SCIENCE DOUBLES LIFE OF
the motorcar.
MOTORCARS
By W. GORDON ASTON
rods
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1933.
SPARKS
FROM THE PLUGS
ASKING THE WAY
DO NOT BOTHER POINT. DUTY MEN UNNECESSARILY.
A DIFFERENT M.P.H. ONLY 25 YEARS AGO BULLET-PROOF GLASS
ARE YOU A NOISY. MOTORIST?
HOW MR. J. W. PACKARD
DID 53 MILES
The news that Japan has invent- ed a bullet-proof" salety glass, which is being used on motor- vehicles during operations in MaD- churia, will be of interest to many motorists who served in the War. A Question in the House of Com- These initials, m.p.h., do not Early one morning in October, Glass that withstood bullet fire was mean railes per hour. They stand 1809. J. W. Packard etarted from being produced in Britain before nons recently drew attention to a form of thoughtlessness which is for something which is just as Cleveland for his home in Warren, 1914, and during the War the Tri- frequently to be
plex firm supplied glass from three- scon on main portant since the speed limit has roads. Mr. Remer asked the Min been abolished and its place has Ohio, 3 miles away to prove one eights of an inch to sin, thick for
i of those newfangled gasoline
use in tanka, aircraft, and Service ister of Transport if his attention been taken by a noise limit, for
vehicles. It is still being supplied had been called to numerous acci- speed and noise are colgely related. buggies."
In the first 19 miles he was "out to the War Office, and two years dents caused by motorists stopping Miles per hoot" is the interpre their cars at cross-roads to en-tation of these letters. How many and under" four times. Two miles ago experiments were carried out What more a tire gave way. He repair- by the French War Office with bul- quire their route from officers di- miles per hoot do you do recting the traffic, and if he would figure would you suggest to be aed the thing only to have it blow let-proof glass of similar construc- take steps to make such action annormal one?
out in his face again with a mixtion. Bullet-proof glass is offence. The reply was that while As the temperament of the driver the Minister realised the disadvan- varies, so does his hooting power. are of glue and feathers supposed used by many banks in America to
proof. tages of such behaviour, his atten: Cautious drivers make most use of to have rendered the tires puncture protect cashiers from bandits. tion had not been drawn to it as their hotas, although
On the way again, the drive- chain broke, the radiator sprung a and several hills he leak leaped out to put a brick behind the rear wheel when the brakes fail- ed and the engine stalled.
London
Of late there has been tremen, be easily sent to its destination dous activity in the oil world, even when the engine is cold, and for the petroleum technologist, not always liquid enough to let the do its work easily, without the stimulus of fierce com- self-starter petition, is waging war against When it is being churned by the the demon friction in all machin- connecting
it must not ery in general, but particularly in oxidise; when it gets on to hot piston walls it must not form coks, The campaign that has recently and when it meets the intensely been opened has progressed so suc- hot flame of the explosion it must cessfully that it is no exaggeration not burn. to say that the life of the ordin In the past it has been necessary ary car, in the hands of one who to strike a compromise and to sacri takes full advantage of the qualifice one characteristic for another, ties and facilities now available, but in the not distant future it has been just about doubled. And, may be possible for the best com- great as recent oil developments panies to provide an oil possessing a cause of numerous accidents, and omnibus drivers hoot less frequent- have been, they are still only in all the virtues and none of the that the following paragraph ap-ly than any class. Many of them their comparatively carly stages. vices. The new processes of refine peared in the Highway Code: drive for days without touching Broadly speaking, the modern ment now being, developed are lit.Do not pull up alongside a con- their bulb horna. The type of horn factor oil magician bee little or no res-tle short of magical in their results, stable on point duty to ask him a fitted introduces another pect for the natural product as it They spell. for the motorist a question which, other people could Owing to their convenience electric comes from the well. He finds that now era of satisfaction and econo- answer. His full attention is re- horns are used far more often than it has characterista" of which hey. The reduction in mechanical, quired for his duties. Road users, their rubber brethren.
hosting. Speed demands more does not approve, so he proceeds wear and tear means that the life, particularly to make it into something entirely of quite an ordinary car may be
At a speed of 50 miles per hour as much as 100,000 miles, between
the wary driver will probably boot How, he makes crude oil perform complete overhauls, during which
twice as much as he would at all the tricks he demands of it is time its cylinders will not have had
miles per hour. Frequently the a long and rather technical story. to be "cleaned more than two or
horn is used without reason; per Suffice it to say that he submits it threa times.
haps at a pedestrian waiting an to extremely high temperatures
the kerb for you to pass; at
because the He wrote to the company recom- and pressures, that he forces hydro-
lorry, petulantly, ariver of it could not let you pass; mending changes in the automobile. gen through it, and that at the
at another pedestrian, with the reThe reply came, in effect, "If you end of the process he has exactly, the kind of lubricant the automo-
sult that he got in a panic; again are so smart, why don't you build bile engineer has asked him to
at a corner where a policeman, was one yourself?" He did. provide.
on duty or during a long traffic hold-up. So these instances mount up, and, remember, it is illegal to noot when stationary except where necessary for safety.
different.
It is the Magic Kettle" act up- on a huge commercial scale, and very soon we shall see it in full working order.
The vast majority of motorista are wisely content to buy oils that earry names of repute and let it go at that. They will be pursuing a safe course if they continue to do so.
The ideal oil must be thick enough to maintain an unbreak- able film between the surfaces of moving parts, but thin enough to
Meanwhile, the mechanical de- pression of the chassis will have been reduced to the minimum by the use of highly specialised oile and greases.
A feature of 'some of the new oils which we may soon have is the simplicity of their classification. There will be only a faw grades, one, say, for now cars, another for older cars, and another for sports and racing cars.
"Ten"
It's only a a
but there's
week-
at holiday ends, should bear in mind this point. To bother constables who are directing traffe, or R.A.C. and A.A. guides and patrols similarly engaged, is certainly a source of considerable inconvenience and may quite well be the cause of danger to other traffic.
PRINCE GEORGE AT
Talbot 105.
TALBOT'S
&
Keep a check on yourself the next time you drive. It will pro
surprise duce results which will
It is impossible to state definite
Prince George recently paid visit to the Talbot factory, at which double shifts are working. I like that idea, for it is strictly He was shown round by Sir Tra- logical. An engine that has bevers Clarke, the chairman of S. T. come loose in its parts requires a D. Motors, and Mr. Andrew Ro you. much thicker oil than that which bertson, the general manager of is only just "run in." It is more Talbots. The Prince showed con- ly how many miles per hoot "can important that it should receive siderable interest in the procees or be driven in safety. Road condi: special consideration on account of construction and, assembly, Inc. tiong will alter the figure. Coua its age rather than upon the pre- dentally, he recently bought a try lanes will increase it compared
with arterial roads,, and towns" wit vailing atmospheric conditions.
increase it yet again.
During a run of just over sixty miles from the coast, which includ- ed eight miles of London, I noted the number of times the horn was used. The man I was with was n good driver, and as I did not tell him of the test I was making he drive in his usual style. I think He his average was a good one. used the horn twelve times, which made his figure roughly five miles per hoot. Leaving the coast. he hooted before a cluster of cross- roads se he changed down, and then we covered some ten miles before he gave another audible warning, at a level crossing. Three other cross-roads echoed the sound of his horn, which then had a rest until we reached London, where the reat of his seven hoots were expended.
Undoubtedly the British motorist is the quietest of any nation, and be cannot be compared with the Continental driver, where the pla gue of noise is beyond description. There is only one place in the Bri- tish Isles where the street noises of the Continent are approached in volume, and that is in the Channel Islea,
REAL
COMFORT
Do not forget, however, that the Bighway Code says you should hoot when overtaking unless you are satisfied such a precaution is un- necessary.-G. D. C. in The Auto-
COT.
Once the steering wheel spun round on a rutty rond, knocking the driver into the dust. With five miles to go, the machine gave its last whimper. The sun was setting as Mr. Packard arrived home be hind a team of plow horses, the car
in tow.
on A
'To-day, a representative of a well- known oil company starts nation-wide tour of 30,000 miles, visiting most of the important cities within a few months. He expects to complete the trip on a single set of tires. He will speed over a net-
work of smooth highways all the way averaging about 200 miles a day. His itinerary provides for no auch, emergency 28 and under" type.
Only 35 years separate the two. incidenta.
the
also
He that, being oft reproved for speeding, hardenath his heart, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy
INSIST
Agents:
†
'M.G. PRODUCTION
The M.G. Car Company increas- ed its 1932 production by more than 100 per cent. over 1931 and plans for a still further increase beginning last month were made. Even so, during that month it was found necessary again to increase the number of employees' by 25 per cent, and the number of cars de livered during March showed an increase of almost 100 per cent. over the previous month's output. Exports also, which for some tima have steadily progressed, showed a marked increase with the advent of the spring.
A MOTORING MOTTO
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit wasteth his pat- téry..
ON
RIV
Bearings
For Automobiles and Industrial
Mechanism
Dodwell & Co., Ltd.
get out
A.P.E. 1.
Trust A Thornycroft With Your TRANSPORT
DEAL DIRECT
THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
MOTOR VEHICLES
Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicler
MORRIS
HERE is shewn the new MORRIS TEN SALOON the only car of its power on the market with a really roomy four-seater body. There is plenty of leg rooni. and plenty of headroom - for passepgers and driver alike
Then there is the four speed gear box, with its silent third-ensuring complete comfort in running! carefully balanced design in spring. ing and weight distribution, giving
perfect, untiring smoothness comfort in assured safety in driving at any speed, thanks to the hy draulic brakes.. Yes, taking into consideration all these features, together with the sunshine roof and Triplex safety glass -comfort is certainly the keynote of the new MORRIS TEN models. Telephone 2802! and arrange a trial run, free of all obligation, at any time to suit your convenience.
Dodwell & Co., Ltd.
A.P.B. 20*
IS THIS TRIJE?
According to one Continental paper a somewhat, novel'departure. has recently been made by the gov erning authorities in Greece with the object of limiting the consump tion of petrol and of reducing the importation of that commodity. To this end the regulation stipul- lates that motor vehicles bearing number, plates having even num- bers may only be used on Mondays, "Wednesdays, and Fridays,
those with odd numbers on Tues days, Thursdays, and Saturdays, The only day of the week on which there is no restriction on the use of motor vehicles is Sunday (
SHOWING THEM HOW
and
Not so long ago a rock knocked a large hole in the crank case of a foreign sports car owned by B lawyer living in Nairobi, Kenys Colony. Unsuccessful attempts to repair the damage having been made by various South African mechanics, the wrecked crank cass was packed off to England for the attention of Barimar's. A repair was made, and the crank caso was reshipped back to Africa, within five days, which all goes to show that our colonies are not quite in- dependent of the Old Country yet.
Full Range of Spares carried in Hong Kong and Shanghat.
4 or 6 Wheels
4 or 6 Cylinders
30 Cwt, to 10 Ton Loads
20 to 70 Passengers
JOHN L. THORNYCROFT & CO., LIMITED,
Pioneer Building, Nathan Road, Kowloon,
TEL. 56759.
TRUST ATHORNYCROFT With Your Transport