MOTORDOM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 824, 19 November 1929, Page 6

MOTORDOM

By

HEADLIGHT

case, but it is kerosene that still provides the best bath for the rear and front wheel bearings. These heavily worked parts, which often are so long forgotten, should be removed twice yearly and given a thorough bath. It means a lot to their longevity.

CENSUS OF USED CARS N.Z. SURVEY UNDER WAY At the beginning of the preset j month, every member of the Mott j Tracers' Association garage section,! ; anil every, wholesale importer of | motor vehicles, was asked to till in a return showing particulars of all motor vehicles held in stock at October 31, 1929. The purpose of this census is to | make a comprehensive survey of the j used car position in New Zealand, | with a view to removing some of the j objectionable features of this busij ness. Many attempts have been made the world over to deal with the used car problem with more or less (usually less) success. “In our opinion," says an editorial in the “New Zealand Radiator," the soonest way to solve this problem is first to thoroughly understand it, as j it has been brought into existence and j perpetuated mainly through ignorance |of the real position. Each motor ■ trader knows his own position in re- | spect of used cars, and usually agrees ! j it is unsatisfactory. “We feel that when the general | position is realised, it will open the j ! eyes of very many to the importance j jof the position. It is hoped that by ; : means of the information secured by \ i the present census, to provide al’ •’ traders interested with particulars re ! garding numbers and values of parti | cular makes and models of cars, whicl i will he of great value and assistanci jto them. The census will be of littl ! real value unless it is general am 1 fairly complete."

FINEST SPEEDWAY MONTHLY ROAD CIRCUIT MOTOR-CAR LABORATORY In the Montlhery track, which includes both a speedway and a road circuit, France possesses the finest speedway in the world, and the only testing-ground of its kind in existence, apart from private grounds such as that of General Motors in America. Most of the ■world’s motor speed records have been established on this famous track —which is 15 miles from Paris —but the future of Montlhery as a testing-ground was quite as much in tho minds of the originators of the : autodrome as that of racing. The autodrome was built in the face of violent opposition, but once in being the “trade” realised that it had something which no other countrypossessed and decided to make use of it. Race meetings arc no longer held, except on rare occasions, but the tracks, both speed and road, are in constant use all the year round. Summer and winter, bad weather or good, the place is always buzzing with activity and a list of firms that keep experimental staffs permanently at work there will give some idea of the importance now attached to practical research in France. Among motor-car companies all making constant use of the autodrome are such firms as Delage, Renault, Citroen, Bugatti, Delahaye, Panhard, and Levassof, Yoisin, Hotchkiss, IJnic, Clie-nard-Walsker, Ballot, Peugeot, Ami!car, Salmson, etc. All these firms—and also some Eng- 1 lish firms—use the tracks for labora- ■ torv purposes. As many as GO cars of various makes have frequently been seen, in a single day, either on the speedway or the ' road circuit for test purposes. In addition to motor-car and motor- . cycle constructors, carburettor firms ' such as Zenith, Solex and Cozette, and , tyre makers such as Dunlop, make regular use of the road and speed tracks. Montlhery is open to any firm, which , by paying a subscription of so much a. car can use the tracks all the year round—day and night if they wish to do so. The autodrome estate covers 12,000 acres. The seven-mile road circuit and the speed track together make up an openair laboratory unequalled in the world.

j The road circuit embraces every kind i of corner and gradient, and the gradi- | ents are all accurately measured and marked. ! The speedway, which was completed l in 1924, is still by far the finest thing of its kind in existence. Two and a-half kilometres (one mile 974 yards), round and-.perfectly symmetrical in form, the track —from which the road section deviates —is considered safe up to IGO miles an hour.

STRIKING EVIDENCE CINDER TRACK NEWS (.From a Wellington paper.) i ‘ To wip live .times in as .many starts • is an exceptional performance in this | form of sport with its amount of uncertainty. Such, however, was the achievement of Wally Kiiminster, a ! local iicier, who was a popular figure i on the track in Wellington s first sea- ! soil. "ile won the two principal events ! on Saturday night, ana in the qualifying heats as well as in the finals ne j demonstrated that he lias so mastered the art of broad-siding that lie must ; now take rank us a highly efficient dirt-track rider. "In the events which he contested , there were* some of the best thrills of the evening, and not a few of them came when Kiiminster was negotiating the bends, for it wds in the broad- : siding that lie generally managed to i improve his position. ILo made the ! cinders lly all right, and his success was very popular. A feature of Kil- ! sistently good time.” The latest news from Wellington i tells that racing at the Kilbirnie I .Stadium last Saturday night Kilminj ster again won the golden helmet. Wally Kilminster's success is of j special interest to all Douglas riders i and enthusiasts, in that the above out- ; standing achievement was made pus- ' siblo to a large extent by his IJOUG- ! DAS machine standing up to the j gruelling test. i Wally Kiiminster is a DOUGLAS I enthusiast from stal l to finish, and j his success oil the Dirt Track reflects i his confidence in his self-chosen mount. DOUGLAS riders New Zealand over, whether on track or road, in fair weather or foul, one and all enthuse over their sturdy little mount. DOUGLAS, "The Leader of the Pack." Principal Results: Wellington Speedway Handicap. Final, Ist, W. Kiiminster (DOUGLAS). Final. 2nd. A'. (Trove (DOUGLAS). Dig Nine Scratch. Final. Ist, W. lvl LMLXSTEII (DOUGLAS). Auckland Agents: WALKER AND SON, Lroud way. (Turner Khyber Fuss, Newmarket. 2

RUXTON-BUILT FRONT WHEEL DRIVE EIGHT Construction of the front-wheel-drive Ruxton car in America is in the care of the Gardner Motor-Car Co. Though New Era Motors own and will sell this high-priced eight-cylinder vehicle, the Gardner plant will be used for. production. The first cars for sale were built during September, at the rate of be tween 40 and 50 a day. Whether this car will be exported from the United States depends en tirely upon its reception and sale in that country. There is a powerful "financial group' behind the enterprise.

The A.A.A. has recently completed a new large-scale map of the Lake Taupo district, showing the fishing and camping areas, and all the roads in the Wairakei, Taupo and Tokaanu districts. Accompanying the map is an excellent descriptive article on the district, and on fishing licences, etc. Do not use copper wire to connect up the terminals of a battery, as the fumes from the acid'will corrode the chopper. The best plan is to cut strips of lead the required length and -width, and drill holes in the ends for the terminals. The lead will not corrode. and offers less resistance.

(auckla nu au to Mobile ASSOCIATION). VEHICULAR FERRIES i An excellent ferry service is now j being provided to Birkenhead and | Northcote and motorists returning j from the East Coast Bays, Waiwera, j Orewa and the North will thus be i able to proceed from Silverdale by th : i shortei route direct to Birkenhead or ! Northcote. The provision of this extra j facility should relieve congestion on | tho Devonport service and make mat- | tors much more convenient for motor- ; ists crossing the harbour. WHANGAREI-KAWAKAWA ROAD : Motorists in the Far North have j been paying heavily in the way of a j toll when travelling between Whangai rei and Kawakawa. A small section of | approximately 300 yards beyond Akej ram a lias been rendered impassable j during the wet weather through metal- | ling not being completed. A paddock i has been made available for the use of motor traffic, but a toll of 5s a car j during the winter and half a crown I a car during the past month lias been j charged. Motorists willingly paid this amount as a matter of convenience, but as the months dragged by and still very little work is apparent on this short stretch, the patience of road users is being exhausted. It is hoped that with the first spell of fine weather, energetic efforts will be made to remove this blockage. WEEK-END RESORTS Improved roading facilities are being provided to many of the favoured weekend resorts. In particular, the Hot Springs at Waiwera have now been made available by the metalling of the Waiwera Hill. This, although somewhat rough in places, should provide a reasonable surface during the summer. The road to the Wainga.ro Hot Springs, 16 miles from Xgaruawahia. has recently been surfaced and is now in excellent order. Improvements are being carried out at the bad corner by the springs, and additional facilities are being made for the convenience of tourists. RECENT ENGLISH SUCCESSES Advice was received in Auckland yesterday that the open East Midlands centre championship trial and challenge cup, and also the Lincoln Challenge Cup, were won by F. W. Plastow, riding a 4.58 h.p. o.h.v. Royal Enfield. The same rider was successful in a recent six-day trial. The 10-mile championships of Ireland, run at Dublin recently, were won by T. Jenkinson (250 e.e.) and J. S. Burney (.150 c.c.), respectively, both riding Royal Enfield machines. Burney also won the Motor-Cycle Union of Ireland’s 350 c.c. championship for the same performance.