Evening star., 1923-01-28
BY FREDERICK c. RUSSELL.

BY FREDERICK c. RUSSELL.
Automobiles are no longer play
things for the amateur mechanic
The modern driver doesn't care less
about his car, but he has found 80
many new uses for it that tho avail
able time for repairs. adjustments
and greasing is naturally cnrtailed.
The vital units of tho modern car
must be reached In theS ninimum
amount of time and with the least
effort-for effort means time It Is
the new cry in motordom, and the
appearance of 1928 models proves be-
yond a doubt that the manufacturers
have had their ears to the ground
Undoubtedly the budget system OF
car care Is greatly responsible for
the newer mechanical features seen
on the newer cars. For example, one
motorist discovered that 1t required
exactly one-half hour to have his oil
drained out and fresh lubricant
poured in. To dom old clothes and do
the job himself required an additional
half hour of his time. SO he had made
II rule to accept the lesser of the
two time killers. But even this didn't
satisfy him. In his budget he found
that ten minutes time was about all
lie could afford for such d common
carefully at the new models along
automobile rev and
How to Save Time.
To make a long story short, he
now drives a machine equipped with
a crankcase drain cock which can
be operated from the side of the en-
gine without getting under the car.
And here is how he puts one over on
On t6e, appointed day for changing
the oil he buys two ,ione- gallon cans
of the proper grade of oil from his
garage man. and deposits them IN the
tonneau while the attendant Is pump
ing in gas. No time is lost. He starts
Off with the car and aims for his
destination just as though all the
messy work Of draining the crankcase
had been done. When driving along
the highway he notes a dirt cross
road which is seldom used. Into this
he turns and stops. .
Raising the hood he turns the drain
cock, the oil runs out on the road and
is absorbed. Then he closes the drain
cock and. reaching for the cans. pours
in the required amount of fresh oil.
The whole job takes about ten min
utes. and requires the very minimum
of effort and Inconvenience.
On all the newer models motorists
will sec evidencesipf ways and means
of meeting this new demand for Ia
or-saving devices. One of the oldest
~
obliged to spend an hour by the road
side on a dark night trying to find
short" in the headlight circuit or
struggling to remove a lamp rim In
order to install a new bulb. This sort
of work is practically banished from
a large number of new cars. Some of
the models now have as many as
three separate front light combina-
tions. SO that IL the headlights go
bad, for instance the topedo or dim
he ut riSf cf I'M
bly, turns his switch to the combina-
ton. and while he may not have quite
so much illumination as he would pre-
fer he Is not troubled by the thought
OF being fined for driving, with only
one eye"
New Oiling Devices.
The elimination of grease cups is,
sure lubrica ton systems now being
standard equipment on most oars.
There are still a.few places which are
difficult to reach, but by degrees
these are being brought out into the
open. On several cars the release
yoke OF the clutch is fabricated by n
large oil cup located on the engine
side of the dash. 1t is SO near the oil
can that the driver. Is reminded to
keep 1t filled. & Doubtless when he
fills it by this presto-change method
his mind runs back to the days when
he used to spend Saturday afternoons
exploring the sub-basement of, the
chassis. =
Times have changed, and the same
can be said of the cars. Consider the
clutch spring adjustment. motorist
used to have to be towed home be-
cause his clutch was slipping. and
even If he wanted a slight adjustment
one way or the other it meant a trip
to the repair shop. Now he can in
crease or decrease the spring tension
while the filling station attendant is
getting him quart of oil
The same simplicity Is also noted in
tan assemblies, brakes, foot pedals
and carburetors. The change has
come about not only because few mo-
torists have time to fuss with their
machines, but because thousands of
people who are now driving are not
mechanically inclined, and perhaps
never will be. But even IL the motor
list must take his car to a mechanic
he wants to feel that the job is only
going to be a matter of giving some
accessible adjustment nut a magic
twist.
Women Cause Changes.
The woman drvier isn't supposed to
know anything about the car beyond
the instrument board, yet automobile
salesmen are ready to confess that
much of the presto-change stuff is
urged by the fair sex. One woman
objected to a certain car because of
ATT0CT ACC