Speeding Through

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 154, 20 September 1927, Page 6

Speeding Through

Be reasonably sure the car is in firstclass condition before proceeding on a long tour.

Oil the steering gear more frequently during rainy weather, because water and mud are splashed on the parts.

Trouble with the ignition system is one of the most common causes of difficulty encountered on the road by motorists.

Always cross car tracks at a slight angle. This saves spring, and protects the car against heavy jolts. The wire wheel is a superior product and requires but little attention, but it should be watched to keep it running true.

See that the generator charges sufficient amperage at all times to avoid battery damage. 4' * * Motorists in North Carolina have an additional tax to contend with —a tax on lubricating oil at the rate of four cents a gallon. v Auckland’s concrete roads aggregate over 10,000,000 square feet in area. Of this about one-third is Within city boundaries.

The top of your car, especially if a closed car, should be painted at least once a year, with a good top-dressing to insure against leaks during the rainy season. #

A motorist with a white tail light took strong exception to an inspector reminding him of the fact. There must be a proper red tail light on every motor-vehicle, and there is no use cutting up rough about it. * * *

Michigan is contemplating passage of a law providing for perpetual licence plates for motor-cars. To make up for the lost revenue in annual registration the proposal suggests doubling the two per cent, petrol tax.

Mr. W. R. Morris has made his third large* donation to charity in the shape of £15,000 to the Warwickshire Hospital. The gift is the fulfilment of a promise to treble the amount if a carnival held in connection with the hospital produced £5,000.

Every motorist knows that it wastes fuel to have the carburettor set for too rich a mixture. The indirect losses, however, probably are greater sources of expense. These take the form of excessive carbon deposits, valve troubles, great cylinder and piston wear and more crank-case dilution — the greatest evil them

According to the TJ.S. Department of Commerce, an Australian engineer has invented an internal-combustion engine which has no crankshaft connecting rods, camshaft, * valves, or timing gear. Commenting on the report, the “Light Car,” London, remarks that if he had only omitted the crankcase, cylinder block, pistons and sparking plugs, he need hardly have troubled to invent anything at all. * • *

In reply to a question in the House of Commons recently, the Minister of Transport stated that the Road Traffic Bill proposed to interfere with pillionriding only in two respects. It would give the Minister power to limit the number of pillion passengers and it would determine the way in which they were to be seated.

Since the roll-top desk has gone out of vogue, the roll-top car is coming in. Yes, the top is made so that it can be rolled back, and the passengers can enjoy the sunlight and scenery. Four firms in England manufacture such bodies, with tops made movable, so they may be rolled back and the passengers can enjoy the sunny weather. They’re called Sunshine Saloons. One of the locking devices that gets very little inspection on the average car is that on the wheel rim. Fairly exposed to the elements, these locks are subject to rust and as a result, considerable wear. If inspection shows them to be faulty, it is wise to have them repaired at once or replaced. Few motorists give much thought to the real importance of these locks, but they play an important though inconspicuous role in motoring safety.