The Washington herald., 1916-05-07
HOW TO MAKE AN
OLD CAR MODERN
Purchase of Certain Aces
sories Will Give New APP
pearance to Old Machine.
TIRES IMPORTANT ITEM
Few Dollars Spent in Rehabilitation
of Last Years Auto Will Give
Much Pleasure.

Fortunately all parts of the modern
motor car, unlike the deacen's one-horse
shap, are not liable to wear out at the
same time. Modern extravagance, how
ever. has resulted IN the application of
the term old to any car which has seen
a year or more service, and yet, in so
far as the inherent value Of the vehicle
itself as a mechanism is concerned, the
car is as serviceable as it ever was;
more so in fact, for the few thousand
miles which it may have been run dur
ing its FIRST year will only have served to
work in" the moving parts to a more
perfect fit. with the result that the car
will be smoother in its operation than
ever before. Consequently, it Is only in
appearance and the lack Of some of the
ultra modern refinements that this year
old car may differ from its relatives Of
today
Certain accessories provided with the
completely equipped car cannot be ex-
pected to give as great service as the
car itself. The returbtshing OF the old
car. therefore. gives the owner an oppor-
tunity to renew his worn-out equipment,
to add new accessories and to change the
nature of others, as his experience gained
from his preceding years driving may
dictate.
Spare Tire Deteriorates.
Inc Ilres, OF course, WILL require re-
neWing, for it must be remembered that
the effect Of time is as disastrous on
tires as Is actual mileage covered, Many
instances may be cited in which the spare
tire, which has practically seen no serv-
ice, will have deteriorated more rapidly
than any one Of the four which had been
in constant use and which were pur-
chased az the same time.
Another portion OF the cars equipment
rkN Nrh
definite period OF usefulness is the start
ing battery, which, even with the best
OF care, should not be expected to give
more than eighteen months service The
end OF this eighteen months period. there
fore, Will give the owner the opportunity.
II he so desires, to experiment with
new kind Of starting battery. as we'll as
with different brand Of tires
There is one accessory Of the mod
ern car the importance Of which is
liable to be overlooked when renewing
the necessary equipmnt. This is the
warning signal. which, because Of the
vast increase in traffic congestion in
our cities and in the use OF our rural
highways by other cars, has become
to the motorist what the foghorn of
IN ocean liner Is TO the passengers
in the very "thickest" weather The
warning signal should not only be Of
to enable II to throw its note a suf-
t1ctent distance ahead, but It should
be dependable and instantly respon-
sive as we'll
With the close approach to r.echar-
tcal perfection found in the power
plant Of the modern car. the .owner
can AFFORD to pay greater attention
than ever to the appearance Of hIs We
hlcle. In the days when large ex-
penditures were necessary annually for
the oNerhauling and mechanical repair
Of car the average motorlst did
not feel warranted in the additional
outlay for repalnting, vanishing. up
holstering or recovering the tor
Whether the finish on the car Of
a wear or two ago will require atten-
tIon or not Is much a matter Of the
the work put upon II by the n7anutac-
turers. The car which is washed
regularly with harmless soap. or is
protected from the disastrous effects Of
accumulste ted dust. mud or grease by
g coating of wax or similar material
may need no attention so far 5 the
finish Of the body is concerned If
the upholstery and top material are
Of an inferior quality. however, and
due to exposure 70 rain and sun, have
become cracked or leaky, new mate
rails should be supplied immediately.
An attractive pHearing and water
proof top Is necessity on any mod
ern car. and with the several varie-
ties of special top and seat coverings
on the market at reasonable prices.
there is no excuFA for the owner to
be seen in a shabby car
should Give Ions Service.
Certain parts Of the regular equipment
of the car should give service as long as
the vehicle. Among these are the sPeedo-
meter, the clock and the various tools,
wrenches. pump and the Ike. To be
sure, the speedometer shaft may require
a new link or so. and the pump may
need repackinz but such attentions are
in the nature Of ordinary repairs and
cannot be clossed as requirements
Eut in the addition Of new accessories
and up-to-date equipment lies the great
est opportunity for uoderuizing the car
Of YESTERDAY Certain attachments look
ed upon as luxur.es a few years $50
have now become almost necessities on
the well-appointed car Slip covers not
oily improve the appearance OF the car
but serve to protect the leather Of the
seats. to keep the upholstery clean and 70
add to the comfort OF the occupants. es-