Evening star., 1922-10-01
Real Auto Economy.


Real Auto Economy.
OF the numerous strange ideas car
owners are known to entertain. the
strangest perhaps is that the way to
economize on car costs is to keep the
| machine idle. Some folks think the man
who keeps his car on the move every
money. These, however, have another
guess coming.
The real secret of getting the most
miles per dollar is in using the car.
There should be no unnecessary miles
of travel. but none OF the family's trans
portatton should be handled without the
aid Of the car. The people who save
their machines for the week ends are
among the most extravagAnt motorists.
for street car fares, depreciation and
train fares have to be added to the cost
of ownership and operation:
should first consider the cost Of the tam
ily's transportation. When there is 10
Car in the family transportation eX-
penseS should be made up OF street car,
railway and motor bus fares. When Pa
spins home in a new machine these
other costs should be entirely eliminated
and the car should be made to serve all
purposes.
What most motorists seem to forget
is that even though a machine be
chained to the garage nine-tenths of the
year such sxpenditures as insurance.
storage, lic>asine and model deprecia
ton are no less than il the machine
: were driven to death. To own Il car
therefore. and not use it in place Of
other forms Of transportation is costl:
folly.
Contrary to general belief. it is true
that ears which are kept in the garage
run up the biggest repair bills. Cars
which are kept IN service receive
those little attentions which offset
serious trouble Realizing that the -ar
must be attended to in order 10 give
the service demanded of it. the owners
grease. The man who doesn't use his
car much doesn't give il much attention
for that very reason. The little troubles.
therefore. have ample time to breed
INTO staggering repair bills.
FtbbinS Speedometer..
4 hhbing speedometer is a source
!of annoyance--someti danger You
may think you're travelling at speed
of thirty whereas the car may be do
ing only twenty-siX. On the other
hand. ii may read twenty when you
are actually doing twenty-four. In
the one case you will fail to make
good time: in the other you are likely
to get hauled in for exceeding the
city speed limit. II YOU think there is
sreedometer- and it is worth while
ito make the test anyway-ride along
beside friends car and compare
speeds. The result may be interesting.
!. The Old Mechanic Says:
Did YOU see that chap trying To start
his motor out here about an hour a GO
No. Well. let me tell YOU about him.
He told his boy to fill the radiator
with water while he tinkered with
. Ln .vI,
OF course the kid poured in too much
water. and because the hood was rails
cd at the time a lot Of il spilled over
the engine. That wasn't the worst Of
it; the water got all in around the
connections of the distributor head
Just enough water to short the juice
and caused the owner all kinds
of annoyance. He was sensible enough
to know that the distributor wires
would have to be dried. but he didn't
know how to go about it. Finally I
took pity on him. Picked up the hose
from the air pump. removed the noz-
gle valve and. aiming the end of the
hose at the distributor blew off the
water and dried it in no time. I told
him he could get the same results
with his hand pump if he happened
to be careless with the water when
out on the road
Sort of interested in the subject OF
starting cars today. anyway. Have
YOU noticed how few drivers who stop
here for gas get real snappy start
when they turn on the ignition" The
engines are warm in every case and
there's no reason why they should
give trouble. If you watch the drivers
carefully you'll fnd that one group
has a habit OF cranking with the
throttle closed to the idling position.
Sometimes the engines start off i'm
mediately. but stall for want of fuel
before the driver gets his foot off the
starter button. They keep repeating
this until they get disgusted and use
the choker. Then the motor floods
with gas, and there's nothing to do
but wait a few minutes. The other
group Of drivers open the throttle