Some Motoring Experiences

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 178, 18 October 1927, Page 6

Some Motoring Experiences

“I Remember One 'Time —”

First a. story showing how easy it is to steal a ear. When the British Motor Trade Delegation was here a few months ago it was taken a drive by local dealers. Mr. F. G. Farrell was driving two of the delegates in a Chrysler owned by Mr. G. W. Spragg, and when he met Mr. Spragg at Ellerslie Racecourse gardens during the course of the outing, casually mentioned that there was no spare on the car. Mr. Spragg, however, felt sure that there was, so they went to have a look, and to their horror found they had pinched someone’s car. Everybody in the party enjoyed the joke, but the two delegates and Mr. Farrell stood a chance of being arrested on the way back to town. On inquiry it was found that two Chryslers had been parked outside the hotel before the party left, and the wrong one taken. Mr. George Campbell nearly had the same experience as that above, when visiting the post office recently. He thought it would be better to avoid risks so locked his car. When he returned only a minute or two later, he found he could not get his key to fit the lock, no matter how he tried. Just then a head appeared over the side and in a strong voice the owner demanded an explanation. At first Mr. Campbell wanted to know what it had to do with him, but was soon convinced that his own car was standing right behind. It appears that this man had sent for a policeman but the trouble was righted before he arrived. A Maori Story.—A pakeha stopped a Maori riding a motor-cycle and asked him the distance to Ngaruawahia. “Oh,” said the Maori, “he’s ten miles if you ride te bike, but if te crow ride te bike, he’s two miles.” Mr. G. Henning tells a story of two men talking about a car that had broken down on the Mamaku on the way to Rotorua. Said one: “What was the trouble?” “Oh,” said the other, “the deviation was gone.” Of course he meant the differential. BALLOON TYRES. WISDOM OF RE-TREADING. CIRCUMSTANCES IMPORTANT. To the question, which is so often asked by motorists, “Is the re-tread-ing of balloon tyres really worth while?” no direct and definite answer can be given, from the point of view oi the general application of re-tread-ing. i There is no doubt at all that retreading, in itself, is a perfectly satisfactory process, which has been well developed by quite a large number of re-treading firms, and regarding the job merely as a re-tread, it is quite satisfactory. Unfortunately, every tyre that has its tread worn off is not necessarily in a fit condition for re-treading in an economical manner. This is not because the re-treading process cannot be conducted, but because in a very large number of instances the cord casing of the cover has been greatly fatigued and weakened during, the course of running. This fatigue generally arises from continuous running of the tyre in an under-inflated condition, or from overloading, and here it may be said that probablj’ 90 per cent, of the motor-cycle tyres come to a pre- * mature end due to errors in these directions. Unfortunately it is not possible for the tyre-user who is not at the same time an expert in tyre .construction to tell whether the casing has been excessively fatigued. In a great number of instances these things can only be discovered after the old tread has 'been stripped off, and by careful examination of both sides of the exposed casing. In such instances it is often found that the re-treading process would not be worth while and the user naturally is disappointed. Inexpert firms however may be tempted to proceed with the re-tread-ing, and results cannot be expected to be satisfactory in use. People who have had this experience are prone to condemn re-treading, root and branch, but such experiences really are not any justification for condemning the retreading idea:— In conclusion, it may be stated that: (1) Re-treading undertaken at the proper time and under proper conditions, is worth while. (2) The work should always be given to some competent firm which specialises in tyre repairs, and its advice should be taken as to whether retreading would be advisable. The tyre should not be so worn that the outer layer of the cord casing has become visible. It should be taken off for re--reading just about the time when the pattern has worn smooth in the centre. (3) The tyre which it is proposed to re-tread should have been used at the correct pressure, and not overloaded unless the pressure was materially increased to carry the extra load. If this has not been done it is very unlikely that the casing will be in a satisfactory condition for re-treading.

WHAT BAD ROADS COST 40,000 MILES TO 6,000 Roads were once regarded as the plaything of the high-brow engineer and the plodding farm horse. Now they hit the man in the street right in the pocket. And most of our roads hit him hard —they are like that. They show him the bread and butter side of motoring. Here yo have bought a car in your enthusiasm, swinging along on the high-tide of optimism. Everything is spick and span, and your new love purrs like a kitten; brand new tyres, speckless coat of paint, and all that. She cheers your heart. And you start proudly to take the wife and Tommy and baby all over the province. Then the fun starts. And it is fun, if you’ve got that sort of way of looking at things. Shortly the wife says something sarcastic about the bumps. Bab- rolls from side to side of the car, and howls. Eittle Tommy bawls and wants to go home. The bumps become worse, the wife says, “For Heaven’s sake, don’t go so fast,” and eventually . . . LOST POTENTIALITY After five or six thousand miles the bus is due for re-shodding. And you are faced with an outlay of about £. 30. You don’t trouble so very much just then about the cause of it all; but a little reasoning will tell you that you have bought a new set of tyres before the old ones had carried you for more than a mere fraction of their potential life. That potentiality. with good roads, was 30,000 to 40,000 miles. Bad .roads are the biggest enemy the motorist has. Exhaustive tests in TJ.S.A. show that an average set of tyres was proved to stand up to 40,000 miles of concrete road, 26,000 miles of bitulithic surface, i a mere 6,200 miles of gravel, and a paltry 5,900 miles of macadam. PETROL, WEAR, TIME All data proves, too, that gravel or macadam roads eat up from 10 to 35 per cent, more petrol than concrete o.r bituminous surfaces. Here is another piece of bread and butter: rough roads are the greatest factor in the wear and tear of the car generally. There’s nothing like the good old bump of a neglected road to develop rattles. Unquestionably the depreciation is very considerable, and .represents many pounds of dead money. And there is another big loss caused by bad roads: Time. A motorist wastes three solid hours in 100 miles when lie is compelled to keep to an average of 15 m.p.h. instead of a comfortable 25. ROADS AND COUNCILS In order to facilitate the work of widening and raising the level of the Main South Road at Mercer, the portion extending for 12 chains adjacent to the railway station will be closed for approximately one month. Cars will be required to go round the hill, which is being excavated, and travel along the top of the filling which has been thrown up on the side of the road nearest the river. The service department of the A.A.A. advises that there is no danger provided motorists keep to the centre of the deviation. Warning-signs have been erected. An improvement and repair scheme calculated to fit its unmetalled byroads for summer traffic has been commenced by the Hauraki Plains County Council. The Puhanga Canal Road, which serves the Kaihere district, is now receiving attention, and the next road to be treated will be the Pekapeka-Wairau section of the highway. Experience of previous years has shown that harrowing and discing give better results than grader work. Grading will be done later in the sea - son, when there is a reasonable chance of the work enduring. At the last meeting of the A.A.A. j the service officer reported adversely on portions of the road surface between Hamilton and Auckland. He stated emphatically that it is not up to the standards being adopted in roadconstruction in other centres. Portions of the road are covered in loose metal, others in layers of fine pumice, while the road through Huntly township can only be described as disgraceful. It was decided to approach the district Highways Council and Mr. M. H. Wynyard also promised to attend to the matter. The Taumarunui Borough Council has written the Auckland Automobile Association requesting its co-operation in improving the roads north and south of Taumarunui. Mr. M. H. Wynyard. motorist representative on the Main Highways Board, has stated that the board is doing a considerable amount of construction I work on the roads round Taumarunui ! and several deviations will be ready : for use this summer. In other places i a pumice surface is being laid down and he expects that provided the local I bodies carry the loan for metalling, all-weather routes will be available in ; a couple of years.

PLUG SHOCK It has often been asked shock received accidental.* tte <*- touching a sparking plus '' vie* gine is running is dangero . cur . of the fact that a magneto rent of about 7,000 volts Though very startling and such a shock may be, it is n «.us, as it represents an e- neT jg 9 small amount of electrical