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SELECTING YOUR NEW
CAR
Th's article is designed to help you select your new car by giving you important points for your consideration.
The primary purpose of the modern motor car is to serve its owner. If a car is not depend able the primary reason for its existence is threatened.
There are literally hundreds of things that contribute to or de- tract from dependabliltya whole. book could be written on just this ane subject alone,
Owners defing dependability as meaning "freedom from trouble," and freedom from trouble dependa upon proper design, good work- manship and careful assembly of the parts and units into a com- plete vehicle.
While on this subject of depend-" ability we must not overlook ser- vice and maintenance. A product of highest quality-unless well serviced, might not give as much satisfaction to the user, as a pro- duct of lesser quality but support- ed by good service.
Good service
depends upon readily available repair parts, adequate facilities and equipment, with local service talent that is skilled n all phases of repair and maintenance operations.
But even these will not suffice--- service must not only be efficient complete and easily available, but it must be rendered with friend- ness and human understanding. It must be pleasing as well as help- ful
ท
Owners commenting on depend- ability lald special emphasis on service, for example:
IMPORTANT DON'TS
DON'T pour cold water in radia
tor if engine is extremely hot.
DON'T run engine in closed gar-
age,
DON'T fail to have cooling "sys- tem drained and ther- soughly flushed every s.X
months.
DON'T fail to have the' oll 'Alter cartridge renewed every ten thousand miles.
DON'T forget to check tyres at
least twice a month. DON'T forget
battery to have checked once a month, DON'T forget to grease car at housand every
least miles.
DON'T forget that periodle at-
tention to your car will. save you time and money.
"I carefully consider service policies and the extent and ex-- pertness of the service organiza- tion, particularly in these sections of the country where I frequently travel. The best car in the world falls a little short of absolute de- pendability unless repair parts are readily available at conveni- ently located service stations who know how to put them in--and de it without over-charging me."
Check off the items that are most important from your stand- point.
Accuracy of Workmanship-In- sures dependable performance and long life.
Air Cleaner Keeps dirt out- lengthens, life of engine.
Automate Choke — Dependable starting at times.
'Automatic Manifold Heat Con- trol-Insures dependable opera- tion and economical fuel con- sumption.
Automatic Shock Absorbers.
·Prolong life of structural and me- chanical
road parts-prevent shocks from affecting fine adjust- ments.
Automatic Spark Control-In- sures proper firing.
as
Battery Strong vole for larger and heavier duty battery,
Body "Hardware"-Such door, window and frost seat con- trols. Should be substantial in design-dependable and casy to
operate.
(
Braking System Smooth in operation-positive under all con
ditions and requiring minimum attention.
Carburetor--"The heart of the engine" wafalling carburetion necessary for dependable perform-
ance.
Cooling Bystem-Dependable performance under all conditions demands adequate capacity with thermostatic control,
Doors Saug fitting adequate-
ly hinged and over-lapping desigri. Ask dealer to explain "coach sili effect"—prevents sagging.
Electrical System -- Increasing electrical equipment demands well designed, heavy duty system, well insulated.
Electro-plated Pistons-Reduce friction---minimize possibility of piston seizing any cyunder scor- ing-add to life of engine.
Engine -Always quick to start not easily stalled under load or when idling in traffic.
Engineering Design -Motor, chassis and body.
Frame-Should be of rugged, wel braced, type, providing ample rigidity.
Generator Should automaticaj. ly compensate for load to insure fullycharged battery at all times.
Individual Front Wheel-suspen- ⚫sion ("Knee-action") - More sturdy-wheels cannot get out of nignment.
Jack-Ample capacity and of practical design.
Lubrication- Adequacy and ac- cessibility.
ad-
Octane Selector-Permits justment for variations in differ- ent grades of gasoline, to elimin- ate "pinging."
Repair Parts-Should be readily available-i emergency Cases saves time, trouble and exper:ses
Reputation of Maker--Best over-all assurance of dependab!!- Ity.
Road Clearance-Important on poor roads and in heavy snow.
Rubber Mountings-Absorb vi-
from bration-protect machine bolts and shocks.
Service.
be
Spring Shackles Should self-adjusting and, self-lubricat-
ing.
Starting System—Adequate cap- acity for cold weather operation -must not stick or jam.
Steering Apparatus-Must be of sturdy construction and proof against "sh.mmy."
Windshield Wiper-High quality -positive, uninterrupted action.
IN OPERATION AGAIN
Chevrolet Resumes.
Work
in December
Chevrolet swung into 1934 with production facilities expanded. over 1933. The assembly plant at Janesville, Wis., idle more than a year because of reduced volume, resumed
on 1934 models and is now in production. on this year's cars and trucks, with about 1.500 local people back at work on the assembly lines and in the adjacent Fisher body.
Developments this year includ- ed the erection, of new buildings or the utilization of available plant space at the nine, domestic... kasembly plants for the con- ditioning of new cars before they leave the factory.
а
Six new buildings were con- structed for this work and total of about 200,000 square feet of factory floor space was added to the productive capacity of Chevrolet plants. Approximately 1,500 men were added to factory payrolls as a result of the new activity...
With the Janesville plant re-.. opened the company went into 1934 with every one of the twenty-one domestic manufac- turing and assembly plants in its production set-up again in operation.
HOW TO CURE A SICK CAR
When a car lacks its usual snap and get-away, check for the fol- lowing:
Manifold gaaket leaks, Improper valve clearance,
· Leaks past piston rings, Faulty carburettor adjustment;
high or low float level, Shortage of fuel due to clogged
line or screens, Fouled, badly worn or impro-
perly gapped spark plugs, Worn pf. improperly spaced
breaker paints,
Early or late ignition lining, Dragging brakes.
In practically every case loss of power and poor get-away are cur- ed by attention to the above.
4
11
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY,
MOTOR
OCTOBER 9, 1934.
JOTTINGS
NIGHT MOTOR RACES
Nothing More Spectacular
Auto
under racing
artificial light is an established spart in Southern California, Started g an experiment by the Glendale Prist of the American Legion dur- ing the summer of 1939, night auto racing has won, on its own merits, A enviable place. in sportsdom. These night races, as those staged during the day, are held at the Legion (formerly As-. cot) Speedway in Los Angeles..
The old adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention," way some- what true of the sporting endea- vour of these Legion men. They needed money with which to help their sick and disabled mem- bers, as well as to complete their clubhouse. The Legion men did nct, however, Invent or orig.nate the idea of night auto races. These had been tried out at se- veral other tracks, without suc- tess. So, with nothing but fall." ures as precedents, the Legion de- Ave- clord to illum.nate, this eights of a mile dirt track and hold night races. It would be something different to draw the crowds.
Lighting Difficulties Overcome
Under the guidance of a Holly- wood lighting expert, they set. about the installation of a good Illumination system. The lights had to illuminate every one of the 2,700ft. of track. Just one beam wrongly placed, and one, or per- haps several, dr.vers and their high-speed mounts would be no more. The responsibility was in deed great. Even such a small detall as, the crossing of the beams of light was of paramount importance. All avalable scienti fic knowledge of lighting and race track technique was brought into use to make this lighting installa- " tion as perfect as is humanly pos- s ble.
*
AT
In order to make the shadows of passing cars as short as pos- sible, the lights had to be placed
In the geomet-, high in the air. rical centre of the oval space within the track the Legion men erected seven 70ft. poles. Near the top they built a circular plat- form upon which were placed. forty 18in. projectors. equipped with parabolic mirrors and using powerful 2,000-watt lamps, Hall of these lamps were fastened to the floor of the circular platform, 'shelf and the other half, to a about 4ft. above the platform. The number of lamps has since been increased to seventy-six.
The lights were set at frequent intervals around the platform and shelf, and the power of two separate companies alternated in the lamps. As an added preven- tive against any emergency, such as the failure of one power line to function, a switch was set which would throw that half of the load. on to the other power line, so that the whole track would be illuminated again in such a short time that the defect would hardly be detected. ` All switching ́ap- purtenances, transformers, and meters were located among the poles at the ground level.
Not a single fatal accident oc- curred during the entire night racing season from June 25th to September 5th the first year. Since then I have not heard of, an accident attributable, to the lighting system. The drivers like the night races, and, of course, there would be no such races, as the sanction of that organisation is necessary.
Fred J. Wagner, who has been an official starter for thirty-eight years, commented on the Legion's night races as follows: "They are cxtremely spectacular-in fact, I know of nothing that is more spectacular."
Since only Legion men are em ployed at the Speedway, and the profits go into their Post treasury, a fine spirit of co-operation and camaraderie exista - throughout · the organisation The succESS of this venture attested by the very satisfactory financial state of the exchequer, which allows the working out of all the original plans.
When the Sun Goes Down
Southern California sunshine news has been heralded around the world, while little has been aald of the atmosphere, after the
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sun goes down. In most other places on the globe warm nights follow hot days. Not so, however, in the southland. The summer nights are balmy and cool-most time's cold enough to necessitate the wearing of
an overcoat at night outdoor events. Therefore, in consideration of the comfort of the spectators, it is much more desirable to view the races in the cool of the evening' than in the afternoon's heat, not to mention the equivalent comfort of the drivers. Also, more people are free in the evenings to enjoy such a thrilling spectacle.
From the viewpoint of the racers the enginez run more atmosphere. smoothly in a cool
while, the artificial system of lighting is more evenly distribut- ed than sunlight, and not so dif- Acult to meet as the glare of the sun on one side of the track, alter- nating with the shadows of one's own car on the other, with the addition of cross-lighted dust cur- rents at the ends. There is also less dust at night.
The races provide a good, clean, thrilling sport, enjoyed by thous~ ands of people who throng the grandstand at every performance, This year they started in May, and were held once every week until September,
-Do You Know-
71
That a 30 per cent under-in- flated tyrę will give only 50 per cent or less of its normal tyre life?
That a 30 per cent overload on a tyre will take at least 40 per cent out of its normal life? That over half of the tyre re- pairs made each year are directly traceable to damage done by hit- ting curbs?
Wilson
That
& Company's plant fleet. In Chicago" won the annual
awards safety
again- making the third consecutive win in three years? Congratulations.
That over nine million passen- gers have been carried in those sixty sleek World's Fair buses so far?
That 25
per cent of all the trucks in operation are used in the food Industries, and that means about 808,300 trucks?
1
H
That in recent tests at the U. 8. Bureau of Standards
it was shown that for each one pound of air tyre was under-inflated there was a corresponding Joss of 1 per cent in gasoline mileage?
That in 1932 there was a total of 29,527 miles of state highway surfaced in the United States? 19,568 of them were low,"type work sand, clay, gravel, water bound macadam, etc. The re-.. mainder was high grade stuff,
“ZONES OF SILENCE” NÖT SAFETY
user.
Propaganda wins another round in the contest against the motor. vehicle
The campaign against noise, ably supported by the medical profession is endorsed by the Ministry of Transport, for motor vehicles only.
Before long, “zones of silence” between certain hours will be eat- ablished all over the country, but they only mean that motor dri vera must not give audible, warn- ing of approach.
!!
Tramcar drivers, by an after- thought, are unofficially stopped from" sounding, their gongs, but the noise of pneumatic drills, iron- shod cart wheels-all the hund- red-and-odd things which disturb one's peace at night—will remain
Motor drivers will be expected to take greater care. Will foot traf- fc remember that drivers will not «be permitted to indicate their pre- sence? Remember that many ac- cidents have been avoided when a pedestrain Has stepped out into the road, the surface, of which is treacherous by a timely warning.
1
NEW TYPE OF LIGHTTM
A new type reflex light for cars. buses trucks and trailers was re- ́cently placed in production · by the AC Spark Plug Company.
The device is a new develop- ment in Hight signals. When the rays from the headlights of a car behind shine on the reflex Näht it returns a light which can be seen for more than 1,000 feet,
The reflex light is composed of crystal prisms made by a new and
patented molding process. Each prism or configuration has a precise and definite, reflector valoě. This predetermined value makes the aggregate prismatic ability of such intence brilliancy that vision of the light is obtain- ed at a much farther distance greatly increasing the safety
Due margin.
to patented. figuration, the reflecting quality of the lens never deteriorates.
con-
'Many states have already pass. ed laws making it compulsory to use a refex light on the rear of vehicles, and it is predicted other states' will pass similar laws. The reflex light is considered an im- portant ald to safety, especially when the electrically lighted tall light fals, which often happens. In addition to its utilitarian value, the new reflex light is so designed that It adds materially to the car's appearance.
It can be attached easily. Two universal mounting brackets cover the installation require- ments of all passenger car. Mul- tiple light brackets are provided for installations on buses, trucks
and trailers.
The colours of the signal lights are red and green.
LI
Modern Politician "Have you seen the candidate yet?"
Yes; he flew over our house this morning and dropped down a Ict of literature and threw a kiss to the baby.”
FORD MOTORS
To Smelt Its Own Iron
to
The Ford Motor Company have To overcome this the iron bor- just completed the erection of «
ings, ore dust and, coke brleze the latest blast furnace in Great
are each loaded Into an appro- Britain at Dagenham. This fur- nace which has a capacity of 500 priate hopper. There are five of tons in 24 hours, is the first blast these each opening on a rotating: furnace to be put into operation table, onto which the material on the banks of the Thames. It
is allowed to fall at a regulated brings a new
the industry to
speed. A scraper feeder directs. South of England tor, hit-
the material onto a belt conveyor herto. Irom smelting has
which deals with the five tables, been confined
the North
In this manner the correct pro- the Country
Midlands and
'portions of each material are South Wales. It completes the
assured. The material is then chain of plants which gives the
throughly mixed in a rotary mixer Ford organization complete con-
and fed into a wide chan grate trol over every stage of the
and baked into a cake under a manufacture of the car from the
burner fired by coke oven gas, Iron ore to the complete vehicle.
This cake. termed sintér, after being cooled is broken up ready to be taken to the furnace. This process, which is known as sin- ter.ng results in considerable economy in the operation of the blast furnace,
iţ
Ford engineers have, backed the problem of from smelting by applying processes new to the in- dustry in Great Britnin,
The furnace is located appro- ximately midway between the jetty where the ships carrying the ore, coal and limestone are unloaded and the foundry where the castings are made. Adjacent to it are the coke ovens which, supply the high grade coke fuel necessary for the blast furnace. This arrangement reduces the handling time to a minimum.
Electric Unloaders
H
Two electric: unloaders, each capable of dealing with 300 tons per hour, unload the ships into electric transfer cars which carry the coal to the coke ovens and the ore and limestone
to the
stockyards which have a capacity of 100,000 tons. Here an electric travelling crane Ufts the ore and limestone
Into hoppers from which electrie railway, trucks
carry it to the charging skips that lift it to the top of the blast furnace.
The pressure of the air blast in the furnace has. in the past. made it difficult to utilize ore. dust, coke brieze and frun dorings from the factory because the " light nature of the material al- lowed it to be blown out of the furnace.
Upper Bell
The skips that carry the sinter and the charges of lunestone, from ore and coke to the top of the furnace, discharge into a funnel, known as the upper bell which... automatically opens to receive the charge. below it, inside the fur- nace, is rotary distributor. known as the lower bell, which distributes it evenly to every part of the furnace.
The slag and molten metal froin
the furnace are fun off into diffe- ren; troughs from which they fail into separate ladies mounted on bogle raliway trucks of special de- sign. The slag is sold for road making while the molten metal is transported the short distance which separates the furnace from the hot metal hop. Each ladle has capacity of 75 tons of metal
An electric hoist lifts the ladle by hooking on the turnions at its side and a further hoist tips its contents into the 600 ton hot metal mixer. There it is mixed with a proportion of steel before. being used in the hot metal shop in the making of castings for Ford cars.
FRUST A THORNYCROFT WITH YOLUŁ TR
DEAL DIRECT
THORNYCROFT
SIX-CYLINDERED
COACHES & OMNIBUSES
MOTOR VEHICLES
DIESEL
OR PETROL"
Plogeer Manufacturers of Commersal Habor
Full Range of Spares carried in Hong Kong and Shanghai,
#
4 or 6 Wheels
4 or 6 Cylinders
80 Cwt. to 10 Ton Loads
20 to 70 Passengers
JOHN L THORNTEROIT & CO., LIMITED,
msor Building, I
Kowinca.
TEL. BOTES.
TRUST A TwoRNYCROFT. Wenn
JT