The Washington herald., 1919-06-29
WHAT DOES THE
new CAR NEED?
Some Drivers Wait Until
Need Comes Before Pur-
chasing New Supplies.

While 1t Is usual for the American
manufacturer to equip his car with
everything that Is needed to make the
chr run there are certain very i'm
portant accessories which most Of our
cars do not possess when they arrive
ID the owners hands. Some new car
divers wait until the time comes to
use such an accessory before they
think about the real need for II. but
the wise buyer will at once equip with
the essential things
First among these come tire chains
for driving in rainy weather and on
slippery streets. Some cars are al
ready equipped with these. but they
are few. Before the car is driven
away from the dealers showroonis
tkere should be q set Of skid chains
IN the tool compartment. Next to
chains comes the Jack. It Is quite
possible that the jack supplied is one
that will work more than once, but
usually the very cheapest sort Of jack
Is supplied II the one supplied Is not
OF the best sort It will actually pay
made While II Is not fair to antici-
pate tire trouble with q new car. there
Is such a thing as tack or nail and
they make no distinction between new
and used tires. A incorporating tool
i5 the next essential and with 1t comes
a vulcanizer. In other words tire
equipment even though new should be
considered as a potential trouble max
er. The rim tool makes 1t easy to at
tach and detach the rim from the tire.
the vulcanizer makes a tube patch
matter of a few minutes. A tire re-
pair outfit will naturally suggest It
self with the vulcaniZer and above all
a tire gauge.
The dealer initiates the tires enough
to run the car. and few of them pay
, much attention to the right pressure.
, II, Is up to the owner to get the right
pressure into the castings even though
the run to the home garage is only a
matter of few miles.
The average motorist locks the door
after the horse is stolen: he thinks
about car insurance after he gets the
car. II would be interesting to find
out how manv brand-new cars NJ"
removed from garages. The wise buy
ert will have complete insurance writ
ten before he gets his car from the
dealer. The latter. in most cases, Is
in q position TO take cf.re OF the whole
matter. charging no m:re than stand
ard rates II the dealer will not at
tend 70 It. 1t should nevertheless be
done before the car is delivered so
that an accident or fire on the way
home will not mean a loss to the own
er.
With practically all State laws re-
ouirins some form Of head lamp glare
remover many factories are fitting
special glass fronts as standard equip
ment but still a greater number OF
cars come through without such
equipment. I have known owners to
he stopped by trafic officers before an
opportunity was afforded to purchase
suitable nonglare fronts. In cases
where the factory does not supply
such devices the dealer will be glad
10 ut new lenses of any make.
In these days car thefts are numer-
Gus and while theft insurance protects
the o--ner there is no assurance that
a new car will be forthcoming within
p reasonable time. The automobile
frctnries are so busy supplying the
t~crlcndous demand that 1t is very
difficult to get delivery of a car be-
fore two weeks, in many cases two
u.cft,-s end in others not for four
T,ncnths. a good GER lock, while II
v'sy cost so or 81. Is worth the price.
T~r thieves have a particular liking
fnr now cars. but a suitable lock such
as a transmission lock or a steering
wheel lock will do much toward keep
ing the thief away.
A storage battery hydometer IL a
most important piece OF equipment
which may have immediate use. 1t
should be used the day the car is re-
ceived and in warm weather should
be used to test the storage battery
cells every week. Many storage bat
teries have literally been "shot to
pieces in the first month of use be-
cause of lack of attention to water
filling and testing.
Tool equipment in the average car
is sorely lacking in quality. The
cheapest kind of wrenches and pliers
are supplied. know a great number
Of owners who use the equipment
set merely for spares around the gar
age. purchasing a good usable set for
the car.
Among others a spotlight Is use
full addition to the cars equipment
though not as essential as some OF the
others previously mentioned. In the
same class with the spotlight comes
body polish and car cleaning para
phernaiis, especially compound
which will remove rod tax. Nothing
is more disheartening than to bespat-
ter a new body with road tar, which,
by the way, must be removed within a
few hours or 1t viii leave indelible
marks.