Running Without Attention

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 284, 21 February 1928, Page 6

Running Without Attention

Breakdown Inevitably Follows Careless Use

It is wonderful what hard treatment can be endured by the motorcar,. It is wonderful what little mechanical aid is necessary to make the car run.

Yet with hard and very little mechanical aid the car is likely to stick you up at the most unexpected times. Periodical attention at the right times will overcome any inconvenience which is suffered by the motorist who neglects his car.

There are drivers who are really surprised at the excellent service which their cars give them on litti.e or no attention.

Their boast Is that they have never put a spanner on the old bus. Never had any necessity to interfere with the works because the car has never given any trouble.

Perhaps they have not had any trouble with the car, but it would probably be surprising to know of the little inconveniences which they suffer in their quiet moments. One motorist who is among the drivers who boasts of his car’s excellent performance often leaves it out in the weather all night. After he has dropped his friends, who have heard of his wonderful car, he often has to abandon it outside the garage. A stalled engine prevents him from going any further. A flat battery means hard work, and instead of starting up to garage his car, he prefers to leave it to the mercy of the weather to rust and generally become dilapidated.

For days it remains out in the weather untouched until he decides to take it out again. It is reversed down hill with assistance, and in gear the engine is started.

Then you will hear this driver say it is a wonderful car. “It’s marvellous how it goes.” All things considered, it is really marvellous how it ever goes.

Drivers who get this kind of satisfaction from driving a car are indeed easily pleased. The recharging of the battery would relieve this driver of the difficulty in starting, and would ensure the proper housing of the car.

Such ill-treatment of the car is hard to understand, as most drivers treat their machines with the same kindness and affection as they would display towards an animal.

Eventually they are forced to give the car proper attention and have the defects which they have suffered remedied. Why not give the car immediate attention, and so obviate any difficulties which might occur?

The idle boast of the man who never experiences difficulties with his car is not going to get him very far. All that is demonstrated by his inattention is that it is remarkable what a motorcar will stand when put to the test.

Proper treatment of the car is an essential. The car will certainly stand a good deal of knocking about, put the ills which are slowly mounting wall cause a complete breakdown eventually. . , Periodic overhauls of the vital parts should be made, not only to give satisfaction in operation, but to ensure safety for yourself and other cars on the road. , _ . Once you know your car, its lubrication and the parts to be tightened up, it is only a matter of a few hours' work to bring about the perfection which should always be the feature of your There is no comfort in motoring in a car which has not got your complete c onfidence. To persuade yourself that the car is a wonder is deceiving yourself and your passengers. Sooner or later a complete breakdown will place you in the ridiculous position of not being abl3 to land the car at its destination. Every driver should try to avoid this by attending to his car. Ke will feel then that he has not been entirely re sponsible for what happens after.

Running like a dart across the barren campagna and flanked with the ruined tombs of ancient Rome s illustrious dead is the Appian Way—built more than twenty-two centuries ago. Constructed to withstand the tramp ot Caesar’s countless legions and the grind of chariot wheels, this great milltary highway has lived to feel the strain of tanks, caissons and march - ing Fascisti of the modern Italy. Through Gaul and Britain the modern traveller rides upon roads many of whose bases were laid under the direction of Roman centurions. The majesty of the empire has passed, but their highways remain to prove the glory that was theirs.

Don’t travel too close to the car ahead. Several instances have been reported to me of broken windscreens through stones hurled by the tyres of the car in front.

ESSEX LEADS IN JANUARY Sales of cars throughout New Zealand for the month of January were as follows (first six only): Essex 151 Chevrolet 133 Austin 98 Morris 93 Chrysler ?0 Ford 04 vfc 2k fk fk ?'k fk One of the new six-cylinder Dodges has recently undergone a pretty solid test, but came out with flying colours. It was driven from Auckland to Wellington, via a few side trips like up Mount Egmont, a total distance of 610 miles, using only 30 gallons of benzine, averaging 20 1-3 m.p.g., which is remarkable for such a large class of car, loaded with, four passengers and their baggage. The return was made through Napier and Taupo, at a steady high speed, and averaged 20 m.p.g. The driver didn’t really want to speed on the way back, but he says that it is almost impossible to keep the car under 40.

The average number of employees of General Motors New Zealand to last July was 281, representing 1,124 persons directly dependent. The total investment of General Motors New Zealand was £511,542, and of its distributors £1,246,094. The annual pay-roll of the firm was £90,340, and its total expenditure in New Zealand for the year ended July 31, 1927, amounted to £488,196. The duty paid in New Zealand for the year was £199,760, and the freight paid to the Railway Department and the shipping companies averaged £3,350 monthly. The materials used in car production purchased from New Zealand suppliers for the year ended July 31, 1927, totalled £43,981.

Agents of Morris cars from all parts of the Dominion assembled in Wellington to meet Mr. W. R. Morris. They entertained him at dinner. Mr. Ashcroft Edwards, of Wellington, the oldest Morris agent outside England, presided. There were present: Messrs, W. R. Morris, N. C. Seeman, Morris factory representative in New Zealand: Mr. Hobbs, private secretary; Mr. Seaward, head of the body-build-ing department; G. Gash and W. A. Harrison (Auckland), Truby King, H. Ashton, Elliot King (New Plymouth), E. Howlison (Dunedin>, C. H. Turner, J. C. Bidwell, H. A. Brown, A. W. Hawley (Wellington), Robert Jay, and L. A Dougall (Christchurch), and W. Grieve (Invercargill). The menus were decorated with scenes of Albert Park, Auckland, Christchurch City, ‘Wellington harbour and Dunedin City.

From the “X.Z. Motor and Cycle Journal.” December. 1905: “The ordinary monthly run of the Auckland Automobile Association took place on Saturday, December 16. The cars assembled at Prince’s Street, and then started for a run through Newmarket, Remuera, Panmure, Flat Bush, Otara, Papatoitoi, Mange re, arriving at Cornwall Park about 4 p.m., where the members took afternoon tea at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Crozier. The following members took part in the run:—Mr. and Mrs. Crozier (Cadillac), Mr. W. B. Leyland (15 h.p. Darracq), Mr. C. Rhodes (15 h.p. Darracq). Mr. A. Cleave (15 h.p. Darracq), Mr. J. Moody (12 h.p. Darracq). Mr. Petford (Oldsmobile), Mr. Clark (7 h.p. Oldsmobile), Mr. McCarthy (Cadillac).”-