EFFECTING ECONOMY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 11

EFFECTING ECONOMY

ALTERATIONS TO IMPROVE THE CAR

PROVIDING COMFORT AND SAFETY'

Half an hour spent in skimming through the many trade .journals and catalogues available must convince the reader that there is a car made io suit the general requirements of every prospective motorist. Years of experience has enabled car designers to so compromise in design that each definite model or type will give splendid service in its particular field - .

As, however, individual tastes and temperament vary, it is frequently possible, by making minor and inexpensive alterations from standard,. to improve the car’s performance considerably. Probably the first consideration should be that of personal comfort, and here the chief factors to contend with are springing and driving position (says a writer in the Sydney “Guardian”). While a motorist may, in the course of time adapt himself to even the most awkward driving position, yet it is a sound policy to see this is just to his liking from the very outset. Obviously six feet of humanity cannot he comfortable when stowed in a seat position designed for smaller men. All inconvenience in this direction can he obviated by lengthening or shortening the clutch, accelerator, and brake pedals and by slight modification in the seat upholstery. Apart from the greater comfort, these alterations will give an added sense of security and enable steering and gearchanging to be carried out more effectively. FOR COMFORT AND SAFETY. Quite a number of cars are not fitted with shock absorbers as standard equipment, and both from the point of view' of comfort and safety these should be the next consideration. Broken springs should then be a thing of the past, and the car will no longer “jazz” over rough going, but will steer a true and comfortable course. Provided the shock absorbers fitted are sturdy and reliable, the cost may well be spread over the life of two or three cars—the ohsorbers may be removed when the old machine is sold and fitted to the new model. The next consideration may well he the tool kit. There is nothing so irritating asrto be forced to carry out roads’de repairs with shoddy tools. Some standard kits remind one of a schoolboy’s card of carpenters* tools; and the shifting spanner, if provided at all, generally suffers from “toothahe” after tightening the first half di zen nuts. START RIGHT! For the expenditure of a couple of rounds a sturdy and reliable kit can ,

be bought which will (provided fellow motorists are not too envious) last the life of the car.

While on the subject of kit, it is remarkable the number of motorists who, if they do carry spare spark plugs, place them among the tools. As a consequence when urgently wanted, the plug is so damaged as to be useless. For a few pence clips may lie purchased to screw behind the dash in which the plugs can be safely housed. The next important deviation from standard will be in increasing the “punch” of the motor. Provided the owner does not overdrive his car, there is a deal of satisfaction rn being able to “put it over” a machine of similar make when the occasion warrants. The simplest and most direct way in which to obtain this extra “pep” is to raise the compression ratio. This is done by either machining the faces, of the cylinder heads or by fitting longer pistons. IN EXTREME CASES. Jn racing and competition work, where an enhanced performance is obtained from standard machines, the raising of compression is carried to extreme limits necessitating, in some cases, the use of benzol or “doped” fuels to successfully run the motor. Great care should he taken, therefore, not to overdo it, and the work should preferably be entrusted to an engineer familiar with the particular engine. In the average touring car of to-day this increased compression pressure will straightaway improve speed and acceleration by from five to 15 per cent. Petrol consumption should be lessened rather than increased, and provided the job is well done a very much livelier engine will be at the driver’s disposal. Finally—although more in the nature of an addition than an alteration —an oil filter and air cleaner might well be fitted.

Not only will the expense be amply justified, but the lil'c of the motor will surely be prolonged by at least 50 per cent.

Lubricating oil will be kept clean and wholesome and the motor’s great enemy—dust, will be effectively “scotched.”