1931-05-30 — Page 13

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MOTORING SUPPLEMENT. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1931,

Musings Awheel

Idle Thoughts "pon Motoring Matters of the Moment.

Bathing in Petrol,

An oil-well driller at present on leave from British petroleum

tells me that Acld

he and his fellows have an affectionate regard for petrol, mamuch as they have a nightly bath in it.

Petrol costs next to nothing, of

course, on an ollfeld, and the driller's daily wark gets him in such a meas- the crude petrolum la a turgid-looking, glutinous sub- stance that soap and water useless for cleansing purposes, fact, a soup is used--merely stiff rub down with a cara spoke after one has soaked oneself in the petrol for a few minutes, when one

14

[By "Mileator." }

it entails a little extra diffenlty and delay in setting legitimuts claims settled.

The Thruster,

arud

He is

When negotiating towns villages, I suppone we have all come across the man who seems to ignore their very existence, not as a rule a fast driver, but he seems to keep up a uniform speed wgardless

conditions. YOU

اور

slow down in

becomes as clean as a new pin.

But as it seems rather a pity to det eight or ten gullons of perfectider ༞ta『k

Narrow B

cun-

nagested street and he passes you with much horn blowing, barging

fire engine. his way through the traffic like n His actant apred is to thirty-five miles an hour, but it not usually more than, say, thirty

danble the sped is just about

drivers wekl must entreful

such conditions. ly good petrol run to waste after having reached our reamtry and this nightly ablution, the drier med your normal guit, you practises 2 Bu **onomy ley

repas bim within the generally putting every stitch of his clothes first mite, 18 doing his thirty to into the bulb they, too, of course thirty-five. have Isen soaked in the arade The sate mint will sunily petroleum and allowing Lhway to

paratie lais throating telies on i sleep there for an hester or two.

badly congested main rol, when after which his servant

wringstrat has t

prne vodian,

them out, bangs them on the line m such orrasions the sensible and they har seson reads for another driver resigns himself to regnint- clay's

Compulsary insurance.

I suppose we are all ferling a bit Jumpy about the new Road Traffic Art and wondering how it is gain to affert LIS. Show be better.

WOT ander

alone will show,

Tin

ing his speed to that of the protes ston and is cunten) to keep station, Bat our friend the thruster seem to think no risk tuo preat if he can moves up one place.

Progress

After spending the best part of

vernt afternoon in tracking toi

For my part I do not believe its lair J Anusually Plusive that it will make such actual draught In a friend's saloan. I difference to the competent driver started sorting a dispatch case who behaves in a retroumble and fall of old papers and, among other sensible m

031 The road things.

across Rome cor- that is, so far as the pains and respondence with the makers of a jnalties Are coserned. The fear which I contemplated purchas elause that sometimes worries in Hing somewhere about 1006.

answer to my enquiry the makers

Maranes.

is that relating in compulsory formed me that, if I insisted. n I do not, of course, object to the glass windscreen could be fitted. obligation. I am insured already, but in their opiabon it was undesir- and always considered any manable and unpressary, as the dash who drove without at least third- [ would deflect any air over party cover nothing less than head, and the weight of a wind- Fool. Nevertheless, I am worried seren would strain the bodywork. becane fear that this already Among the extras which I even- heavy burden likely

tually specified and paid for 1 find tthe Following: Cape cari hot. I. discussed the matter the other Jorn, jack, tyre pump.

two brass

creased.

to b

B-

day with the manager of One faretylene head lights, complete. the big companies and he confirmed with brackets, nil tail-lamp, núm. vid my fears.

Ir-plates and undershield.

AL

"One of two things will happen." motorist way if he were charged What would the present-day |

he stated. "Either you'll have to pay higher premiums, or we'll have extra for such items over and above

the purchase price of the var? to be more niggardly in settling laime. f polley up to now has

Be Prepared. been to settle all claims without quibbling, unless they are obvinnaly tyre repair outfit. It is true that

Personally, I always carry fraudulent. In future we'll have the spare wheel and the wonderful to examine them more carefully reliability of nusdern tyres give and dispute any which we consider one a feeling of great security, excessive or unreasonable." This, but, in my experience. panctures of enurse. is the only honest way and hurts come in batches, and and in the past many emprunies once the spare wheel is in use ! have been far too easy-going.

ALITA never at my case until the damaged tyre has been repaired. Menting punctures is often a dirty

Frauds and Fallacies.

Our insurance premiums are al- job, but surprisingly easy if one ready higher thim they need be knows how to set about it. The owing

that strange belief, great secret is thoroughly to clean) 10 held by

many otherwise honest the wound before applying the persons, that it is no sin to defraud [dressingr. A very little practien an insurance company, or any other enables any one to remove and rich corporation. I myself have replace a mndern well-base cover met otherwise hmourable men who without the need for any of the have bragged to me about thefeats uf strength which were smart way in which they have necessary in the past. done the companies,

me with

The Cure. They have informed

One advantage of being what thei great glee that, having buckled Yankees call "a fan," instrad of wing in a minor nerident, they just an ordinary car owner, is have managed to get a new set of that, when. I happen to Meet lamps, or an entire repaint, by another of my species, it is not falsely representing that old long before we are engrossed in au- demnge was the result of the mobilions shop. Apart from the mishap. This is all very well, but pleasure 172 derived from as always point out, in the lung swapping abs, quite frequently run innocent peronie myself pick up useful tips. For instance, have to pay the bill.

short while ago I had a little!

The insurance companies are not trouble with that annoying com so blind to these petty frauds as paint known as wheel wobble; It they may appear to be, but com was not a serious case, but was petition is so ferce that it has sufficient to limit my speed, to put hitherto paid them better to gain an unpleasant-strain on my wrists, A reputation for prompt and and to cause me much mental generous settlements than to dis-irritation. pute doubtful claims. They are

however, run on a strictly business I searched for the cause but basis and premiums are fixed in could find nothing wrong. Thero such a way as to provide a margin was no wear on steering connexions. to cover all contingencies. Taking or wheel bearings, springs were : it all round, it will be no bad thing O.K. and all nute tight.

Tyre

If things. are tightened up, even if pressures were checked and found

AUTOS' RUBBER USE.

The total amount of crude rub ber used by the American motor Industry last year was 688,000,000 pounds.

FOREST ROAD FUNDS.

CASTOR OIL FOR CARS,

Castor oil is replacing mineral oil as a motor lubricant for auto- mobiles in France.

AUTO RUN BY AIR,

U.S.'forest, highway funds for A Berlin inventor, Horr E.. the Oscal year of 1932 have been Jungfer, has designed an automo “But at $9,500,000%

bile to run on voimpressed Air,

tu

be correct.

Course

exactly the same trouble.

21

DETROIT'S ROLE.

Steel Centre for Auto

Industry.

profited grontly through orders re- culved fom automobilo plauls hore und in Flint, Lansing and Pontine. Besides the Michigan Steel and

Ford plants there in the huge new plant of the Great Lakes Steel Company in Ecorse. This plant is valued at more than $20,000,000.

HUGE COMBINES. · Just south of the city. In Mon- Detroit, March 29-Auto men $8,000,000 sheet mill, which is one rou, is the Newton Steel Company's and bunkers, who have tale De of the troit the world's hub of automotive sheet planta in the country, accord- most modern and efficient nelivity, now are directing their lug to manufacturers.

that

INSPECTED FOR SAFETY,

efforts toward making the city a Another plant located here is hage centre to supply sheet steel the Nations! Steel Company, a and other such products direct to holding corporation that brought the automotive planta.

Itumours of huge steel combines Weirton Steel Company of Weir together the Great Lakes firm, the near the city have been going the ton, W. Va., and certain subsidi-: rounds of automotive and mannries of the M. A. Hanna Com- I was completely fogged. Then, diny, in the Facturing circles for months, 1tany, Cleveland. This

<!

company, expected that several will com- manufacturers say, lustrates the of conversation with fellow "fan" I happened

mence plants before the year is tendency of outside steel interests to men tion my difficulty.

out, furnishing employment for securing a haid on the Detroit mar "It'an funny thing."

'now out of work. thousands he said,

ket. "but only the other day 1 heard

Automobile manufacturers have Automobile production men say of a nicilar case, Mr. Blank had realized during put their cars on in Detroit 18. it

the past few years steel can be produced as cheaply in the eastern garage people tried everything is the market is

ore can be simply could not care it. It was so purchase their steel close by and brought down from the Lake Su- avoid shipping costs, Sheet steel perior regions cheaper by bont bad that he dare not drive his car has been shipped in here from than it can by the combined bont and he was in despair.

eastern steel centres

and rail method used to ship it "Just when he had iven up hope Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and into interior stuel cities, and had decide to return the cur Younestown.

Conl to the Works, someone suggested

can alas be shipped up the Grest changing over the front and back bring to the front the steel altan-

One of the first Detroit men to Laken. wheels. He did so and, behold, the tion here was

May Mean Cheaper Cars. trouble disappeared. The whole is steel mill, built in Ecorse indants, automobile experts assert the steel industry: Among them fa brought about.

George R. Fink.

By erecting their own steel are some of the biggest names in Eaton-Mather group in Cleveland, thing was due to a clearance tyre 1923, started the ball rolling. which was badly out of balance,"

much of the expense in body and are Bethlehem, United States Steel Ford Among First.

The automotive industry takes I remembered then that

frame construction will be cat. Corporation and the Mather In-18 per cent. of the annual steel Henry Ford was another pioneer Rall ratea, research overhead and terests. trouble first appeared after fitting when he began making his own production costs could be lowered,

production of the country, the a new tyre of doubtful gedigree to steel at his Eiver Rouge plant manufacturers believe, and such activity in the steel industry will the primary reason why business It is expected that increased raaking single consumer. That la afront wheel, no I took the idnt, Another "early starter" changed the suspected wheel or Michigan Steel Company which, chraper prasinet for the consumer, rumour of a gigantic steel combine, to secure an independent supply was the reductions might result in abe brought about here if the men of the city are endeavouring and the wolile since its origin, has grown to four Mentioned as possible seekers closely rivaling the U. S. Steel of steel for consumption by the

times its original size and

has of manufacturing sites in Detroit Corporation, being pushed by the automobile Industry here.

to the back. Vanished.

my.

Ford

RELIABILITY

ECONOMY

LONG LIFE

SAFETY

SPEED

such

There are not so many automobile accidents around Flint, Mich.. lately. The reason is "inspection week," which police inspectors and the Flint Automobile Club instituted. Here are shown a few of the unrs examined by inspectora for proper brakes, lights and other safety features. ` W. S. Isherwood, president of the auto club and sponsor of the movement, is shown in inset,

The

New

FORD VICTORIA

The newest, latest addition to the wide variety of Ford body types is the distinguished four-passenger Victoria. It marks a new degree of beauty and of value in a low- price car

The striking lines of the Ford Victoria are especially apparent in the graceful sweep of the straighter, lower top, the slanting windshield and the curving back, with the spare tyre wheel at a conforming angle. There is a suggestion of Continental design also in the shape and size of the side windows and the intimate interior arrangement.

The comfortable, deeply cushioned seats are carefully tailored and upholstered in luxurious mohair or fashionable Bedford cord, optional with the purchaser. Colours, appointments and hardware reflect the mode and manner of a custom-built car.

With all its new beauty and outstanding mechanical performance, the Ford Victoria sells at a low price.

Authorized Dealer:

WALLACE HARPER & CO., LTD.:

746, Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon.

Authorized Service Dealer:

IDEAL MOTOR CAR CO. 416/20, Lockhart Road, Wanchai.

BEHIND ALL. FORD PRODUCTS

Ford ARS FORD FACILITIES EVERYWHERE

FORD MOTOR CO., EXPORTS, INC.

SHANGHAI.