Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-18
AUTO SHOP
OPENS HERE
DURoCAR NAME OF NEW LOCAL
PRODUCT
ONE MACHINE is ALREADY AT
WORK
Los Angeles Capitalists Put 100000
in PIant-Vehicle Has Several
Distinctive Features-TWo
Models

The f1rSt car turned out ny LiiS loSe'A
Durocar Automobile company made its
appearance on the streets of Los Angeles
last week. Four cars are in course OF
construction and will be delivered to
purchasers during the coming week. Or
ders for over fifty cars have already been
booked
The Durocar is particularly interesting
to Los Angeles people because 1t is to be
manufactured in Los Angeles by local
capitalists. The designs for the new car
were drawn up by the manufacturers and
many new and interesting features have
been introduced to make the little car
success.
The home of the new car is at 935 South
Los Angeles street. In many ways the
factory is the most complete west of the
Rockies. Many large machines have
been introduced for making the various
parts of the machine.
All the castings will be made in Los
Angeles. The rough castings are taken
to the Durocar factory, where they are
ground into shape and polished.
With the exception of the transmission,
the axles, the radiator and the body, all
the parts are made in Los Angeles
The manufacturers will confine them
selves for the present to the manufacture
of two models, a runabout and a tonneau
car. These will sell for $500 and $500,
respectively.
Managers Experienced
The idea of the manufacturers is to
meet the demand for a moderate priced
two-cylinder car that will have some of
the advantages of larger four-cylinder
cars G. W. Sugars, who has been in the
automobile business in Los Angeles for
the last five years, is manager of the fac
tory, and w. l.. Moreland, for ten years
in the automobile business, is assistant
manager. Thirty mechanics are employed
in the factory.
The Durocar runabout, which will be
delivered to Long Beach customer next
week, weighs 1850 pounds with all equip
ment. The two opposed cylinders are To-
Gated under the hood, as in the four cyl
inder cars. Selective transmission is used
and a shaft drive just as in larger cars.
Some automobile men object to the use
of a shaft drive on a two-cylinder car,
but this feature has been tried on the
Great Northern and Maxwell two-cylin-
der cars and in these machines has
proved a success.
The location of the engine under the
hood will make 1t more accessible than 1t
would be under the body of the car, as
| in most two-clinder machines.
| The wheel base of the new car is TO-
| inches. The bore of the cylinders is 81
| by 5. A mechanical oiler pumps oil t.
the engine. The car is water cooled. The
| little machine is expected to develoI
| twenty-four horse power.
Car Stands Tests
| Several test trips have already been
made. One was to San Bernardino and
back. The car worked perfectly and with
the exception of the loss of the fly wheel
belt nothing went wrong. 1t has also
been tested on several hills in the city
and appears to be good hill climber.
The factory contains three stories and
basement. The basement is to be used
for repair shop, blacksmith shop and
show room. The first floor contains the
lathes and other machinery, and it is
here that the machines are built and put
together.
The second floor of the building is fitted
up for trimming. The Durocar people
will do job trimming, and top making
work. The top floor is devoted to paint
ing shop. An elevator connects the vari-
Gus floors and will carry two cars at a
time.
The engine of the new car will run on
ball bearings, but the car itself will be
mounted on roller bearings. A new and
novel device on the new car is a foot
pedal which releases the pistons in order
to make the car easy to start up. This
will add greatly to the comfort of women
drivers.
There will be two brakes on the Duro-
car One will be on the outside of the
hubs and the other will be an expanding
brake on the inside of the hubs. This
will do away with friction on the trans
mission.
Over 100000 has been invested in the
new plant and the managers say they are
in the business to stay. The company Is
composed of local capitalists and is cap
italized at 100000.