1931-04-08 — Page 3

·HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1931.

MOTOR NOTES

POINTS ABOUT GEAR BOXES.

OFFICIAL TESTS IN ENGLAND.

A STEADY GAIN.

CARS OF THE EMPIRE.

Last year there were produced In Great Britain 238,805 motor vehicles, of which 182,347 werò pri- vale cars, this representing a re- cord number, for any year. The

THE BLUE BIRD.

MALCOLM CAMPBELL'S

CARA

SPECIFICATION DETAILS.

THE SECOND-HAND experience and unusual care, but

CAR.

SOME POINTS ABOUT MILEAGE,

י

To those of us who are not forty- nate enough to have survived the present business depression in a style calculated to make the pur chase of a new ear practicable, a few pointers on the used, car mar. ket and methods of arriving at a definite valuation of a used car should prove of assistause in assur

money in the same ratio which we

Tests at the National Physical have Taboratory in England" brought out in a striking manner

increase in number of both cars) tain Malcolm Campbell's recording that wo receive value for our the comparative qualities of dif ferent types of gearboxes, and and commercial vehicles last year especially if the marked advan-

Reverthelens, one cannot be too careful in enquiring into every, day of the car's past' history.

SPEED LIMITS.

WHAT HAPPENS ON THE

CONTINENT.

Now that the speed limit for private motor vehicles has been abolished in England, it may be

3

In addition to these inhabited area and mountain road mita," certain level ronds, especially along the lakes, also havo special restric tions. The drenstrasse, beside tho Lake of Lucerne, is a enso in point, and here, at any rate a year ago, motorists were expected to be thought readers as well. Accused of driving at 25 miles an hour, and protesting that no lower limit was visibly prescribed, one was inform ed that the polics intended to put. up a notice..

Should you be of the type which has a fair for motor mechanics, many of the remaining points will automatically settle themselves. The Rusl assurances as to conti- tion of motor and chassis may interesting to consider the practice casily be checked by the man who of some of the Continentál nations, happens to fall into this classifica-France has no limit on the open tion but the man who must depend road, and the article in the Code upon the statements of the owner de la Boute on the subject reads

Swiss mountain roads hava the or salesman often goes wrong on much like the "having regard to this point through ignorance of all the circumstances of the case" additional regulation that nil traf. mechanics. For the man of no of the careless or dangerous-driv-fer must yield the side away from the prooipicu odge, regardless of mechanical knowledge, the only ing section of the Hond Tarffle Act.

the rule of the road, to the yellow safé Fule on which to base a In towns and villages, however,

note horn one hours many hairyin forts and Mayors have the power

turns away. To show this courtesy of fixing apocal limits within the spheres of their respective jurisdict the old horse-drawn diligenen was reasonable enough; to do the tions, and these may range from 4 kilometres (3 miles) to, say, 30 like for the motor coach which has kilometres (183 miles) an hour, taken its place some one necessary, These inits are usually posted at and, indeed, the right is rarely the entrance to villages on a board claimed by the drivers, so that with the heading "Arrêté Muni- considerablo confusion exists in the

minds of other motorists as to their." cipal" or "Autor Attention!"

There are two characteristics of proper conre of action. French roads, however, which prove

I was substantial, and followed a tails of the engine specification, would expect to receive in buying figure is the report of some rolinble, the matter is far otherwise, Pro- Postwagen, whose musical three-

inges resulting from the intelli-period of two years in which the showed pracfically, no gent use of a self-changing gear, industry

movement either forwards or back Under favourable conditions it was shown that it is possible to obtain i wards. an efficiency of in per chat. with straight toothed gear, although the presence of too much lubriennt in the gearbox may result in reducing this by 10 to 15 per cent., through

Figures compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that in 1907 a total of 12,000 vehicles was produced, but analysis was kept then or, in

DO

a new car.

disinterested mechanic.

Such

A rocent issue of "Autocar" con- tained a full description of Cap

breaking car, the Blue Bird. De

which, it was understood, wore a secret, were included, and show that the bore and stroke were 139.17m.m, the total capacity being 22,9420.c. A Napier designed for high speed aeroplane work, it deed by the average purchaser. Thomay safely rely upon his judgment. veloped slightly over 1300 hp. For

churning the oil about and wasting { fact, until 1923. In 1008, the total mally pointed in the opposite dirve.

power.

Tests showed that with a self-receded to 10,500, but from then changing epicyclic four-speed gear, onwards it showed a stendy gain although the power passed through one epicyclic train on first until 1913, when it renched 31,000. gears, two trains on second and The war halted its progress, the three on third, the efficiency is 18.5 1

whole output of the factories being per cent, on first. 9 per cent on second, and 99.25 per cent, on each diverted for military purposes ant of third and fourth. These figures the needs of the nation. It was owed much to the complete aberner of oil churning in the gear-blog.

not until 12 that figures were In actual performance, with two again prepared, when a total of cars of similar weight and power 79,000 was compiled; and the next

ne having a normal three-spurd sliding gearbox and the other the year the total of 15,000 was shown four-speed self-changing, gear, the to comprise 71,396 cars and 23,004 advantages of the self-changing trucks.

A leap of more than 50 gear wire marked. Starting from. Tost, it was found that in five per cent, of the total was recorded seconds the car with the self-chang. in 1924, when 116,000 cars and ing gear was travelling at about.

There are many points to be con sidered in buying 4 used var; the greater number, and some of the most important are often overlook first statement usually made about

mechanic is able, after a few moments of inspection and test, to arrive at a antisfactory reckoning of the value of any cut, and one Only one warning need be added, make certain that ho is a compet ent and absolutely disinterested.

person.

Having arrived at the point where sales are made or lost, namely, the demonstration, the prospective buyer may feel that the car performs better for the person demonstrating than it might do in the hands of one unaccustomed to its peculiarities. Without doubt, every car develops certain eccen- trieities after being driven for any These differences great distance.

its original purpose, driving a n used ear is, "Hus done only five inetor propeller, the engine nor thousand miles," or six, eight or ten thousand, as the case may be. tion to that required for use in a

This often contributes largely to motor car, and this necessitated the prospective buyer's Anat valun- some ingenious adaptation on the tios of the vehicle and usually, to part of the designer and builders.

his lasting regret, he finds that the The cylinders were very light, five thousand miles referred to have and were surrounded by light steel taken the greater part of the enr's water jackets, with a big contri-life expectancy. This fact may be fugal pump to maintain circula-attributed to a number of condi- tion. The radiator was a separate tions, not the least of which is the unit, carried in front on a special fact that the mileage on almost frame outside the streamline body.any make of speedometer may be

run back" with very little effort. in handling are noticeable in ears Consideration may also be given, of the same model which have been in a number of cases, to the com-

driven over the same distances yet, plete replacement of a speedometer in almost every case, different tou

several thousand miles. Few ownsidering this it is well to remem would stoop to the latter ber that the method of handling method of deception merely to during past ownership may have orase a few thousand miles from had a great deal of effect on one different

Water entered it from a separato

Lank in the

of large

streamline body, with a the special escape valve which opened

camshafts for the inlet and exhaust

18 miles an hour, while the normal 30,000 commercial vehicles, or a only if steam developed. Separate unit after the car has travelled dencies are developed.

gon was only going about 13. The loss of in while changing gears was nimost gligide on the self- changing gear: with the other it was serious. The three-gear changes were tande on the self-changing box

I

total of 140,000 were produced, was not until 1997 that the total

exerered 200,000; that year the figures were 164,553 ents and 47,927 commercial vehicles, total 211,780,

valves were arranged on the top of

thei

each bank of cylinders with single vertical drive from crankshaft. Thero were a master

rods with wrist pins on each erank

ers

with hardly a perceptible variation while the following year the num- connecting rod and two auxili... the car's life but (and this may particular part while a

of speed with the norm gear there was a drop of alt three orber was almost exactly. the same

In con.

happen in a great number of cases) method of handling may have

effective in persuading people to herp to a respectable speed. Even on a Route Nationale of billiard cloth smoothness it is no unusual experience to find in the villages and small towns the road surfact composed of pace of the worst old kind, large setts, whose original laying is a lost in the mists of to cause any ear antiquity as traversing the same at more than five miles an hour to give a pass able imitation of a ship' at BC Another habit of the French was) to make one or more deep gulles across the rond, ostensibly for break any spring if taken at speed. drainage, which are 'guaranteed to

These gullies are denoted by the world Cassis on a board. Some- times these channels are filled up,

four miles an hour in the speed 11,877, composed of 165,352 enry and i pin, operating short and thick al. should a speedometer require re-affected some other part in a like but the notice is left. This natur uminium pistons. Fuel was fed to placing at the end of several thou-manner; Such eccentricities as are ally causes the motorist strange to

40,525 commercial vehicles. In 1929 there being 188,347 cars, 50,458 com mercial vehicles, and a total of

rach time a change ens made. In 4 seconds, from a standing start. the self-changing geared car had attained speed of over 50 miles an hoor: the other had not reached 40. In the most frequently quoted 238,805. acceleration figures, the time taken During the same period, the le progress from 10 to 30 miles annuler of people employed in the hour, the graph showed that the well-changing box enabled this to

seconds.

manufacture of these motor vehicles

the carburettors by a big mechanic- a pump from a small tank in the tail of the car; there was iso a separate air pressure system. Each cylinder had two spark plugs, and

there, were two 12-cylinder mag- netos. For starting, there was a small fuel pump, and a nozzle con.

be done in under eight seconds, rose from 34,000 to 271,325. It is while the normal type took about 14 | interesting to note that whereas in

Expressed another way, the ac- 1967 it took nearly three people on nected to armoured pipes, running eleration, of the self-changing gear the average to construct on car into och cylinder and a hand mag way shown in a steady curve, always

n year, last year the average zum with a clear-cut advantage over the normal box. In 15 seconds the self-ber was only slightly more than changing gear car travelled more ome. The advance in the use of than 200 feet, while the other has automatic machinery, of course, has gone only about half that dis- tanoc; in 25 seconds the respective bad a great bearing on this point, distances were almost 1.200 feet and In 1914, the average earnings of skilled and unskilled men in the inator factories of Britain were

between 750 and 800 feet.

At the end of runs of four hours' duration. at engine speeds of 1,200 and 2,000 revolutions a minute, it 40/10 a week; in March, 1920, the was found that the temperature of average had almost doubled, and the gearbox oil remained much be low that of the engine oil, although was 8/0 a week. The British motor the engines and gearboxes were of industry has reached a high degree unit construction. Ou top gear it was found that the engine oil had of electrification, and the variations reached a temperature of 99 degrees in the consumption of electrien Centigrale, while that of the gear-

power in England by motor firms box was only 70 degrees; on third

How afford a fair indiention of ag gear the respective temperatures tivity in motor manufacture.. In were 10 and 4 degrees, and on the South West Midlands, al per second-gear 104 and 82 degrees, cent, of the total clectrical energy generated is consumed by industrial undertakings, and reckoning the monthly average consumption in 1021 B a basis for comparison, it is shown that last year it had almost doubled, the total being in the proportion of 180 for 1928 to 100 for 1924. The horse-power of engines returned in the census of production for 1924 for the cycle

Going Home on Leave?

Why not spend it touring in ease and comfort vid Motorways? Luxuriouily appointed mower Pullman Saloons leave London for all parts of Europe and the British Isles. Tours from two days to 'two months' duration.

The one fee includes the very best hotel accommodation, gratuities, and services of courier, etc You can cover Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, etc. with the maximum of afon and the minimum of trouble; Overseas people are enthusiastic on the Motorways' method of travel. We can meet you at Marseilles if you desire it.

Martin for Bonuslfully Illustrated Brochure tes

MOTORWAYS

1930

41, CRANBOURN ST. LEICESTER SO

LONDON, WALA ENGLAND,

noto attachment. The engine was first primed, and then gas from containers passed through, the nozzle to the combustion chambers, where it operated the pistons and started the crankshaft running. The air intake of one of the carburet- "tors was very low, and limited the ground clearance possible. In place of the reduction gear for the pro- piller of an aeroplane, a flywheel was fitted, and there was also a disc clutch operated by an ingeni- eus compound lever movement from the pedal.

A

sand miles and the ear he offered unduly noticeable should be examin- for sale after having rum

few ed to ascertain whether or not they more thousqugs of miles, it must - mag be reasonably corrected..

Should correction prove impossible admitted that the owner may forget the milenge which appeared on the original speedometer, thus enhancing the resale value of the ear by that of many miles of life expectancy.

++

noticed that five thousand miles of In other cases it may be clearly driving by one individual detracts

ear to from the life of a new greater extent than ten or twelve thousand miles, in the hauds of Another driver. The phrase "owner driven may or may not be a re commendation in considering re- sale values, depending entirely on the kind of owner-driving to which the car has been subjected. In the majority of cases, the owner-driver neglects the smaller details of ser- vicing, for the omission of which A hired chauffeur would be dis To enable the driver to sit as charged as incompetent. These low as possible to obtain the full omissions may not appear to be beneft of the streamlining, and serious in themstives and are easily also the safety precautions em- bodied in the car, the engine drive overlooked by the busy man of to- was carried to the lay shaft of the day, but the sum of minor omia- three-speed gearbox and then pass- ed to gears on, another parallesions over an extended period of shaft, considerably to the left. The time may be calculated in extra drivo was conveyed through a sing- | depreciation. le massive propeller shaft with one universal joint through a hall end. ed torque tube, The right hand axle shaft therefore was consider-

and motor trader amounted to ably longer than the left.

Used Car Valuation.

In computing the used-car, valun-

The front axle a massive tion of any make of reachine it is 32,050, but motors driven by puroval boar with a radius rod. To necessary to subtract its mechanical chased electricity of a horse-power ouvinte the danger of melting depreciation from the original coat

of 142,101 were included in the re brake shoes, experienced, it will be

Jurn.

Empire Motors,

to arrive at any satisfactory Egure, remembered, by the lat Sir Henry This statement may, at first glance, Segrave, in his 1000 hp. Sunbeam, The British Empire now has the type of lining adopted was a appear a little obvious, but n 3,001,000 cars, and 550,420 trucks bad conductor and ensured the and motor busca, meking a total of heat being dissipated by the brake glimpse of all the small facts that 1,800,740, and, together with prob drum. The brakes were operated need to be taken into consideration ably 500,000 motor cycles, would by a podal working through a to get at the mechanics? deprecia- vacuum servo motor, and only came tion is surprising. First and fore into action when the speed had slowed considerably.

most, is the car under considera-

make a total, of, roughly 4,250,000 motor vehicles, of all descriptions ainong about 60,000,000 white people. Of the cars and motor commercial The horizontal steering columnistion of well known, and reputable rohields, tho number consumed in wae-on-brackets over the gear-hox, manufacture. This question alone? all parts of the world is given by and actuated a horizontal shaft in

the Society of Motor Manufacturan aluminium casing. At each enday rule out a number of proposi-. Within this question falle ers and Tradera ne 34,039,240, 80 of this shaft cam steering gears of tions.

that those of the British Empire, normal type controlled two short the necessity of having reliable and 3,950,710, represent about 11 pervertical shafts which moved tubes

cent of the total. The world running from a horizontal lover to experienced service, of heing ablo total comprises 20,408,054 cara and a steering arm on the axle pivot. to procure replacement parts when 5,468,100 commercial vehicles. The The front wheels were also coupled necessary, nid having always tho, share of Australia is by no means by a track rod. A big aluminium small; it is included in that of bulkhead protected the driver, ' assurance that the manufacturer Oceania, which is stated to have The body was designed by Mr. stands behind his product to the 639,550, cars, 138,732 trucks, and R. A. Railton in plastacino and

fullest extent. A car which must fate of 788,282, or 23 per cent, of taxing in a wind tunnel before con

{the world total. An American_re-j ́struction. A very large stabilis sit idle in a garage while awaiting turn gives the actual Australian ing fie was fitted. There were two the arrival of replacement parta is figures as 401,291 cars, 2,238 motor streamline forms in the body, obe a dead loss while not in use. An- bases, 117,781 trucks, and a total rising and then falling in front,

nf 681,310, white anothor big alice and behind the driver's hand, the other question that may well ho in the total for Oceania is that of other rising over the engine and asked covers previous ownership of Now Zealand, 143,841 ears, 1,238 sweeping down alongside the driver the cat. The owner who is offer See Europe from an Arachairotor busts, 28,733 trucks, and a to the tail. The tail projected con-

-total-of-173,812

aiderably behind the rear axle.

ing to tell may be a driver-of-long l

or very expensive, such cars should be rejected.

In summing up the total value of any car it is always a good plan, to consider what the operating expense of the car, including ren- parts, is likely to be during the sonable repair and replacement of

cost may be low yet upkeep be sa balance of its life. Thus, initial expensive. that, a now car would have been more economical.

the locality to look nnxiously, all along for the expected. Carrie, to the unconcealed delight of the in- habitants.

Italy has no speed limit in the country, but local limits are some

times enforced in towns and vil lages, while the Fascist equivalent of "apood-cops are very active on the roads, collecting on the apot the fines they impose.-M.E.H. Li in The Autocar

FILL YOUR FOUNTAIN PEN

and write a bit to 11. Ice House Street

BEFORE YOU SAIL

and order the Weekly · Frew to be sent te

you Overness. It costs

$9.00 FOR SIX MONTHS.

Switzerland has a general limit $4.50 FOR THREE MONTHS. for light vuhicles of 40 kilometres (25 miles) on love! roads and 18 kilometres (111) miles) on mountain roads and in towns and villages. by the rond polier, who spring out The latter limit is rigidly enforced $18.00 FOR A YEAR.

on the unwary driver with a de mand for a fine of 10 Swiss francs

spot cash.

Think This Over

VALUE, means get..

ting the full return

for your expenditure.

The small price car

is not

od value

unless it gives every

ounce of the service for

which you have paid.

210

6. cylinder

FIAT 5 4 cylinder and FIAT 5 ARE SMALL price cars with a BIG reputation That reputation has been earned,

Showroom

FIAT GARAGE:

AGENTS;

A. GOEKE & CO.

350, Hennessy Road,

SPARE PART DEPARTMENT: CHINA BUILDING, 4TH FLOOR.

TELEPHONE 22ZZ1.

Service: LANCIA GARAGE: 348, Hennessy Road,