At The Wheel

NZ Truth, Issue 1108, 24 February 1927, Page 17

At The Wheel

WHY NOT RE- BUILD?

— ♦ — — — . r The Secoiid-hand Gar Problem Inside the motor trade, there is always some discussion or other going on regarding the problem which;is presented by the,secondhand car. '■■.''..'.' ' 1

MANY of us like to change our cars at intervals and but for this fact, the motor trade would not haye attained the proportions. which it has done. Before we can buy new cars, however, we must do something or other with the old ones. Garage accommodation is limited, money is tied up, the old bus is running well and we don't want to part with it, and so on. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that m a great many cases the trader must take our old cars, off our hands before he can sell us one of his latest models. The result is, that at the back of every car agent's", there is a stock of second-hand cars ranging from a demonstration soiled 1926 model to a 1908 "never-was-er." "** Pre-War Cars Now the first thing to settle is this. Except for a few cars suitable for motoring enthusiasts or for conversion into light trucks, there are very few pre-war cars which are worth worrying about. Any of our readers who are looking for second-hand cars should remember that pre-war cars are like the old soldiers m the song — "they never die." The material m them is of such a quality as would be impossible to use to-day. Many as are the advantages of quantity production, it does not lend itself to the use of massive castings which must be hand finished, to the

use of expensive metals, or to a great deal of hand work of any description.jSo that when you_ buy a prewar car you are getting, usually at a low .price, something whichco'uld ■ not, be produced to-day except at an exorbitant price.. t ':..,' But— there is a big "but." -*' ' Nothing tliat^ can be done to the average pre-war car can bring It up to the standard of the latest models as regards flexibility and ease of handling. There is also the question of fatigued metals to be considered. Copper pipes, control rods, brake rods and similar parts . suffer from fatigue due to vibration, so that it is quite possible that these parts will give out on the road at any time. " The engineer will appreciate the finish arid workmanship of the old car, but, unless you are an engineer, and don't, mind' patching up this and that fitting on the road, the pre-war car is a risky proposition. > : .'■ Between the new and the really old, however, come a great many cars which might be called "one owner" cars. Many of these have been carefully looked after and, with slight wear showing where it counts to the ordinary user, that is, on the upholstery, bodywork, plating and so on, have been traded m for the latest model. -. ■ Cannot something be done with these, the greatest number of secondhand cars? Rebuild v Yes, rebuild them; but not m the manner which is followed by so many firms to-day. We feel sure that bodywork as well as mechanical parts must be attended to if the rebuilt car is to become popular. Looking over a number of secondhand cars m a big garage the other day, we were struck by the lack of attention to the bodies. The man m charge of the department told us that the engines and transmissions of all these cars had been thoroughly overhauled and any car could be driven out of the garage and taken for a long trip just like a new car. Why, then, not make them look like new cars? A second-hand car is usually given a very slipshod coat of paint. The instruments on the dashboard are smeared with, it, the nickel-plated parts painted over, and the car generally is made to look more second-hand than it was before. . > Surely it would be better to go the other way about the job? Get the mechanical parts fixed first ancl then tackle the body, remembering that if the car is to look really attractive, such. little details as bonnet clips, step mats, metal headings and things of that sort need attention if the car- is to look as good as new. We feel sure that cars, made really "as new" m appearance as well as m mechanical efficiency would appeal to motorists more than the present pa.tched r up cars which are too often offered as second-hand machines.