Evening star., 1922-08-27
By FREDERICK G. RUSSELL.


Environment and treatment. it is gen.
orally conceded. have much to do in de-
termining whether person will go
right or wrong in this world. Hence it
Is hard to understand why car owners
expect their motors to go right regard
less Of the treatment accorded them.
Like the young man who succeeds
against all odds, the occasional car
withstands abuse and keeps clear Of the
junk heap until having done everything
an exceptional car should do. But most
cars become victims of their environ
ment SO quickly that statesmen are
buzzing the owners with new models
before the first year is up.
The reference is not to willful de-
struction of cars. but merely to the un-
wise things modern drivers do to their
cars because they take too great an ad-
vantage of the improvement in car de-
sign and dura bility. There is a differ
ence.
Started on "High.''
For example, the owner Of brand
new big six was recently observed
driving through traffic in way that
attracted attention because it was done
with so little effort. There was no
clashing of gears. no jerking. no grind
ing or puff of exhaust smoke: merely
little accelera:fon of the engine as the
car would start off. Veteran motorists
began to wonder whether he was
operating some new type of gas car or
whether he was just an exceptionally
clever driver.
One observer was just curious enough
to follow along in an effort to see how
il was done. What he found was that
the pilot of the new car was simply
starting the car in high He had dis
covered that the motor was powerful
enough to do the trick and that by let
ting in the clutch gently-virtually slip
ping 1.-THE car started with the gentle
ness of zephyr and with little effort
on his part Things like this-as any
motorist who has had experience knows
explain why cars go wrong.
First the clutch plates burn and
warp. Then chattering begins when
ever the clutch is engaged Then the
connecting rod bearings loosen. The
wrist pins wear out and rap. The first
thing the owner knows he is in the
market for new car. He doesn't real
izs that 1t was because he expected too
much from the old one.
This was an exceptional instance of
bad trea tment but it is a warning of
how other drivers will be maltreating
their cars unless they suddenly awaken
TO the fact that improvements in cars
are designed to offer greater service
not an opportunity for the driver to be
abusive. As this bad treatment was
being inflicted upon new model. which
like number of other makes is
equipped with very powerful engine
and flexible clutch. il is obvious that
the driver in question is merely a pio-
neer in the abuse of regular starting in
high. In the old days lot of drivers
would have done this sort of thing had
it been possible. but luckily for them
the motors were not in a position to CO.
operate.
The whole question as to why modern
cars are going wrong by the wholesale
hinges on the fact that cars are so
much more capable of being abused
unwarranted abuse of cars-and the
sort Of trouble. that comes on by de-
grees.
An "old timer who is still going
around with a 1918 model suffered the
annoyance of having a connecting rod
rip through the crankcase of his car
the other day because he raced the
motor too, soon after it had started.
Z This had been unintentional. the ac-
ce'erator having caught in the floor
board, thus holding the throttle wide
"pen. While the owner was wonder
ing who had let the stone Crusher loose
the damage developed.
Immediate damage due to racing a
cold motor was common in the old days
when oiling systems We're Inadequate
and bearings not designed to withstand
abnormal heat and strain. But today it
Is rare. and because of this face 1t is
quite common to see driver start
right off racing and speeding with
cold motor. The results begin to show
up Just about the time the owner is
ready to take a long trip.
Way to Feed Gas.
1t isn't the collisions that reduce
modern cars to junk. but the cumula-
tive effect of constant bad treatment,
occasioned by the belief that the new
cars will stand up better and stand
more at the same time Take the
matter of feeding gas. for example
and its effect on the universal Joints
and pinion gear. Quick acceleration
is one of the outstanding features of a
number of cars. but owners make the
mistake of believing that the drive
mechanism will stand for this sort
Of strain indefinitely. Quick .acceler-
alton Is for an emergency, not a reg
ular diet.
Sudden application of the clutch is
mild form of abuse compared with
the practice of suddenly accelerating
the motor over and over again for no
reason at all. The cars of yesterday
would vigorously resist being acceIer-
ated quickly, SO the drivers didn't try
to hang up any acceleration records.
Nov cars "nick NM 10 hI>