Evening Star Newspaper, December 26, 1926, Page 62

MOTORING BY WILLIAM ULLMAN. Speaking of hogs, the road hog is about the only one of the species that seems to keep con tently out of the pen. EW modes in automebiles. and not prosperity alone, boosts automobile production. Lack of novelty in car modes, not saturation, slows down production. This is the latest idea that has been hurled into the arena where at- tempts are made to explain the ups «and downs of the automobile indus- try. There are those who believe, and who offer numerous arguments to prove their point. that the high level of production maintained by the au- tomobile industry, during 1925 and 1926 largely is the result of the popu- larity of the closed cars. not alto- gether the result of general pros- perity, although they admit this has had a decidedly advantageous cffect These same analysts believe that the automobile industry can expect to enjoy at least another year of high production without the introduction of any new mode. After this, they argue, a new type will be essential if production is to remain high, re- gardless of general conditions. At the end of another 12 months, so the prediction runs, the motor- ing public will be thoroughly sold on the idea that neither closed nor open car is quite the ideal. Then will dawn the era of a new mode in cars. This new fashion will be based upon the development of the combi- nation car. or the convertible car as it sometimes is called. Evidences of this already are on the automotive counter.-but it W take at least a yecar for the public to sense the new need. and at least that long again for the manufac- turers to get on the new basis. It will be necessary for the manu- facturers to lcarn how to make a combination car to sell for the same price as their present models. Just as they lcarned how to build the closed car for even less money than the open one, so they will have to develop plans for bringing the com- bination car to the proper price level for wide popularity. j It can be donc. The automobile industry has been able to do any-' thing, given reasonable time. One reason for its success in this con- nection has been the public’s de- mand. What the public ‘wants, -it eventually gets. * ¥ %k % ‘No material progress was being. made in production during the years 1919, 1920 and 1921, It was generally believed at the time that Armerica was just emerging from the war riod and had no money to. invest in cars. -But the wholesale value of the 1,800.000 cars sold in 1920 was slightly over $1800.000000. The 3.- 800000 cars sofd in 1925 were vai- ued at-only two and one-half bil- fions. The public spent over $19.- 000,000 more- for excise taxes on cars in 1920 than in 1925; In 1919, the average purchase of tires for re- placement amounted to $82 per ca as against $34 per car in 1925. * ok k¥ 2 Apparently the public’ iz, plenty, of money to spend on motor cars in 1920 when production was not gain- ing headway and when, as a matter of fact, it was on the eve of a cur- tailment which came in 1921, when only a million and-a half cars were turned out. . . ‘Why was production stagnant at that time? 2 Iy 5 Why . did it gain so strikingly in 237 9232 . Why did it’nach record-breaking levels in 19252 ‘\Vé_y has it:not fallen off in 19262 Why will 1927 be another banner yeard - oo o Why will 1928 raise prndpcuan to undreamed-of levels? ol The student of automobile modes has ready answers for -all of these uestions. 2 . Fewer persons bought cars in 1921 because toq many a@ser\'ed mo- torists shivering, in their ‘open cars in' cold weather and preferred to sit by the fireside or-ride via, rail if they had to travelat all. .- True, there was, less business and activity. . Manufacturers ‘could" not make enough cars to warrant low rices. But it all goes back to the act that on too many days in the year the-average automobile had no strong appeal to the comfort lover. In 1923 the closed car had de- veloped to a point where it was a mark of distinction and prosperity. The price was net prohibitive. Its comfort was a revelation. Ameri- cans like whatever their more suc- cessful comrades possess. so produc- tion gained steadily. The automo- bile offered a new appeal. * %M * The surprisirul‘ high levels of production’in 1925@vere reached be- cause the industry had succeeded in developing the closed car to a point where it could be produced within the means of any well managed family. The closed car became in- dispensable. Persons without them were at a disadvatage. No Ameri- can can see his neighbor enjoying an advantage that he does not want the same thing for himself. Production did not go to smash this year because manufacturers were wise enough to sell a fair share of the public on the idea that mere ownership of a closed car was suffi-| cient neither from the standpoint of | transportation and recreation nor | distinctive enough as a possession. | The open car staged a marvelous| come-back this year and the trend seems most likely to extend through To help boost production in 1927 | the idea of greater distinction n closed cars everywhere will he in| evidence. One must have a closed car with some distinétion. It must| blaze with a color that vou don’t see on every car. It must have an odd seating arrangement, something new in trimmings, perhaps somecthing radical in des 3 This leads to the basis of the un- dreamed-of production in 1928 when the combination car offers to all motorists the advantages of both the finest closed job and the smartest of open models. Then the motor f get rid of the old conventional cars and get on the new combination basis. The combination car will bhe i higher than present mod- D The demand ela—perhaps Tower. : w e big;:r and all experience has :!xu n that when the public wants ‘using the start [ shaft. ist will want to: to buy cars production goes up and prices come down. Sk Why fety devices encourage carelessne. During a recent spell of slippery streets it was observed that at least three-fourths of the drivers using chains were sliding when applying brakes and spinning the wheels when starting. Just because their cars were equipped with a safety device they felt they could be care- less. Because his fire extinguisher was handy, one car owner said he felt safe enough smoking a cigar while adjusting the carburetor. Since add- ing a ditch light to his car another driver steps on the gas more vigor- ously on his nightly sojourns. Without safety devices, many drivers would be much more careful, judging from the actual results. The man without chains on his car does not ‘trave! so fast and learns to ap- ply his brakes cautiously. The driver who does not have such good illumination at night invariably travels more wisely. There's nothing wrong with the safety devices. Truly, they're needed. But they should not be considered as excuses for careless- ness. * ok x x What is an “adjustment sponge”? Automobile men did not know what it was either until they were soaked by it. i An “adjustment sponge” is a mo- torist who drops into a service sta- tion for “just an adjustment.” He doesn't want anything fixed. He doesn't want any new parts. He doesn't want any oil. gas, grease or other materials. He doesn’'t want any one to make any particular fuss over the car or to take so much time as to suggest manipulating the time clot He doe money. oS In fact, he is out to profit. The following story illustrates this mew species of the motor family: It .was a service slaliou.opzratul by a shock absorber organization—a nice, warm garage where a car could be left all day without getting chilled. “Theé customer was a little particufar, but never really com- plaining. ~ When he drove in. he never demanded an adjustment: merely suggested that he wou'd be better- satisfied if they would check over the shock absorbers and sce if everything:was right. ¥ This usually was some time during the morning. After making known his request, the owner would an- nounce that there was no hurry for the inspeetion and that he had an errand or’ two to do and would be back later. ¥ i ‘A short while before closing time he would drop in, thank the shop foreman and drive away in his warm car. . All day his’ car had heated garage storage absolutely ithout charge. g He did this regularly twice a week until the company got wise. .Now his shock absorbers work perfectly, but something else on the car is a bit troublesome, What goes wrong depends largely upon which auto- mobile company has the most con- venient and best garage accommo- dations. 't want to spend any * K ok ¥ By this time most car owners know that it saves the battery to turn over the engine a few times by hand with the ignition off before er in the usual way. Few, however, know just how many times to turn over the engine. Either they flood the engine with gas or do mot crank enough to get a good supply of gas spray up into the cylinders. 2 2 A good way to determine this is to raise the hood and have some one crank the engine with the self- starter, meanwhile watching the fan pulley_ at the front of the engine The engine, being cold and <tiff, will revolve slowly. Note the number of times the shaft turns over before starting. When giving the engine a preliminary hand- cranking on equally cold mornings, turn the crank the same number of times. P With so many of the latest models equipped with thermostats in the upper hose connection between cvlinder block and radiator, it goes without saying that any car owner could improve his_engine by install- ing one of these simple but cffective devices. 3 A mere frill? Well. if any car owner thinks that let him do a little figuring. Here is the Satisfactory Six turning out 250,000 cars a year. Its engineers are looking around for ways of bettering the car without increasing the cost prohibitively. Finally, they decide that a thermo- stat is necessary. Let us say, that through an arrangement with 2 thormostat manufacturer, or by in- augurating a new department in their own factory, they find a way to obtain these devices at $2 apiece. That means a half million dollars given to buyers of the S_ausiaclory Six annually—a half million dollars taken out of the net profit. i The manufacturers are cutting millions out of their earnings in or- der to give the public oil cleaners, air cleancrs, gas strainers, heat in- dicators. thermostats and numerous other efficiency devices And still the man with a car that should be giving him better results wonders whether these fitments are worth while! i S What is a good mileage for a family’s yearly driving? i One family of three has just clip- ped off 26000 miles via motor! And with the one car! ; The car is not used for business. Last Summer two members of the family went to California—by train. In the family is a flashly roadster which has been pretty well exer- cised, too. The head of the house- hold does not care for long drives. | The family is just about to go on another trip—by train. Yet the car has gone more than {around the world in 365 days! (Covyright. 1926.) Announcement is made by fhe De- | partment of Commerce that the first six-cylinder car ever manufactured !in Switzerland has heen placed on the market in that ceuntry. THE SUNDAY AL STAR.” WASHINGTON, THE WIFE-- AFTER TWENTY YEARS OF PROMISES-- FINALLY RECEIVES. “HER ITTLE “COUPE ., FOR CHRISTMAS. D. C., DECEMBER " 26, DOWN THE ROAD—TIt Is More Cheerful to Give Than to Receive “1926—PART 3. i T N /2-2526— John Smith and His Car BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL John Smith is a character whom every motorist should welcome. He is not selfish; rather he is a motoring martyr, a chap willing and glad to have exploited, in an interesting way, his experiences for the benefit of the other 20,000,000 or more members of the motor clan. No. 172—Learning in Low. “How's that? All the way up in high!” Smith boasted upon climbing a particular]y steep hill. “Fine!” T agreed. “But some day let's see what you can do in low. I don't believe you've ever tried it.” That brought Smith out of his shell instantly and paved the way for some new experfences. At the top of the hill we stopped to buy gas, but before turning into the filling station, Smith began racing the engine, evidently to see whether it was running at high speed as he wanted it to. ““This isn't good for the engine,” he admitted, “but it's the best way I know to determine how she runs at high speed. T couldn't risk driving the ar at high speed over this road, so I esort to racing the engine.” “Why overlook low gear?” I asked. “You can race the engine without let- ting it run free if you just drive along about 15 miles an hour in low. At that rate of speed the engine will be turning about 18 times to every one turn of the rear axles. This gives you the equivalent of a test of high speed. The big objection to racing an engine is that. running free, there is not sufficient resistance to keep it from injuring itself. But when you are in low gear that feature is taken care of. New Sensitivity Shown. When the tank had been filled with gas. 1 noticed that Smith ran quite @ distance in low before shifting. He seemed to like it where before he has hurried to get into second. “There was something I never noticed before,” he said. “The speed- ometer flickered up and down. There must have been something wrong with_it.” “No," T explained. “Just low gear. It jumped from nothing to 10 miles per hour, and then when you merely aceelerated the least bit it jumped to 15. The instant you lifted your foot from the accelerator a little she dropped back to 10. That just shows you how sensitive the car is to the PETROLEUM GREAT AID T0 MOTORISTS President of American Chem- ical Society Shows How It Meets Needs. Benefits conferred by petroleum on motordom in particular and the hu- man race in general are pointed out by Dr. James F. Norris, president of the American Chemical Soclety, whose prediction is that it will make life still smoother in hundreds of other ways. Because this siibstance of many uses is already affecting human existence in ways that are unthought of by the average man, Dr. Norris enumerates some practical instances of petrole- um's utility to indicate the comforts made possible to mankind through chemical science. “It is a beautiful afternoon. and vou decide to take a ride in the country suggests Dr. Norris. “The gas tank on your car is‘examined. It is only partially filled, and you will travel a long distance. E “But you know it is adequate, for | your engine runs at high compression and your synthesized no-knock' fuel makes possible many miles per gallon. The lubrication oil is all right, al- though it has not been replaced for months. g All Due to Petroleum. “You admire the new finish on your car. The lacquer is brilliant, does not scratch and possesses the correct adhesive and elastic qualities—pe- troleum. “You - look over the tires; they scarcely show wear after the ma miles they have traveled—petroleum. You examine the artificial leather: with which your car is upholstered. It is remarkable how it has withstood wear and the sun and heat. It is pliable and soft—petroleum. “The windshield and the windows are as clear as crystal—no cracks, no danger of hreaking—petroleum. The panel containing the recording instou- ments looks like polished ebony—pe- troleum. “You wipe off a little grease from the engine and wash your hands with a marvelous new soap—petroleum Finally you start; soon there is a detour. The road is being broadened and there is much blasting—petroleum. “You pass a plant for the man: tacture of ammonia for fertilizer where large amounts of hydrogen are used—petroleum. You stop at a drug store for a little refreshment. You order an exhilarating drink with the taste and odor of fresh fruft—pe- troleum. “You look about and examine some of the newer drugs. If you ever need something to give you additional vim to meet a physical or intellectual emergency, if you prove restless at night and want a mild soporific, if diabetes ever takes hold of you, If you want a mild antiseptic for household use, if you want to remove grease from a delicate fabric, if you need an internal lubricant—in short, if you want the help so abundant in a mod- ern drug store, you will find it here, and in many cases it will go back to ! petroleum. Still More Petroleum. “You jump ahoard the car again and admire the durability of the floor covering—petroleum. It is time for a cigarette. The tobacco contains just the, right amount of moisture, held by a trace of a liquid of the proper hy- | groscopic properties—petroleum. “You pass a hospital and think of the wonderful new anesthetics that | have none of the had after-effects of chloroform or ether—petroleum. You finally return home and. spend the | evening working on your income tax | return—you are surprised to find what | a large sum you must pay—you are rapidly getting rich—petroleum.” i But chemists, Dr. Norrie warns, must not be content to utilize only | thelr present knowledge, adding: “We must develop aliphatic chem- istry in all its branches. We must | study more closely organic molecules —learn about the forces that hold the atoms together and how to control these forces at will. “The problems are fascinating ones, | and 1 forsee with clearness great ac- | tivity in this rich fleld. It is im-| possible to picture this or that par-| ticular advance, except where logic | leads us from what we know now.| But brilliant achievements not even | dreamed of are ahead.” — Chains Demand Caution. The motorist who puts on chains too often assumes that he has taken every precaution against, hazard on a wet, snowy or_lcy; street. It is just as dangerous to drive. at high speeds with chains as it is to drive at a rela- tively slower rate without them. The i | ing plain engine oil to the case. Cranking of Engine During Cold Snap An Aid to Battery This is the season of year to crank ‘the engine a few times hy hand each morning before switch- ing on the ignition and using the starter, if one wants to prolong th life of the battery at least a yea. This is the hardest season for batteries. They last considerably longer when not subjected to ex- cessive overcharging or discharg- ing. By oranking the engine man. ually on cool mornings, the con- gealed oil is stirred up a little, the bearings are limbered up and ray gas Is sucked up into the cylinders when the choke is out. A few niinutes later, when the motorist enters the car, switches on the ignition and steps on the starter, the battery has very little to do. ABILITY OF WOMAN " DRIVERS IS UPHELD Conclusions of German Psychiatrist Declared Untrue to Modern Sids Findings. Ignorance of how well American women drive is manifest in the recent remark of Dr. Alex Crappell, German psychiatrist, to the effect that the nervous constitution of women was ngt designed to fit them for safe car operation. The statement also shows the German scientist is not familiar with the ease with which cars of American design can be operated today. This is the reply of Oscar Coolican, local Packard dealer, to the con- clusions of Dr. Cra-~ell, conclusions that have evoked a great deal of con- trary thought on the part of Ameri- can motor vehicle officials, safety ex- perts, ‘car manufacturers and dealers and motor club leaders. Women Are Efficient. “The day of criticizing the woman driver has gone. Close observers of traffic conditions know how expertly women can_handle cars,” says Mr. Coolican. “Truly, the popularity of automobiles with women has been re sponsible in no small measure for the marvelous facility with which the modern American automoblle can be driven. “Trends in automobile design naturally follow demand. When women began to take a greater interest in automobile ownership and opefation, the manufacturer rose to the occasion by providing them with cars that could be started easily, steered easily, stopped quickly and without great effort on the part of the driver. Led to Many Improvements. “While the easy riding and driving of the car of today cannot be traced altogether to the fact that women now are driving, they have been very important factors in the development of balloon tires with the accompany- ing excellent feature, balloon steering, four-wheel brakes and the devices that have tended to make engines more efficlent and simpler to care or. “Given a car that is woman's natural _caution makes her a safe driver. “Of course, there are some woman drivers who are not good, but by the same token many men and youths fall into the same class. “Sweeping accusations of the kind made by Dr. Crappell too often are ‘made on general rather than specific observations.” ooy ot sty SHORT-TRIP LUBRICANT. Plain Engine 0il Good in Winter About Town. If most of your Winter driving is for short distances, you can get better results from the transmission by add- It reduces gear drag and helps lubricate the shifter forks. 1f you plan, however, to take long trips as a regular diet. this lubricant will he too light and may be in- jurious. Ex1d¢ BATTERIES Sales Service AUTO ELECTRICIANS Julius H. Rieley 656-58 Pa. Ave. SE.~ Lincoln 7289 efficient, usually chalns may give you an advantage Do~ Jeliberately sacrifice it. ( HOLLAND TUNNEL 10 BE PROTEGTIVE $42,000,000 Project to Open Early Next Year—Embodies Safety Devices for Drivers. Holland tunnel, the automobile subway under the Hudson River which connects New York and New Jersey, will be among the safest places in the world. It will be opened to_traffic early in 1927. Every possible means of protection to motorists has been employed, at a total cost of more than $500,000. This cost does not include the safety de- vices originally installed as part of the tunnel system. It covers merely the electrical and mechanical appa- ratus used. Comfort is Paramount. The entire tunnel system was con- structed at a cost of Thought for the comfort and safety of the thousands who will use this means of travel has occupled the minds of the greatest tunnel engineers of the country, as well as scientists | of the United States Bureau of Mines. At the Pittsburgh experiment sta- tion of the Bureau of Mines detailed tests on the limit of carbon monoxide that is permissible in a tunnel with- out injury to the motorists were made. The result of these tests was the inventlon of an apparatus by S. H Katz, associate physical chemist, that keeps a constant record of the poi- sonous gas in the tunnel and rings a warning bell beside lighting a danger 1ight when the volume exceeds the danger point. Alternate Power Plants. Only four parts of the carbon monoxide gas in 10,000 parts of air has been determined as the maximum mixture to which & person may be exposed for an hour without notice- able effect. The danger signals of the carbon monoxide receivér are set for this point. Further thought for safety is ex- pended even down to the lighting. In this regard, every other light is con- nected to a New York power house, with the intervening lights con- nected to a New Jersey power house. This is true aiso for the ventilating units, so that one may continue to work if the other breaks down. ‘Three kinds of traffic signals will keep the tunnel safe from accident —green for “go ahead,” red for “stop and a speclal “stop engine” signal for emergencies. It is part of a compli- cated but thorough system for direct- ing the tunnel trafic with the smooth est and quickest precision. System for Fires. Besides a traffic officer at every 480 feet, with a traffic light at every 240 feet, there im a central traffic con- trol board in the New York admin- istration building, conforming with every light in the tunnel, so that the | course of trafic mishaps can be fol- | lowed" with ease. Fire-fighting apparatus within the | tunnel is supplemented by others, with wrecking trucks, at either end of each tube. If the tunnel ventilation system goes wrong, the special “stop engine’ signal is flashed to keep more poison ous gas from endangering the motor- ists. | FACTOR IN TIRE WEAR. Manner in Which Drivers Stop Car | Held Important. | The manner in which drivers stop | their cars is a factor in tire wear that experts regard. as probably greater than any other. The driver who starrs to slow quite a distance from the ob- struction will be buying tires much less frequently than the man who | clamps on the brakes at the last mo- | ment. Tire tread is ground off whén the tires slide. It is easy to see what | tt:‘on!ulnl repetition of this practice will ri THE URITERMAL GAB. i SALES & SERVICE HANDLEY 3730 Georgia Ave. A Plain Glass Lens Is Legal With Flatlite Reflectors SEE US TODAY CREEL BROS. 1811.17 14th St. NW. Pot. 473 Headlights Adjusted and Begistered i Strict Oversight Of Anti-Freeze Solution Is Urged You are skeptical about the ade- quacy of the anti-freeze solution in the radiator. You are cold and uncomfortable and the temptation of a warm house as quickly as vou can get to it is.irresistible. - Re- member, the difference between a few minutes in the cold air while the protective fluid is being. put into-the cooling system and the price of a new cylinder block is quite a few dollars. A few min- utes’ discomfort always is the cheaper in this seemingly inevitable predicament of the car owner in Winter. USED_CAR BUYING FORMULA IS GIVEN Purchaser Is Advised Not to Lay Too Much Stress on Mile- age Recorded.. Vsed cars have been -bought and sold for a great many years, but thousands of buyers and sellers still have to learn how to make successful investments in this form of transpor- tation. The great wave of new-car buying during the last few years has created a used-car market that boasts of many of the finest automotive prod- ucts, and the discriminating ‘seeker of a good second-hand unit’ of transpor- tation never had a better opportunity to buy to advantage. The prosperity of the® Nation has enabled thousands and thousands of motorists to turn n scarcely used ma- chines on later models or models of the same perfod miore suitable to the individual taste. As a result, there is a marked re- semblance in appearance in the auto mobile digplays on the new.car and used-car mar TG take advantage of this situation, the prospective purchaser should know how to pick out a good second-hand machine. The following formula s offered by Rudolph Jose, president of the Wash- ington-Cadillac Co.: Mileage is the factor most seriousiy considered in the usual used-car pur- chase. This is wrong. Twenty-five thousand miles of careful care and upkeep will result in far less wear than 1,000 miles of poor lubrication and repair. Do not place too.much emphasis on the vear in which the car was built. Many manufacturers have built cer. tain series of cars that have heen su- perior to those produced in later vears. Judge each car as a single unit, not in relatlon to other products of the manufacturer. Appearances can be deceiving. Look for wear chiefly in the engine, transmission and differential. Rear- ing wear does not always show up as noise. Use of the hand-crank will help determine this. ‘Watch the brakes. . — DON'T DARKEN DASH. It is a bad practice, this one of be- lieving that you cannot drive so well when the dash light's rays are dart- Ing about in the driving compartment. | There always is the chance that the oil pressure gauge or the ammeter will be registering trouble that might become serious before the driver real- ized it unless he has his dash light burning. Furthermore, the speedome- ter cannot be seen and one is robbed of l«(l‘ll defense in event of arrest for ee WHEE RIM & WHEEL CO. 1336 14th St. N.W. AMERICAN AUTO HEATERS . For All Cars HEAT “and. plenty of it”. . ARMENTROUT’S 1718 14th St. & Tenth & Eye STORINGOF AUTS HELD POGRPOLEY Maryland Club Secretary Says Depreciation Less If Car Is Driven. Your car will depreciate less if driven this Winter than if stored away during the cold weather. Many persons dread the prospect of troubles that seem to arise if one does not pay constant attention to one's automobile but these fears are unfounded and llogical. This is the advice of H. M. Lucius, secretary of the Automobile Club of Maryland, who points out that proper attention at the proper time will fore- stall a majority of the troubles that motorists associate with Winter driving. “I know any number of fair- weather motorists who, to my mind, are taking an entirely wrong view of Winter driving,” y& Mr. Lucius. “*As soon as the cold snaps begin they put their machlnes on the jacks and depend upon public utilities to take them where they would be. ““This is not done from a standpoint of comfort and convenience, of course. Standing on wind-swept corners wait- ing for a street car or bus, transfer- ring from one car to another and waiting out time schedules of accom- modation trains is no joke. “Neither is it pleasant to stand up and tread on other people’s toes in trolley cars or sit down and have some one tread on yours. To wend your own way at your own time cer- tainly is a big advantage. “We can lay the storage of cars then to the dread of trouble in freez- ing weather and the supposed deterforation of automobiles in the ice and snow. “Anent that, let me say this: If any motorist will give his car. the proper kind of an overhauling now, he will weather the Winter and come out 80 much the better for having kept his machine in service. “Frozen radiators do not occur if precautions are taken. Leaky hose connections connot be blamed on Win- ter if new connections were put in early. Tire trouble. except under ex- treme circumstances, can be blamed upon the motorist himself, for he £hould -look to his rubber in plenty of time. Dead batteries do not hap- pen if the unit is given plenty of rejuvenating current at the outset of ‘Winter. Motor trouble is the fault of the ear owner in most cases if he does not make the proper adjustments at the proper time. “A general check-up now would allow Mr. Motorist an easy Winter, as I have said before. A good service man can put evervthing to rights in a short time and the cost will be little compared to the advantages the driver will enjoy. ‘“The warm {interior of an automo- bile is preferable any day to cold waits in the open’for service which is over- worked and overcrowded. I cannot see any reason for putting the auto- mobile on the jacks at a time when it might render its most useful service.” Taxi drivers, generally thought to be the most reckleas group of motor- ists, are usually the best and have relatively the least number of acel- dents. | Nash-Rinker Motor Co. SALES and SERVICE 6 wyears at the same address apeaks for itself 1419 Irving St. N.W. Col. 4467 actlon of the engine when in inw gear. It gives you some idea how in portant it is to be in low when you want to get out of the way quickly or when you want to stop pronta’ “A lot of drivers feel that they would be out of luck if forced to us~ low gear when trying to get out of the way of an approaching locomo tive, but this Incident with the speed ometer shows vou how foolish they are. T would rather be on the track going 5 miles an hour in low than 15 or 20 in high, because I could ir crease my speed 10 miles an hour i less time than it takes to tell it. and T could do it without risk of stallin: the engine. Applies Also to Stopping. “The same applies to stopping. And. incidentally, don't let any one tell yon you can't shift into low gear unless the car is nearly at a standstill. The reason most drivers can't do it is be cause they do not race the engine fast enough when making the change. If the engine is going fast enough you can slip back into low with no more clashing of gears than when droppinz from high to second. “In low gear, the average engine must turn about 18 times faster than the rear wheels. Naturally if you are traveling ‘between 15 and 20 miles an hour in second and want te shift back to low, it is necessary to run the en- gine at something close to its top speed. That means way down on the ace gears in neutral and the clutch en- gaged—just before pressing out the clutch again and shifting through- to low. When you realize that being in low gear means running the engine, so abnormally fast you can appreciate why yvou should not run too fast in low before shifting to second. The in stant vou let off on the gas the en gine immediately slows and becomes a powerful brake. This braking force is transmitted throughout the geay train in the form of excessive pre: sure on the face of the gear teeth That makes it difficult to pull the gears out of low and move them over to second. Acceleration Point Noted. “Another point about that action of the speedometer is well worth noting. Somewhere between zero and 15 to 20 miles an hour in low gear there was a point where the speedometer moved up very rapidly. That ought to give you a clue as to where your acceleration is best when you are in high.' = Smith tried it again and found that between 8 miles an hour and 12, the engine seemed to have its greatest capacity to speed up the car. Trans- lating this to the high speed range it figured that the car should show its best acceleration between 24 and- 3% miles an hour. Smith tried passini cars in this high gear speed range and found the engine particulaiiy peppy. Below or above this speed it was harder to accelerate. e It was just one of the many things any driver can discover once He gets 5 the low down on low. Next week, No. 173: Crankcase Ven- tilation. (Copvrizht. 1926.) MOTORIST PUZZLED - BY CAR FINISHES Amazing Variety in Shades and Names Causing Confusion to Auto Owners. Insurance men and car owners are discovering that there is much more to this trend toward vividly coloxed automobiles than merely the beauty it adds to the traffic picture. A great deal of confusion has been created. and man's innate infelicity in usin the names of certain shades is beinx revealed as never before. > It takes an individual with the color sense of an artist to tell when a grav is not a green or a blue not an oréhil or something else, according to those who have had intimate contact with the subject. In recording the description, of cars in the issuance of fire and theft in surance policies, car owner and pol fcy writer often find themselves at sea when it comes to giving the pre cise. shade in which a car is finished according to officials of the Great Na- tional Insurance Co., with headquar ters here. In well informed masculine cirele< vellow is just yellew, and that's enough. In the automobile catalogues, however, it may be Ditzler's wren yel- low. There may be a vast difference between the wren yellow created by Ditzler and the shade the average man allows to pass under that name. insrance men point out. How couild the average car owner be expected to tell the difference hetween the Ditaler shade and Miami orange, they ask. Here are a few, a very few, of the colors in which automobiles now are being finished: o Cleveland brown, Ronan's Miami brown, ivory duce, skeleton, charme- lian red, rubra and palmetto green. There are dozens of others with just as mystifying names. > AUTO _ REPAIRING ALL MAKES | Gardiner, Flint and Hudson' SERVICE A SPECIALTY T. J. CAMFIELD: 1615 O St. N.W. North 9767 Tires and Accessories S/:smumm.gsmaw Guard against misrep- resentations. Avoid sub- stitutions. Insist on Ebonite, the only cor-| rect gear lubricant. [ Just say “EBONITE" Be Sure You Get It 20 Cents a Shot ON] LING WITH EBONITE "RILL LAST 2.608 SILES - From the Checkerboard pumo.§ only, and in five-pound eans. | ~MOTOR CO. Conveniently Located on Fourteenth Street 1333-37'14th St, - Main 5780! [ [ ¢REAR OlL, WORKS > A 3228 3