MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2853, 18 August 1916, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

LBY ChjtokJ

Buying a Motor-Car. Before any man or woman can buy a motor-car intelligently he or she must first acquire a primary knowledge of motor-car mechanics. This knowledge is easily acquired, because of tho great-_ ly increased number of cars and tho* educational work of the newspapers aud manufacturers. A motor-car, in the very nature, of things, involves a considerable outlay of ■ money, And for that reason a motor-car purchase Should be made intelligently. The buyer should know why he makes a particular choice, lie should not take the saltan's word alone. On the contrary, he should be able to tell, of his own knowledge, whether the salesman speaks from conviction or merely from enthusiasm. In making- a purchaso one should observe the performance of cars within the predetermined price, not in respect to their power and speei, but in their general efficiency, freedom from trouble, and length and character of service given their owners. . Business and personal matters should not be considered under any circumstances. The features that should influence one most are —Light weight, high car effibienoy, low coat of maintenance, easy riding, flexibility, the high reputation of the manufacturer, and the fact that he has specialised in one particular type of car for. years. , All these have an important bearing on the durability and reliability, of a car, and most be studied closely if good results are to be obtained for . the outlay. Kerosene as Motor Fuel. The rapidly-increasing use of internal combustion engines in all types of selfpropelled vehicles, in motor-boats, as well, as in the numerous stationary power applications, has resulted in a scarcity of petrol which lias been heavily intensified by tho enormous war demand. As a 'result of the increasing price, numerous suggestions have been made that kerosene be used a substitute fuel. A number of devices are offered for • vaporising kerosene, and many claims are made by the promoters of these devices that are not always thoroughly borne out in practice. While kerosene is fairly plentiful, its physical properties are such as to render it a poor substitute for petrol with existing carburettors and engine design. The main drawback iS that kerosene is much less volatile than petrol, and must be raised above atmospheric torn-: perature before it will vaporise readily. This lack- of the property of quick evaporation, which has been the jrreit-. est advantage of petrol'liot only interferes with rapid volatilization, but makes kerosene n. "smelly" fuel to handle. Kerosene, however, has marked advantages which will appeal to .the user of internal combustion engines more when entirely suitable devices are • evolved for vaporising it. successfully. The big advantage at present is the relative cheapness of kerosene, but a largely increased Remand would, of course, be apt to lend to an increase in price. Many able automobile engineers aro experimenting with the object of devising workable carburettors for uso with kerosene, hut while the existing technical difficulties will no doubt bo overcome, the ruling prices ot jjotrol and kerosene afford no certain basis-for estimating thj cheapening-in the cost of fuel which would lie likely to result. After-War Prospects. War requirements in the matter of' munitions have been tho means of increasing two-fold ,arid often four-fold the equipment of machine tools in /different engineering works in Great Britain. The motor trade section, which is contributing its full quota of munitions, is at the present time abundantly stocked with lathes and maohine tools of tho latest labour-saving pat-

terns, and in trade circles the interesting query frequently crops up, "'What will become of these machine tools after the war?" Quantity production, when the car and motor-cycle industry begins to resume its normal state, is a foregone conclusion, and many wise heads already foresee in the modernising of factories' regardless of expense indica-. tions of keen competition ahead. ■ Probably in the future there will be iio such thing as firms producing several different patterns of machines; instead,, each- firm may standardise a single model and produce that design in quantities on the cheapest possible lines with British quality—which is proverbial—and so bring about a probable decrease in selling pricc. I Hero and There. When oil from the differential housing' makes its way to the braked drums the trouble usually can be traced to tho use of too much oil in the housing. Often, however, the felt washers at the end of the axle tubes become worn and allow the oil to pass; A remarkable 1200 miles motor-car journey has been successfully carried through across North Africa. A French motorist, M. Garenne, drove from Tunis to Casablanca in 7 days 5 hours. This is the first occasion upon which a motor-car has negotiated this part of Africa. ■ Some prophesied improvements: Longer stroke ■ engines; increased use of aluminium in engine construction; light steel pressings in place of wrought steel; smaller engines; lighter cars; enclosed springs; overhead valves; detachable cylinder tops; aluminium pistons; lighter valves and weaker valve springs; four speeds instead ot three; reduotion of unsprung weight; electric starters and electric light standard practice ;■ lighter body work! mechanical tyre inflators; unit construction of engine and gearbox; more scientific use ot'metals. There are more :than 10 different types of rear spring suspension at present in nee, while the semi-elliptic for front suspension is used, on practically every chassis. Of the 1916 chassis 46.5 per cent, use three-quarter elliptic for the rear and 28.7 cantilever of one form or another. Lighting-up-time: To-day, 5.14 p.m. Next Friday, 5.22 p to. Mr. G: Smaill, who has been associated with Mr. A. Broadbent in the motor business in Carterton for several years, has severed his connection with the business, and leaves shortly for Kaitangata, where ho will follow farming pursuits. '