The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08
TAKING AN AUTO ABROAD.
THE EXPERIENCE DESCRIBED BY
ONE WHO HAS HAD 1T.
France To the Paradise OF Motorists In
Switzerland They Throw Stones at You
In Italy They May no You Q Little,
but they DO II Politeiy-The Expenses.

in Italy They May Rob You o LAatle,
but They do II Politely-The Expenses.
The question OF taking an American
car abroad depends largely on the owners
familiarity with the engine.
That IL can be done, and done success
fully, tourists are proving every summer
The most important thing Is thoroughly to
understand your car and to put 1t through
the most rigid tests, 80 that whatever flaws
exist can be remedied before II is put aboard
the steamer. .
The roads Of Europe are beautiful,
but frightfully hard on tires. n their
flinty surfaces, smooth enough TO 4he eye,
put a constant hammering strain on the
working parts Of an automobile.
Halt the so-called touring cars made
in the United States in no way deserve
the title from the standard established in
France, Italy and Germany. 1t Ia not al
ways a question OF horsepower, but OF
strength and adequate control.
Three speeds or moro ahead are an alb
eolute necessity; the hills are seldom short
enough to rush them, and the steady steep
grades in the mountains are out OF the
question on the high speed, except for
high powered cars geared low. By the
same token, four cylinders relieve some
Of the responsibility one feels in touring
with only two.
When we sailed from Boston, writes
Walter Hale in Outing, the car was Grated
and stored in the forward hold. In this
country 1t usually costs from 800 to 800
to crate a fully equipped touring car. In
France the charge is considerably less.
The present rate from Boston to Naples
is 20 shillings per ton Of forty cubic feet.
At the old rate my car cost $50. which did
not include lighterage from the ship to
the wharf in Naples, amounting to about
IS more. The cost Of getting 1t through
the custom house was not very heavy,
but I thought it ridiculously slow and full Of
red tape until I had experienced the holdup
on my return to my native land.
There was a tax for stamp and ono for
the gudrdia-a gentleman In uniform who
stared ~vacantly at the a for two hours
and saw that the Neapolitan wharf rats
didn't run away with it. Then q charge
OF 50 for issuing the license, another OF
about 50 for keeping the Office open after
hours in order to, issue the license, then
the license itself, permitting me to drive
where I would in the Kings domain, and
finally the duty, which amounted to S26
in Italy and Sl26 in France, RENTED In
both cases on crossing the frontier.
The duty ia based on the number OF
springs in Italy and on the weight OF the
car in France. Most drivers declare their
cars considerably under weight on entering
France. to make the deposit as small as
possible, though all Of this annoyance can
be avoided II one is a member OF the Auto
mobile Club Of America, which has estab-
lished reciprocal relations with the touring
clubs Of both countries, allowing many
privileges and the special price for their
valuable books and maps.
The car went through the Italian custom
house in about three hours; they kept 1t IN
the New York Custom House on our return
for more than two weeks and the crate dis
appeared entirely, though I had distinctly
stated that / wished it kept for use another
For equipment we carried a trunk on
(he platform at the rear Of the car, bold in
place by straps running fore and aft and
from side to side through iron clips screwed
to the floor. There was room for q deck
basket between the trunk and the seat;
in which we carried four extra inner tubes,
wraps and articles that we wished to have
easily accessible.
We strapped a suit case on top and q
long box was placed OF the footboard on
the right side Of the car, fastened by lock
and key. In this we carried the heavier
tools for repairs and ADJUSTMENTS, a jack.
q rubber pail, which We found most useful;
extra spindle bearings, and spare parts
packed in waste, oil and grease, carbide
for the generator, tire repair kit, pump
oil cans, files, &c.
You can buy g~asolene anywhere In France;
but for long runs through the mountains
in Italy I found 1t necessary to carry a
five gallon al strapped TO the board, In
front of the tool box for use in emergencies.
The smaller, parts were stored under the
seat, a complete supply Of extra bolts and
nuts, and chamois for straining the gaso-
lene, extra spark plugs, vibrator springs,
contact points, coils OF copper wire, span
and other tools. Except for the balls,
ried no heavy extra parts, like connecting
rods, spokes or extra gears.
We hung two extra shoes on side irons at
the left OF the car, and the odometer showed
usual lamp equipment. which we found Of
greatest service on the winding roads
10 tho hills, where It could be operated
from side to side to pick out. the curves
long before the car reached them.
which could Be- dropped from a hook OF,
the dash. We seldom found use for It; but
on one occasion 1t held when the brakes
didn't, and saved us from trouble.
It Is rather hard to determine what OF
these 0IUTa6 WOulu 10 loulhA LAooC u60luis |
as we were unusually fortunate in escaping |
serious breaks and accidents. Our tour
began at Naples and ended at Havre, q
total distance Of 2,323 miles.
We never took the extra shoes on the
side irons during the journey, and only
picked up two ~punctures in the whole dis
lance, which was great good luck for us
and spoke well for our tires.
/ had q lot Of trouble in italy through
and dirty gasolene, though I al:
ways saw hat IL was carefully strained, and
I had only two serious breaks with the
thirteen miles UP in the mountains from
Sayona, and ! had to alternately coast and
climb on the low speed to get back to the
city. The car was ready again In three days
and the cost Of casting a new band at the
and making a new clutch out OF
Bessemer steel was a trife less than SIS,
or about what It would cost to mako the
wooden pattern alone at home.
It is q mistake to suppose that mechanic.
clans on the Continent do bad work on an
American car, as I had been told, or that
they charge exorbitant prices for repairs. It
takes them q little longer to understand
the engine, but once they do, they work
and thoroughly, generally. at q
price far below what we expect to pay forit.
The brakes had seemed all right when I
$1,000 - o~oaa tho Aims htt whan va hn-