The Vauxhall 14-6, 1937 Model

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 40, 17 February 1937, Page 12 (Supplement)

The Vauxhall 14-6, 1937 Model

GOOD ALL-ROUND PERFORMER.

• The subject of the first of our series of road tests for new cars was the 1937 Vauxhall 14-6. The route for the test I was round the “Ten mile Block,’’ a route which included a number of stiff hills and some rather rough country roads. The car tested had only done some 40 milts altogether, so the test will not give as good results,as would be obtained from a properly run-in car. Flexible to Drive Running down Rangitikei street and through the Square the car showed a docility in traffic that rather gaye the impression that it was a town car, but as the test progressed it was quickly seen that it would make an ideal car for any work that it may be put to. The first hill, a rather steeply graded climb, was approached at about 25 m.p.h., and then the accelerator was put down hard resulting in the car picking up speed to the extent of 43 m.p.h. before the crest was reached. Later on the car was set at a similar climb when crawling along in top, and it says volumes for the power in the motor that the speed was kept up to the top without any signs of labouring from the engine. For really steep grades the fourspeed gearbox proved the advantage of the 4 speeds as opposed to the more usual three speed box. The synchromesh gears for 3rd. and top gears made a noisy change an impossibility for the most ham-fisted driver, and

there would never be any need to iliangc lower than 3rd. for any hill. Performance. Acceleration was a good feature of the car, the four speed box again proving its superiority. A good cruising speed on this model seemed to bo about 15 50 m.p.h., while in the gears, 53 L’ould be obtained on third and well jver 70 on top. Some Details. The Vauxhall system of independent front suspension smoothed out the roughest of the roads traversed in the course of the test making even the deepest of the holes in the road appear aon-cxistcnt. The steering was so light that the car could be controlled with on© finger at any speed, withal it was a. direct as any driver could wish. The action of tho clutch was very sweet, enabling us to start the car in top without any jump or undue revving of the engine, although this is not recommended for general practice. On this model the brakes were in need of adjusting, as a slight pull was experienced to the right. They were capable, however, of stopping the car in a very short space. A praiseworthy jacking system has been fitted to these cars, enabling the driver to lift the whole side of the car singlehanded. It operates off the running board on cither side, and it is an impossibility for the car to slip off the jack.

GENERAL SPECIFICATION. The car is a 14 horse power 6 cylinder job, and at 3,000 revs., will develop 42 b.h.p. Further details are as follows: Engine: 6 cylinders, 0.H.V., 4 bearing crankshaft, bore 61* mm. by stroke 100 mm, giving a capacity of 1781 cc. Ignition by coil and distributor, with fully automatic advance and retard. Down-draught Carburettor. Gearbox and Clutch: F<?ur speeds forward and reverse. Third and top synchromesh. Central change. Cable operated single dry plate clutch, external pedal adjustment. Dimensions: Wheelbase Bft. sin., Track 4ft. 2in., Overall length 13ft. 61 n., Overall width sft. 4in. Touring {Saloon is Ift lin. longer in overall length. Petrol Consumption: {Slightly over 38 m.p.g. Brakes: Mechanically operated; handbrake on rear wheels. Wheels and Tyres:. Pressed steel wheels with 5.50 x 10m. tyres (low-pressure). Turning Circle: 36*ft. Prices range from Fabric Upholstered Saloon at £328 to leather upholstered De Luxe Touring Sedan at £358. Any model of the car can be had in cither Leather or Fabric Upholstery. The Local Agents are Fowler Motors Ltd. SQUEAKING BRAKES MOTORING HUMOUR.

Squeaking of brakes should be cured before it becomes too obtrusive. Wear of the drums, heating and warpage take place. Distortion of the drums is rectified by truiug in a special lathe for a few shillings a drum. Perhaps the rivet heads are flush and making contact with the drum surfaces. The linings in time become glazed and need roughing; in some cases chamfering the leading edge reduces the chatter and squeaking. A light smearing of nCatsfoot oil or graphite could be tried, but very little only is required. BATTERY CARE Keep battery posts and terminals clean and tight. Don’t forget the earth connection to frame; it sometimes becomes loose, and will blow the lamp globes and cause irregular charging and ignition if neglected. Examine the electrolyte, or acid level, weekly or fortnightly. Top up with pure distilled water only quarter inch above the plates. Keep the top dry, and, if necessary, clean off with rag moistened with soda solution or ammonia. Don’t allow the battery to be loose in its carrier. CLUTCH SLIP Clutch slip is often brought about by oil on the linings or burnt or wornout faciugs, and washing out with petrol or turps effects a temporary remedy. Avoid over-lubrication of clutch thrusts or overfilling of the gearbox. It is important to have at least *in. of free pedal movement below tho floorboard, to ensure against thrust bearing pressure and consequent slip on the road; iu fact this is the first condition to verify when searching for the cause of clutch slip. KEEP YOUR CAMERA IN THE CAB How many times do you exclaiiu when you are out for a drive on a lovely afternoon or picnicking in some new nook, "If only I had remembered my camera! ’’ Why not keep the camera in Iho pocket of the car? And a couple of spare films, too! There is nothing like a few good snaps to bring back happy memories of good times.

It was a gloomy, rainly day and, after five hectic minutes, the motorist emerged from beneath his brokendown car with an expression of the deepest gloom. His helpful wife, holding an old can, beamed down'tm him. “I’ve just given tho cylinder a thorough oiling, dear,” she said ’y“Cylinder be blowed,” he replied savagely, “That was my ear!” <S> <B> Wife (to ultra-cautious driver): “Why not risk a change, dear? We’ve done 10 miles in bottom gear already,” ® <s> & “This car will help you to see the world.” “Which one—this or the next?” <& <s> Police Sergeant: “How do you know anything about the man who stole your car if you don’t know who he is?” Motorist; “Well, he must have been a marvellous mechanic.” <s> <s> <S> <§> ■ Music teacher: “It says ‘Allegro’ so you must play it faster.” Motorist’s daughter: “But I’ve boen pushing this pedal down as hard as I can and it makes no difference.” <s> <e> <s> <s> Watching a Stop Watch. Policeman at Highgate: “At the moment w r e were stop-watching.” Solicitor: “Stopped watching what ” P.C.: “We didn’t stop watching anything, we were stopping our watch. 1 mean, we were watching the stop.” Solicitor: “Well, what do you mean?” P.C.: “I mean, we w T Cre timing the cars with our stop watch.” <9> "X hear you've been quarrelling with Tommy, ’’ said a mother to her nino-vear-Old son. The youngster tried to excuse himself*. "Yes, he hit me, so I hit him back.” “Well( don’t you think you had better make friends again, in case anything happens to him in the night "All right, mother. But if nothing happens during the night he’d better look out fn tho morning.”

EXPLAINING THE CUT-OUT

NERVE CENTRE OF A CAR S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. The electrical cut-out, which might be termed the nerve centre of a motor- , car’s electrical system, is possibly the least understood piece of mechanism on modern cars. ’ On its consistent operation depend* ' the efficient maintenance of lighting ! and starting operations. The cut-out does uot automatically couple the dynamo to the battery for charging when the battery is running low, or disconnect it when the battery : is fully charged, as commonly assumed. : Its function is to connect the battery 1 and dynamo while the engine is running and disconnect them whe the engine is idling or stopped. 1 Without a cut-out the battery, when i the engine was stationary, would dis--1 charge at a rapid rate through the ■ windings of the dynamo to which it was ■ coupled during charge, ruining the bat* ■ tery in a few minutes. In construction and operation the l cut-out is very simple and reliable. It i consists of an iron-cored bobbin on i which is wound a large number of turni - of fine enamelled wire. Superimposed • on this winding and insulated from it 5 are a few turns of heavy covered wire 5 capable of carrying the full dynarna ' output. At the end of the bobbin is • mounted a spring controlled plate faces. 1 with a German silver contact designe*. } to engage with another similar contact fixed on an insulated base and permanently connected to one end of the winding of heavy wire. One end of the fine wire wirring is fixed to the spring-con-trolled plate. When in circuit this end of the fine wire winding is also connected by a heavy cable to one terminal of the dynamo, generally the positive terminal. Another heavy cable connects the other end of the fine wire winding to the negative terminals of the dynamo and battery. The free end of the heavy wire winding is connected to the positive terminal of the battery. The spring operated plate leaves tho contacts between tho positive end of the fine winding and the free end of the heavy winding open owing to the tension of the spring when tho dynamo is still. When the dynamo begins to general e the only path open to the current is through the fine windings which then, > with the iron core, constitute an elec-tro-inagnet. The voltage iu the fine windings in--3 creases with increased dynamo speed until it rises to about 14 volts, wheu enough electro-magnetic energy is 1 produced to pull the spring-controlled plate down, thus establishing contact between the two German silver con--1 tacts and completing the circuit between the positive dynamo terminal tnd the positive battery terminal . through the heavy wire windings. 3 The reverse takes place wheu tbe t dynamo loses speed, the electromagnetic force in the fine windings being weakened and allowing the spring to pull the 3 contact-making arm apart and opening the circuit. A GRUELLING TEST. f r MOTOR EXPEDITION COVERS 6,000 MILES. 1 A two-month car expedition through Russia by 45 Soviet women has just come to an end. The expedition, which J was designed to test the stamina of the women to the utmost, covered 6,263 1 miles in 45 days’ motoring—an adverl age distance of 139 miles a day at an average speed of 17 m.p.h. The cars used were of Soviet manufacture from the factories at Moscow, Lenmngrad 3 and Gorki and the route covered by tho expedition passed through regions ex- , periencing every typo of weather ana climate. I A man, nearly eighty, walked twenty x miles from his home to an adjoining town. When he reached his destination > he was greeted with some astonishment by an acquaintance. "You walked all the way?’’ exclaimed the acquaintance. "How did you 1 get along ?’» "Oh, first rate,” the old man replied. "That is, until I came to sign, ‘Slow Down to Twenty-five Miles An Hour.' That kept me back a bit." d «>«>«>* "Pride in one's teeth is one of the ' most noticeable features of modern g life," suys a dentist. Nevertheless, r professional boxers soon get this sort of thing knocked out of them.