Evening Star Newspaper, August 7, 1927, Page 53

TIID DRIVER BEST, OFFICIAL DECLARES “Good” Driver Figures in, Most Accidents, California Expert Declares. That the so-called “good” drivers often are a greater menace to traffic | than timid motorists is the opinion of ¥rank G. Snook, chief of the Division | of Motor Vehicles of California, who recently has made a study of ac causes from reports received by department. “Most accidents,” he asserted, “‘are not caused by the timid driver or the novice, but those who think they can drive well. Nervous persons, once they get to know their car, are more watchful and more alert and, there- Tore, in the final an: ke Detter drivers, since careles lessness have been found to be the greatest contributing causes of smash- ups.” It would be better, Mr. Snook serted, if some of the good driver wera a little more timid and less sure of themselves. “The timid driver slows down at intersections and curves,” he s, “while the good driver plows it through, often to take the conse- quences. This he-man type may be well at other things, but he's a menace on the highways. “The same reason makes women good drivers once they learn. Generally speaking th v are more mervous than men and a » very watch- Driving is serious business with It is a brand new experience that has come into their lives in re- cent years to relleve them from the| drudgery of housework. It has given them a feeling of equality more than anything e To timid drivers Mr. this advice: on't be ashamed of be Learn your car and its pos: until the simple m come automatic, nervous driver. take the risk: his most Snook offered g timid. bilities Let the other fellow You'll live longer.” — il Cubical Packing Saves Space. When packing equipment for a camping trip, make all possible effort to have the smaller items in a cubical form, rather than cylindrical. The 1dent | & with men | He is not selfish; Skillful Car Keeping. In the car operated in the city was stored in a public garage, the matter of keeping it clean and up to par was not such problem. There was the »nvenience of washstand service and : I excuse for driv- v car. Today, however, ns are different. Smith, for example, stores his car his own private garage. Many like his, have no water < wter connections. For genuine wash and polish, therefore, is necessary for him to drive over to a specialist in this sort of work and either around for an hour or two or walk home and return for the ear later. Many car owners have worked out successful systems for keeping their in find that the logical time for washing, polishing and greasing it is during the day. But this presupposes the use of the car for going to and from business and takes no account of the fact that the car may be desired by other members of the family during business hours. The great majority of car owners are finding it necessary to do their own car keeping in whatever time they can find for it, and it is for this reason that progressive chaps like Smith ave trying to devise efficlency methods, How to Save Time, 1 suggested to Smith the idea of using a little practical psychology in the matter of keeping the car looking right, " reminding him that mere slavery to a car does not always have the desired effect. We clean our cars that they will look right to our. s and to others, and in achieving this visual effect a little skill will often save a considerable amount of | time. There is one car in the neighbor. hood that is washed more frequently than any other, yet it never looks presentable. The nickel always is clean but dull, and the excessive wash- ing has taken the life out of the paint. Fifty per cent of the washes have been timed wrong, the jobs having been done just before a prophesied rainstorm. “Your time for keeping up the car's appearance is as limited as anybody’s,” Jatter always leaves a great amount of waste space. 1 conceded, “but that's no reason why you shouldn't keep the car looking cars in condition and some of them |Of & car, and it i THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, AUGUST 7. 1927—PART John Smith and His Car BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. John Smith is a character whom every motorist should welcome. rather he is a motoring martyr, a chap willing and flad to have exploited, in an |mnmtln1.'uy. his experiences for the efit of other members of the motor reasonably clean and attractive. The first rule to observe is to refrain from trying to make a complete job of cleaning the ocar every time you tackle it. Do a few things at a time, and do the ones that count. “One of these 18 the matter of keep- ing the nickel bright. Nothing makes the car look better than well kept trimmings. When you do the job be sure you use a polish that lasts. S8ome of the stuff motorists use for thi purpose is practically worthless, T shine lasts about a day and then the dullness appears again. You oan find a good polish by talking with automo- bile dealers. Look to Hood First. “The most important part of the body to keep clean and polished is the hood. Fveryhody notices that part what you have to look at when you're at the wheel. After the hood comes the back of the body and then the fenders. “If you haven®t already considered it, you can save time on car keeping by selecting a machine with fenders painted to match the body, provided a light ‘hue is used. This is a coming trend in painting. It illustrates the fact that car keeping starts with car buying. The wheels are the least important features in the car's appearance, for they are in motion as you travel, and all the observer sees is a blur. Bal- loon tires, however, have a way of getting themselves into a messy ap- pearance, so I would suggest rubbing them off with a rag that you have previously used to clean the engine. “I don’t mean that you should neg- lect the wheels any more than you should neglect the top of the car, but when your time is limited and you want to make as much of an impres- sion as possible, always tackle the conspicuous parts first. I know a chauffeur who is under strict orders to have the car in A-1 condition at all times, but now and then his em-. ployers call him at unexpected mo- ments and he is obliged to use his wits. One of his tricks is to dust the side of the car they will see when they enter it.” Dust Car Inside. Another suggestion I offered Smith had to do with keeping the inside of the car, including the windows, dusted. I advised having several clean cloths in the car at all times, that at odd moments when waliting at stores or OVER A YEAR OLD-—AND STILL A YEAR AHEAD AYearAgoYou Read- “Whippets advanced design will make millions of light cars obsolete” ST L g I AR Today this prophecy is a reality! It is inevitable that other manufacturers must even- tuallyfollow Whippet's example. The greater economy, greater safety of 4-wheel brakes, greater roominess, lower center of gravity, higher speed and many other advantages of the Whippet were enthusiastically ac- claimed bylight car buyers everywhere. Today Whippet enjoys the tremendous advantage of more than a year’s lead. Its advanced design and up- to-date features have been definitely proved to more than 120,000 owners, When you buy a Whippet you know that it can live up to every claim. And even ashort ride in this at- tractive, modern, low-priced caris sufficient to demon- strate its superiority in power, safety and comfort. Superior Quality — New Low Prices Whippet Whippet 6 %625 *795 625 765 695 825 Coach Touring Roadster Coupe '625 Sedan 725 875 Landau 755 925 Whispet 6 '795 Prices . 0. b. factory, and specifications subject to change without notice. Willys-Overland, Inc., Tolsdo, Ohie Whipp et STERRETT & FLEMING, INC. Home of the Gold Seal Used Cars Ghamplain St. at Kalorama Road SHOWROOM—CONNECTICUT AVE. AT 8 Columbia 5050 DISTANCE LESSENS POWER OF MOTOR Maximum Horsepower Falls Off as Auto Reaches High Mileage. That the maximum horsepower de- liverable by automobie engines greatly decreases after they have been run a long distance has been learned in a series of tests made by students at Ohlo State University, the findings of which are published in the current issue of the Journal of-the Society ot Automotive Engineers. The tests were made on 14 taxicabs, some of which had been operated a distance of 40,000 miles, while othe: groups had been operated 75,000, 110, 000 and.140,000 miles. Low Average Recorded. The cabs in the 140,000-mile class showed an over-all efficiency of engine of only 7 to 8 per cent. Only one of the three engines would pull a load corresponding to 30 miles an hour and the horsepower required to overcome while filling up with gasoline there would be time and opportunity to touch up the interior. Nothing is so useful in car care as having things handy. “But you haven't mentioned the mess that faces me when I open the garage the morning after a rainy day to behold my otherwise beautiful " he reminded me. “That’s not as difficult as you im- agine,” I explained. “If possible, never go out into the rain with a dusty car and you'll have less to worry about the day, after. If you think it's going to rain, get out and dust the car at once. And then keep in mind the matter of driving. I'ast driving in the wet will make a mess of your car. Select the better paved streets, for they have the fewest puddles. And use your head!” (Copyright. 1927.) If you haven’t seen the latest, greatest Oldsmobile Six, see it this week—on review in o A Suggestions Made For Motorist Camps Along Open Roads| When the motorist camps along the wayside, In the absence of municipal camping grounds, care should be taken In selecting a site, The site should be on' high ground, it possible, not too near water, to avoid mosquitoes, and it should be g0 located that the sun strikes it dur- ing part of the day, to ing dry. It is often ad ; permission of the farmer to camp on his land, as he can supply the tourist with miik, fresh eggs and vegetables, as well as good water. If the camp is to be of permanent nature, it is desirable to spot where ‘wood for the fire is availahle. Avoid hollow places for the camp, as thtey usually are infested with the friction of the vehicle was from 50 to 100 per cent higher than in cabs | which had been run a I Tt also was found that the older the cab the greater the difficulty in hav- ing the engine pull well at wide-cpen throttle, which it was believed might he due to heavy scale deposits in the water jacket. The tests on the other cabs reveal- ed a rather high over-all efficienc the cars in the 110.000-milo clas veloping an over-all_efficienc; gine of approximately 12 per cent. Test Valuable for Owners. Tests were made to determing fuel consumption at speeds of 15, 20, 25 S0 861 A1led mer BouE tha friaticniioks in various parts of the vehicle to determine the efficiency of the trans- mission; engine horscpower: crank- ofl dilution and eylinder com- pression pressure. Observations were made on front wheel alignment, pedal adjustment, ease of gear shifting, braking, spring shackles and condi- tion of wheels. Such tests will be valuable in judg- ing the condition of passenger vehicles after they have been operated over largo mileages, it is believed, as they will make it possible to deter- mine wherein cars can be improved at relatively small expense as com- pared with the sacrifice of value when trading them in. The work of re- conditioning also can be checked in the same manner, it was stated in the surv ser distance. AN EVER - @t new /owerpnces$ our showrooms. Seeitdetail by detail —itsnew lines, its new colors, its new upholstering, its new details of interior finish. And these sources of true satisfaction 5 | ble, NEW TRANSMISSION WINS WIDE FAVOR Four-Speed Device Brings} Other Benefit Besides i “Fast” Axle. | The four-speed transmission with a direct drive, fourth speed and an in-| ternal-gearcd third speed, aside from | achieving its main objective, that of | making a “fast” rear axle practica- | has brought a number of other benefits which to the average person are even mora desirable than rear axle, according to of the Warner Gear dressed the Society Tngineers at its recent meeting. “The purpose of the fast rear axle is to reduce the speed of the er and the propeller shaft,” he said, “and by means of this reduction in rotative speed push various periodic vibrations and tho high-speed rattle up to such fast road speeds that they will be encountered but seldom. With the fourth speed, the rear axle will turn more quickly while the engine is running at a_slower pace. “The other advan 9 which have resulted from this type of transmis- sion also are of great value to the automobile owner. The slower engine speed and reduction of vibration ruean much longer life for the engine, chas and body, greater driving com- | fort for the passengers, greatly im- proved gasoline and oil mileage and better cooling. They mean practical elimination of propeller-shaft whip, a | single axle-ratio for all parts of the country, and better all-around car per- formance due to utilizing a more fa- | vorable portion of the hmse]m\w\n curve. Iach and all of these the| industry has constantly sought to at- tain_or improve by various methods, to the end that we may have better automobiles.” In conclusion, the speaker men- tioned the increase in the attainable top driving speed which sometimes is a result of the four-speed transmis- sion. The avérage driving speed also I increased, he asserted. Co., who ad- of Automotive semi-annual -flnnu(lun in one | formance of {with a <hoe. | | any possible contact with water. HARD ON HIGHWAYS. I Heat Rays Bring Trouble to Auto- That gasoline is one of the most ef. mobile Drivers. fective seals? Any one who has tried i to remove a plug from the bottom of Just as difficult to negotiate safel: gasoline tank or to take a s the dirt road that has been treated buretor knows this. It ie'» fortunate | 10 a coating of oil is the macadam <pect but an unfor- | OF Asphalt highway that has had the | tunate one in another. Because gaso- | tar boiled out of it by the sun. Under Jino makes parts tght, it prevents | the excessive heat ravs the binder leakage, but at the same time it great- | il' such roads will work to the .top. |'For fige 5 the possibility of damag. | 1Ving the road a surface that is ver When driving over such a ing any part when an attempt is ; . made to remove plugs or loosen con- | ARCH samel e ecaut AR S : |are used on ections b BlohtostikaltHanees pi v If a serious skid is to be an engine by filling it up | Prevented. jelly-like oil and by allowing | === [ very li:tle clearance at the valve tap peta as well as by careful adjustment of the carburetor? This is A ruse some times used by unserupulous persons in unloading a used car That che economy tir Did You Know— i« pos nding is poor with halloon iir pressure is 80 much lower. When tubes held 50. 60 or 70 pounds of it sometimes | was possible to put on mateur- tsh patch. the interr sure forc- ing the v to very effective s Nowadays tube does not pre inst the inside of the s both shoerand tube flex a great deal more, with the result that a patch will nm hold unless put on perfetly. Contnmels Save Malches Tourists should take care that their matches are always kept away from A small waterproof container will prove | a highly serviceable item of equip- | ment. | tir Master in the Art of Refinishing Seats Covers Tops Metal Work Body Building Blacksmithing WEST 2222 |21st and Va. Ave. N.W. Upholstering REPAIRING ALL MAKES Gardner, Flint and Hudson SERVICE A SPECIALTY T.J. CAMFIELD 1615 O St. N.W. North 9767 Tires and Accessories E DASHING MbRE LUXURIOUS 8/5 are in addition to perform- ance and stamina that will win new thousands to Olds- mobile Six. Itis refreshing. And it is thrilling. For all its new smartness is yours at new lower prices—$875 for a two-door sedan. NOW ON DISPLAY OLDS MOTOR WORKS 1515 14th St. N.W. ABBOTT, SCHAFFER & ALLEN 3700 Georgia Avenue 2015 14th St. N.W. ADAMS MOTOR CO. Col. 343 Pot. 1742 WASHINGTON BRANCH 1126 20th St. N.W. Phone Main 4287 POHANKA SERVICE Fr. 380 WISCONSIN MOTOR CO. 2107 Pa. Ave. N.W. West 2121 MARYLAND GARAGE AND MACHINE CO., Silver Spring, Md. BELLE HAVEN GARAGE, 200 South Fairfax St., Alexandri Va.