MOTORDOM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 656, 7 May 1929, Page 6

MOTORDOM

GAR AGE GOSSIP

“There goes another non-stop driver!” “What is that?” “Oh, just a fellow looking tor a parking place.” Small Son: “Daddy, what do you call a man w-ho drives a car?” “It depends on how close he comes to me.” Should your car be old, and the carburetter persists in flooding, you will probably And that the weights controlling the float movement are worn. It is an easy matter to remove the split pins upon which the weights pivot, and, turning the weights upside down, bring the unworn surfaces to bear upon the float; this will lower the level and prevent flooding.

CONGRATULATIONS The election of Mr. G. W. Hutchison, secretary of the A.A.A. since 1911, to the City Council, will give general satisfaction to the motoring public. Where a voice is needed on traffic control, road building, and indeed any problem affecting the motorist, there is no better man than Mr. Hutchison, whose vast experience is now available to the city.

Wife (about to start out motoring): “George, don’t you think mother ought to wear a. veil?” The Brute: “What for? When I open out, no one will see her long!” THE ROLLS-ROYCE DETAILS OF LATEST MODEL It is nearly 25 years since Mr. Royce produced his first car, which was a two-cylinder machine of 10 h.p. Ever since that time cars of this make have sustained the early reputation gained for first-class production, which not only entails efficient design, but the best materials and workmanship. The famous Silver Ghost model appeared in 1907 and the next great advance was marked by the Phantom in 1925. It is of interest to recall that before producing this chassis, engines of the 12-cylinder V and the S-eylin-der line types, and a 6-cylinder with overhead camshaft were made and tested by way of experiment. Supercharging was also tried out, but was not adopted, largely, as may be supposed, on account of its lack of silence in operation. The Phantom chassis was the result of seven years’ experiment and test. At the maximum number of revolutions of which the Silver Ghost engine is capable—namely, 2,2 so—the newer unit, is stated to give 33 per cent, more horse-power, while it can be run at an additional 500 revolutions a minute. The design of the 40-50 h.p. Phantom chassis has not been very materially altered, but minor improvements have been added from time to time as occasion arose. It riay be recalled that the 4Jin. and oiin. engine has overhead valves which are worked by push-rods; there are four forward' speeds and a fully floating back axle. The firm’s six-brake system is incorporated, and two complete independent ignitions are supplied. The springs are half-elliptical in front and cantilever at the baek and work with patented shock dampers. Wheel-bases of 12ft. and 12ft. 6£in. are available, and the track is 4ft. 10in. The greatest asset of this, model, and also of the 20 Rolls-Royce, is its exceptionally high degree of smoothness and silence in operation, in addition, of course, to great reliability. It is one of the expensive cars which are cheap.

'Bv- v

HEADLIGHT

ORGANISED VOTE

MOTORISTS IN POLITICS BRITISH EXPERIMENT For the first time, an organised motorists’ vote will influence the coming General Election in Great Britain. Digging into the totals of taxation and money spent in road maintenance and police, “The Motor,” an influential weekly, has discovered that British motorists pay £8,000,000 excess taxation annually. This sum is part of the total paid by motorists for a definite purpose, and represents the amount of the total which disappears after it is received by the Treasury. Excessive taxation of road tranpsort is held to be one of the factors causing unemployment, and it is notable that British car production in 192 S halted at the peak achieved in 1927, making 192 S the first year since 1913 when motor production failed to show an increase over the preceding year. The additional petrol tax —totalling £13,000,000 per annum—is blamed for this, as the number of new vehicles licensed began to fail immediately it was imposed. In a striking poster supplied to all members of the Motor Traders’ Association, “The Motor” presents the facts and demands reduced motor taxation. An effective comparison shows that taxation per vehicle per annum in the U.S.A. is only £2 14s, as against £l7 14s in Great Britain. Pamphlets have been distributed throughout the country, urging motorists to write to their Parliamentary

representatives and emphasise the necsslty for lower taxation. A form letter has even been provided, so that motorists can copy the vital facts of the argument, sign it and post it to their respective members of Parliament. "No politics, no threats, just fact,” is the slogan of “The Motor,” but the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is the target for these facts. A cartoon entitled “Troubles" on the poster depicts him in the well-known attitude of “Bubbles,” and the bubbles he has achieved are labelled “Luxury Tax,” “Doubts,” “Road Fund Raid,” "Blow to Industries,” “Petrol Tax” and “Uncertainties.”

GREAT TRIP BY STANDARD

HIGH RECORD IN SPEED AND M.P.G.

The dependability and performance of British cars is well demonstrated by a -big trip completed a week or two ago by a 9 h.p. “Standard." The owner drove it from Auckland to Wellington via Taranaki, and return via Napier-Taupo, a total distance of 969 miles, without mechanical trouble of any kind, and with an average petrol consumption of 32.9 miles per gallon. The car was practically new, as it had done only about 100 miles round the Auckland Suburbs. The sole preparation for the journey was the draining and refilling of the crank case. The first days run was Auckland to Hawera, a distance of 2SO miles, in II hours. The next day the car was run on to Wellington, a distance of 190 miles in 7 hours. During the trip from Auckland a quart of oil was added, and at Wellington the oil was drained and the sump refilled with 6 quarts of “C.W. Castrol.” The chassis was greased and the carburettor adjusted. The first day’s trip of the return journey was from Wellington to Napier, a distance of 217 miles, eovei-ed in 7 hours. The next day was the hardest going of the trip, as it included the rough hill country between Napier and Taupo. The first 9SJ miles took 4 hours, and the remainder hours. The last stretch, from Hamilton to Auckland, was done in the dark in 2i hours. From Napier to Auckland is 282 miles. The petrol consumption from Auckland to Wellington worked out at 27J m.p.g., but after the adjustment the return trip worked out at 35.3 m.p.g. The average is therefore 32.9 m.p.g. The average running time for the 969 mile trip was 30.76 m p.h., truly a remarkable performance.

£330 PER DAY SEGRAVE’S HIGH INSURANCE The largest insurance premium on record was paid by Sir Henry Segrave for a policy which covered his two days’ speeding at Daytona Beach. For a life insurance of £5,000 he paid £330 a day to Lloyd’s. The premium was payable only on the days on which he was driving the ; Golden Arrow, and the insurance, too. covered only those periods. Sir Henry paid £660 in premiums, for he ' tested the car on the day before he established the new record.

MORE HINTS

The Care of the Car

Pack the Pistons When the cylinder block of an engine has been removed during an overhaul there is always the risk of a piston turning sharply on its littleend bearing and cracking a piece out of the skirt by knocking against the connecting rod. This can be prevented by tightly packing the insides of the pistons with paper, so soon as the block 'is lifted sufficiently clear. Position of Car in Garage The space in front of and behind the car in the average garage is rather limited. To prevent running the car into the garage too far. one owner suspended a card from the ceiling so that it would just touch the windshield when the car was in the right position. Another method of preventing the car from going too far is to provide a removable wooden bumper on the floor. Skidding Time Winter time is skidding time, and for this reason added caution is necessary when driving on wet roads. Don’t take turns too sharply or at too great a speed; don’t try to cross raised tram-lines, or any similar obstruction, at an acute angle; and don’t try to brake too suddenly on the wet surface. Don’t drive as though in mortal dread of a sideslip, but nevertheless, keep your machine under such control as to be able to get out of one should it occur. Attention to this advice may save you much personal worry and expense. Greasing Steering Pivots In order that the lubricant may be evenly distributed around the bearings, it is recomemnded when greasing steering pivots that the front wheels should be jacked up clear of. the ground. If the lubrication is done with the wheel supporting the weight of the car the steering pivot must be exerting considerable pressure on its bush, so that the grease cannot easily find its way between them. Moreover, when the wheels are clear of the ground they may be locked over from side to side in order to distribute the grease evenly around the bearings.

ONE MILLION DOLLARS CASH N.Z. JACK INVENTION FOR U.S.A. One of the passengers on the Aorangi when it leaves this afternoon will be Mr. G. Wolseley King, the promoter of the Auto-Electric Hydraulic Jack Company, who is going to America to open negotiations for the sale of the jack. This auto-electric hydraulic jack is one of the neatest and most ingenious 1 devices patented in the motor accessory world. It is a jack worked off the starter motor. If a motorist has a puncture on a lonely road or on a wet day, all he need do is to turn the little lever fitted to the dash, and the wheel required is jacked up without energy or discomfort. Mr. King has had a car fitted with the jacks running round New Zealand for some time past, and is taking it to America with him. The Auto-Electric Hydraulic Jack Company is the parent company and has its headquarters in Napier. Mr. King has a friend in Cleveland, Ohio, who wrote him on January 14 quoting one million dollars cash for the U.S.A. i rights. This gentleman has since been urging him to visit the States as prominent manufacturers are interested, and there is every possibility of selling the device to the big accessory concerns which supply standard equipment to the motor manufacturers. Quite apart from the U.S.A. rights, Mr. C. P. Gavegan, of Auckland, has secured the New Zealand rights, and a company is now being formed. Already several prominent business men are financially interested. These jacks will then be manufactured locally, as they can be fitted to private cars at £lO 10s a set.

SPEED LIMITS

MAGISTRATE EXPLAINS LAW An interesting’ point in intcrX>retation of the National Motor Regulations was dealt with by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at Hamilton, a few days ago. Dealing with the case of a man charged with dangerous driving under Section 15 of the Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1928, the Magistrate made clear the difference between local restrictions, and speeds in the open country. This section fixes a limit of 25 miles an hour within a borough, town district, or city, and a limit of 35 miles an hour on the open road, which in most cases means county roads. Lower limits can be imposed by any authority proving special circumstances and obtaining the approval of the Minister of Public Works. This privilege has given rise to the local restriction signs now appearing in so many boroughs. The section qudted also states that excess of one of the national speed limits shall be sufficient evidence to prove an offence of dangerous driving in the absence of sufficient contradiction. The magistrate, said that where a local by-law fixed a maximum speed limit for certain localities that constituted an absolute prohibition against an excess. Where a motorist was charged with exceeding the national speed limit the matter was different. A regulation which set a speed limit of 35 miles an hour on a country road was not an absolute prohibition, but was only prima facie evidence of danger to the public, and it might be repudiated by showing that there was no actual danger to the public. The magistrate’s remarks should, however, make an obscure point clear. The average motorist takes it for granted that if he drives in excess of 35 miles an hour on any road in New Zealand he has committed an offence. This is clearly not the case. Provided one is driving on a country road which has no local restriction signs, the limit of 35 miles an hour can be exceeded if traffic conditions would obviously present no danger. Assuming one was travelling on a straight road with no intersecting roads, a clear view of half a mile ahead, and no traffic approaching, there would be no possible “danger to the public,” and a charge under the regulation speed limit could be successfully met. The motorist who wishes to make bursts of speed should not, however, take this liberty too lightly. The onus is on the motorist to prove the existence of no danger if he chooses to exceed the limit, and visibility, road width, grade, presence of pedestrians or vehicles, and proximity of intersecting streets must all be satisfactory.

77 YEARS OF STUDEBAKER CHANGES THEY HAVE BROUGHT While the 77th anniversary of the establishment of Studebaker's first factory at South Bend. Indiana, was celebrated recently in Sydney as well as in other parts of the world, local executives point out that the organisation is still in the forefront of progress, and has always been a leader in the motoring world. In justification they point out thajt Studebaker engineers were the first to make extensive use of pressed steel for lightness and strength in many parts of the car; first to make sixcylinder motors with single castings for the cylinders; first to design sixcylinder cars to sell for less than £400; to produce a car with crown fenders, and to produce a car in which molybdnum steel was used ; lirst to use cord tyres as standard equipment on a car selling for less than £4OO, and first to use plate glass windows as regular equipment in place of rolled sheet glass, which distorts the vision. A Studebaker metallurgist was the inventor of one of the most important and widely-known steel alloys used in modern motor-car construction. Studebaker found the internal “hot spot” for increasing the efficiency of carburetion, aud was the first quantity builder to adopt the armoured steel body for strength and safety. More recently, Studebaker built the first popular priced car capable of being driven 40 miles an hour when new without damage to the motor. Recently two important improvements were pioneered—the ballbearing spring shackle, and the semiautomatic choke control.