the result of wear, rattles' and noise are always to be expected, and occasionally oven a now car misbehaves in this fashion. Long unsupported rods, such as those wluch operate the back brakes, generally prove' troublesome, as soon as a little, wear has loosened the original fit of the yoke ends. The noise can be silenced by attaching to the centre of the rod a rubber band, made out of a section cut from a discarded inner tube. The loose end should be anchored to any oonvenient spot on the -underside of the body, This will damp out the vibration without affecting the free manipulation of the rod. Wooden boxes, such as . are used-for tools or accumulators, should not have their loose lids fastened down with a leather strap. A spring catch like those on the bonnet is far more effective. . If a strap be used, the best plan is to tighten it centrally into the nearest notch; then push first the strap, then the lid, as far as they will move towards one end of the box. The possible movement is generally very slight, but it will usually prevent the lid from rattling. The judicious use of suitably shaped wedges of wood will often work wonders in such cases as a steering column badly fitted through the dashboard, or a speedometer cable which rattlee against the undershield. Pads or wrappings of rubber or felt can usually bo effectively utilised in many ways to remedy tho effects of vibration.

Here and There. . Legal lighting up time for motorcars and motor-cycles: To-day, 7.18 p.m.. Next Friday, 7.9 p.m. The Vanderbilt Cup, the big motorcar road event of America, will this year be held in the grounds of the Panama Exposition, where a special banked speedway has been erected. The circumference of the track, which lias an asphalt surface, is 3.9 miles. Hie track in front of the grandstand, which will seat 18,000 people, is 200 feet wide. The contest is to be held on February 22, followed up five day 6 later with the American Grand Prix. The distance of the cup event is 300 miles, or 75 circuits of the speedway, whilst the Grand Prix will bo decided over a distance of 400 miles. Someone has invented a motor-cyole side-car of the canoe type, which can be detached from the frame by means of winged nuts, and used on lake or river in the ordinary way. A paddle is neatly fitted, invisible when the sidecar is in use on the road. A man was fixing his automobile. "Trouble?" asked a bystander. "Some," was the laconic answer. "What power car is it?" "Forty-horse," came the answer. "What seems to be the matter with it?" "Well, from the way sbe acts I should say thirty of the horses wero deau."