MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 114, 7 February 1919, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(fly "Clutch.") A Permanen!; Lesson. A number of American motor experts have affirmed that the lessons in economy the war lias taught will not be forgotten now that peace has returned. "The great lesson of. the war," ono of them observed recently, "lias been economy. We have, for a short lime, had to practice it. It is surprising to figure Wit tho amount of saving without practically any hardship, showing that in normal conditions in tho past-we have to a. certain extent been wasteful, lake it with the niotor-cai'. It is surprising to see the increased mileage obtained from petrol and tyres that the owner* have reported in tho last year and a half. Also the big reduction in repair bills, that can be purely to a more conscientious, care of tho car by the owner; The same can' be said of the, use- of the automobile. There has been no wasteful operation. This doe 3 not mean that on Sundays and holidays that the car lias been laid up, while the family sat around tho house ; but it does mean that it has not been used for every little errand. ■ Where other means of transportation, such as street cars and tho like, could be employed at lew- expense these means have been used. Finish and Wear. A prominent English motor-cyclist, in stating that riders would heartily welcomo some invention or a method of imishing off metal surfaces as to be proot against rust and maltreatment with tools, is probably right. The nearest approach to it may be identified m the black, oxidisation process already applied on a limited scale to a few motor accessories such as lamps, horns, handles, etc. This finish, however, is rust-proof, but not tool-proof, and being employed on such a limited scale, it would seem that there are some technical or financial difficulties in its application. For some purpose there are certain methods in which celluloid is used, which imparts a very smart and inexpensive finish; but it does not wear well enough to be applied to parts subject to friction. At present we are not in sight of any suitable substitute, but there is a-Ing opening for. it. In tho meantime we are condemned to nickel-plating, which, the English rider considers as great an absurdity on a motor-cyclo as patent leather pumps would be on the feet of a ploughman.

Roads and Railways. While we sometimes point to America as being in tho van of highway improvement, several of the leading automobile journals in that country assert that it has taken a world war to mhke the States, as an entity, recognise the need of good roads. "The United States," says one of the papers, "has run the Ramut of encouraging, fostering, helping, nejjecting, and hindering the railroads, Shd now, for a time, is Owning and coddling them, with the idea, of course, of developing the natural resources of the country. Men of the more thoughtful typo are beginning to believe that the future of transportation does not rest entirely with the railroad, though it is important, but largely with the common highway. The past decade has developed ft new factor in transportation, which, as yet, has received scant consideration by the Government. That factor is the motor vehicle, Vhich, with the road as its complement, will open up the country, and develop its natural resources, because they are both more domestic in character than the railway. The ronds question wag first agitated when tho bicycle came into popularity; but tho bicycle was not a commercial factor of 'sufficient power to make any headway agairat tho fact that a nation-wide system of good roads would not cost hundreds of thousands, but millions; of pounds. The nutoniobile came, at first, small, weak, inefficient, mid unable to. negotiate,. rough roads, either' , with comfort to the owner or profit to the merchant, .ind the good road-; denian began to make itfelf heard. Now tho motorwn#o>, has developed, and the demand for roads over which it can travel economically and efficiently is becoming louder and more insistent; and the one underlying factor which affects nil development of natural resources, which is at the bottom of all business, the foundation of credit, the pedestal of commerce, tho rock on which prosperity stands, is transportation." Hera and There. Tho only rule of the road in regard to speed which has been adopted by West Virginia (U.S.A.) is that no vehicle shall move faster than will permit of bringing it to a standstill within half the distance of vision. Thus, if a motorist take a turn offering a vision from the driver's seat of only twenty feet of roadirny, lib must throttle his car down to a speed that would in emergency enable him to bring it to a halt within ten feet. This law would automatically reduce tho speed at which n motorist would drive after nightfall, though, naturally, much would depend on the brilliancy of the lamps and the colour of the road eurfiice.

It is hard to restore blemished aluminum to its original lustre; especially is it difficult to get the frosted finish hack again. Try dipping the aluminum parts in a bath of water slightly acidulated sulphuric acid, allowing them to remain in the fluid for some rime.

It takes on an' average twenty minutes of running, says an exchange, for the generator to forco into the battery sufficient current to make up for that used in making one start. Do not ho surprised/ therefore, if after having pressed tho starter pedal several times you are not able to get a'liy sound from the horn. After the car has been running a littlelonger you will find the current ready for the horn again. , If you cannot get at the air valves of Ihb carburettor so ae to pour water, etc., through it to remove carbon, have a peteock with priming cup fitted to tho inlet manifold. This is also very useful for priming the engine where low temperatures are encountered.

Lißhting-up time:—To-day, 7.7 p.m. Next I'riday, 6.51) p.m.