The Washington times., 1913-04-12
BEGINNERS SPOIL
MANY GOOD CARS
Much Depends Upon the Way
Motors Are Handled in First
Few Hundred Miles.
By HARRY WARD.

BY HAkkY WAkD.
This is the season for the delivery of
new cars to owners, and a large per-
centage of them will go into inexpert
hands and lose much of their value
through poor handling.
Much of the satisfaction to be derived
from an automobile depends on its
handling in the first few hundred miles,
until the bearings have been run in
and the paint has set" Properly ham
died at first, a motor car should i'm
prove steadily and be at its best at the
end of 1900 or 5000 miles.
Unfortunately, there are cars which,
instead of improving by use, steadily
deteriorate from the moment they are
taken over by their owners. and in the
majority of cases such disappointing re-
suits can be traced to rough handling
on the road and lack of attention in the
garage.
Causes of Wear.
Overdriving and insufficient lubrica-
ton are the two most potent causes OF
premature deterioration, and of the
two overdriving is probably the more
common. Too many owners and drivers
are anxious to ascertain at the earliest
possible moment what their new cars
will do" and, having discovered that a
given speed is attainable on the level,
are tempted to make constant efforts to
squeeze an extra five miles or so out OF
a too willing engine
Alittle self-restrain will be well re-
paid. particularly if the car is a small
one. There are many small cars on the
market which will exceed forty miles
an hour on tie fiat, but their owners
would be well advised to fix their WORK
ing limit at thirty miles, except on
special occasions, ard the fewer OF
these there are the better for their
pockets.
High speeds should be vigorously
avoided for a month or so after the
car arrives from the makers, so that
when the car is tried out to its limi,
of power both engine and transmission
may be in the best possible condition
for withstandiag tie strain. High
speed, however, is not the only form
OF ill-usage to which the new car is
subjected on the road. There are few
drivers who can resist the temptation
of trying to learn how steep a Gradien,
can be negotiated on the top gear. EN-
periments of this description are as
damaging to the engine and trans.
mission as burst of high speed OF
the level and may rightly be classed
under the head of unfair treatment
Have Cups.
Most modern cars are fitted with
grease or oil cups at every point where
friction takes place, and they should b
attended to before every run
What is true Of the chassis is equally
true of the body. Paint and varnisf
will mature with careful treatment. and
Much depends on the treatment the cal
receives for the first few, weeks. Even
the most conscientious of cleaners is
greatly handicapped of the car first
comes into regular use in wet weather
Rain drops or mud allowed to dry or
new varnish will almost inevitably
stain it.
Careful and repeated washings will
plenty of clean, Geld water will help t.
harden the surface of new coachwori
in such a manner that it will retain
much of its pristine brilliance for man,
months. A few days neglect. on th'
other hand, will ruin its appearanc,
forever, and a really good driver will
never allow mud to dry on car newl!
arrived from the coach builders.
meeting Of the board OF governor
of the Washington Motorists Associa
ton will be held Wednesday night a
the Grafton. A large number Of appli
cations for membership will be acted oil
and the board will also receive repor
from w. S. Duvall, the association
counsel about several cases he is prose
cutting for the organization.
The executive Offices of the Borland
Grannis Company, makers of the Bor
land electric, have been removed from
their Chicago retail salesrooms on Michi
gan avenue to their factory at 80 Eas
Huron street.
Miller Brothers report the sale of For
cars to the following: Lafayette Lea
man, F. Enders, H. A. Farnham. Johl
II. Small, ]. L. Childress, DR.. w. F
Taylor, S. j. Hess. w. S. Abraham
Lewis. John NJ Colt. r. E Boyd. NJ. C
Hooker, William A. Scull, r. H. Norton
NJ. p Kirby. Thomas J. Fuller, Tolmal
Laundry Company, DR.. Neil F. Graham
B. A Thurin. who has been man
ager of the Goodrich tire branch her
for the past two and one-half years
will leave tonight for Akron, Ohio, an
will then receive a promotion to on
of the big Goodrich branches in som
Middle West city. During his stay II
Washington Mr.. Thurin made man,
friends, and he is the recipient Of man,
congratulations on his promotion. H
has been succeeded here by L. II. Har
ris. formerly manager of the Goodrich
branch in Charlotte, \. {.
There will be a new Blue Streak
tube added to the Goodyear line o
motorcycle goods" said George Howard
manager of the Goodyear branch here
This tube has been made 20 per cen
stronger than any tube used in reguia
tires before. This strength has bee
added to take care of the 1913 machines
which. are being made heavier an
faster"