MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2913, 27 October 1916, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

IBs Clutch.] Rcduoing Weight, ;•' The increased cost of petrol, tlie over, will naturally tend to focus manufacturers' attention' to more economical. running of their vehicles. The result in tho near future will probably b'o lighter cars,.and perhaps smaller, and .mora efficient engines. . Cutting out weight in the-building of iv car is not an easy' task. It calls for very judicious pruning, -liedneed weight menus not only less expenditure for fuel, but lower tyre upkeep, and generally less wear and tear on all car parts. For reasons unknown there has not been enongh atention given to the problem of _ weight reduction in tho past. In this direction no doubt much will bo learnt by car designers, from the experience gained in aeroplane engineering work- for tlie front. • ■ Remarkable Strides have been made during the past two years in aeroplane construction, and. ■ when the .-knowledge gained is placed at the- disposal of'the leading English,. French, Italian, and Belgian automobile makers, there is every reason- for anticipating that, when Europe is again'placed on a peacofooting, that great strides and advancement will be made in car construction.

The Wairarapa Association. A flouri'shiug condition as to,' membership, financially and otherwise, was disclosed at the annual meeting of the • Wairarapa Automobile Association. The committee stated in their report that . 'the year commenced with a membership of 148/ and closed with 230, showing a clear gain of 82, which can be largely attributed to the launching forth, of ■ tho association in the insurance-scheme. The following table will he of interest, ■' as showing the.growth of the association: —End of'first year, October, 1913 —89 members ; .end of second year October, 1914—104 members; end of third year Octobor, 19i5—148 members ; end of. fourth year, October, 1916—230 members. - Widespread interest in the activities of tho association is evidenced in tlie'-numerous .letter's of inquiry received during the year from various parts of the Dominion. The -purchase of 120 tons of benzine with a view to guarding against a .rise in price proved to be - a satisfactory .transaction. The whole quantity wa'a placed in a day amongst . members. ' The following officers were elected':—-Patron,.... Hon. Sir Walter Buchanan,- M.L.G., re-elected; president, Mr. Martin; Elgar, re-elected; vice-presidents, Messrs. A; J. Toogood', A. Tocker, T. E. Maunsell, W. Howard Booth, al! re-elected; treasurer, Mr. A. C.-Holm's, re-clectxfd; auditor, Mr. J. 'M. G. M'Kenzie, F.1.A.N.&., : re-. elected; committee, Messrs. W. Benton, H. H. Stewart, G. T. Stewart, S. Cundy, C. J. Carlyon, Rev. J. G. S. . Bartlett (Featlierstori), A. M. Broadbent; H. A. Bunny, H. E. Jackson, H. M. B. Trapp, Gv Hughan, F. C. Bunny . (Carterton), W. A. Hutton, F. J. White . (Carterton).., - j

■ The problem'of carrying an oilcan jis not so; simple as it seems when one comes to put it in practico, as. if left loose in the 'toolbox it shakes about, and, if not badly battered, it generally loses its contents and is .of' little uso when required.. Also, it should bo the most often used accessory, and it should not bo necessary to nnlock' the toolbox and search for it evory time it is required. A very convenient place is in a brackct fixed to the dash under the bonnet, and if the engine has overhead valves it as. difficult t<v imagino a better place; as these need frequent lubrication, and ; the ' oilcan is then ready to. hand. In any case, nothing can be simpler than to. raise-the side of the bonnet and take tho cam from its cJij) when it is required, and being hold rigidly it will not be damaged and will-not liavo spilt all its contents. With regard to the pattern of oilcan to bo used, it should have ji spout which is long enough io reach inaccessiblo oil caps, and'it should, 111 addition, have a positive feed to make sure of the oil reaching tho desired spot.' The end of the spout should bo proteoted when not ill uso by a small screw cover, as this_ will largely prevent it. from becoming clogged with. dirt. Many drivers are very careless about dirt and' grit getting init'o bearings, and . when oiling up generally ono should not open tile dirty cover of am oil cap with the spout''of the oilcan; thus introducing road grit into tho bearings. Here and There. One reason' for the great shortage' of petrol in England is said to be that many'oil tank steamers, ordinarily used"'for transporting petrol .in bulk across the Atlantic, have been'.commandeered by tho British Admiralty, ' for conversion into troopships. New "tankers" hre being rushed through, and it is hoped that when the now oil steamers are availablo the petrol famine in England will" be' considerably, relieved. During the ■ financial year iust ended the Wairarapa Association did god service to motorist's in erecting'road sign- : poste "to tho value of £20; Much similar work, is, in contemplation. " Motorsts using tile Rimutaka road have appreciated also the teleph'ono installed ly the association ,on the Featherston :irlo ' - .

I ; Most cars, but'more especially light and. mpderate-sized .cars, are under- . tired. It is very false economy, due 110 doubt to the anxiety of the manufacturers to list their cars out at a comparatively loiv figuro so as to induce business. The loss to the purchaser is considerable, though, ill some cases, lie does not seem to realise the fact. Large tires give much greater wear than small oiies, more especially in tho direction of cuts and gashes. In addition to this, a saving is'effected in tho wear and tear of tho car generally. It is riot necessary to pump these tires as hard as the smaller ones, awl taking this into account and the increased diameter, there is a much better cushioning effect, so that vibration and i'oad shocks are reduced to a minimum. Tho Dunlop Rubber Company' manufacture a number of "oversize" covers which enable car owners with under-sized rims fitted to uso larger covers than originally fitted. This ensures not only more comfortable motoring but more economical.

Always remember to: Rcmovo grit from tires daily. Travel slowly over new laid metal. Poui' out petrol and oil carefully. Apply thobrakea gently. Use the oilcan frequently. Let the hood dry in position. Change-tube or wheel wheni tiro is tic Hated. Ilemovo tar splashes immediately. Lighting-up time: To-day, 6.36' p.m. Next. Friday, C.45 pin. Wily* SUFFER FHOM ECZEMA?