SPEEDING THROUGH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 237, 27 December 1927, Page 6

SPEEDING THROUGH

A total of 2,338,905 gallons of mineral lubricating oil was imported into New Zealand during the first nine months of this year. * * * In the International Six Days* Trial, B.S.A.’s were awarded the matnufacturers’ team prize for finishing the trial without loss of points. * * * “Why do so many cars have a worm drive?” “Egad! So that they can turn, of course.” During the eight months of the last English season, Douglas machines won IS team prizes in reliability trials. * * * A correspondent writes asking the best way to reat inner tubes. We suggest stopping at the first hostelry on the road.

Week-end motorists, on the busy Southend Road—popularly known as “Suicide Avenue”—saw a pedlar displaying a placard, “Bandages, three a penny,” says a London paper. Motor tyres imported into New Zealand during the first nine months of this year were valued at £824,534, as compared with . £769,290 for the January-September period of 1926. By now the Government must feel reasonably certain that. the South Island from end to end has its back up over the amount of the petrol tax and the cool effrontery of the suggested allocation between the two islands. The steering gear, transmission, universal joints, spring shackle bolts, kingpins, and front wheel bearings must be oiled and greased at regular intervals if you want these parts to retain their life and operate quietly. This also helps to keep your motor-car expense at a minimum. • * • Richardson: “I don’t know what to do —buy a car or a house.” Bobberton: “Simple. Buy a house and mortgege it to get the car. Then you’ll have both. * * * Nearly all the tyre difficulties met by the motorist may be laid to neglect. Tyres should be inspected at least once a week for cuts in the sidewalls and treads. At the same time the pressures should be tested. Do not guess at inflation pressures. A squeak ‘in any part of your car is an indication or warning that something is loose or dry. Locate it to prevent loSs and cut down your operating expense. * * • A woman’s hat was blown off in a London street and run over by a bus. On recovering it, we understand, she wore it home and was the envy of every woman she met, as they all thought she had the very latest vagabond style. * * * Germany is fast becoming a sports nation, and' motor-cycle competition is taking a strong hold. Not only in the attitude of the spectators, but in the ranks of the competitors there is keen interest. A recent meet drew a gate of 50,000 -people. * * * It is poor practice to fill the transmission case to the brim with' heavy oil in an attempt to silence the noi3y growl from the gears. Too much grease in the transmission is likely to make the gears almost' as noisy as too little. The better way is to fill the case to the level of the countershaft. A man had "recently purchased a small garage and one or two cars for hire work. One day his fitter was trying hard to start one of the cars when up came the proprietor, who, after looking for a few minutes, inquired: “What is the trouble, George?” “I think the timing has slipped again,” said the fitter. “Here,” said the new garage proprietor, “take my watch, It has a second hand.”

I knew a gentleman whose wife was quite a good driver, and imagined herself to be perfect with the mechanical side of motoring. Whenever her husband tried to tell her anything about the mechanism of the car she would reply, “Well, of course, I know that, dear. Do you think I cannot drive?*’ However, one day her husband decided to decarbonise the engine and grind-in the valves. The work reached a stage when the engine was partly reassembled, one of the few remaining jobs being the replacement of the eight valve springs. His wife had helped him with the job and appeared to understand the process, so imagine the husband’s surprise when he was rung up at his office and heard his wife sav, “I want to use the car todav. We finished it last night, didn’t we? Anyway, there are only those springs standing on the bench, and it won’t hurt to go without them, will it?”

She: “How did your father find out we were out in his car?” He: “.You know that chap we ran over?” She: -“Yes.” He: “That was .