The Washington times., 1932-06-30
PLANS
VACAT|ON|NG
BY MOTOR
BY J. LEO SUGRUE,
Times Automobile Editor
min the hiO Darade.

family. Many are already
modified to take trips, travelling
in their own private cars over
modern highways to the ocean or
mountains, East, West, North
and South.
AS pioneers of old, there will
be thousands of motorists in
speedier vehicles driving across
the continent to the Olympic
games. To those planning short
trips, nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia affords natural scenery
justly admired for it's variety and
beauty, mountains. oceans, rivers
and streams with wooded spots
on the shores for the family to
bathe and play over the holiday.
It's Most Economical
Hundreds of motorists have
curbed the desire to travel, think
ing the journey too costly.
There are thousands who have
become amazed to find the
family car the most economical
means of transportation.
It's educational for the kiddies
and a real recreation for the
grown-ups. It's patriotic because
the wear and tear on the roads
and car will provide work for
the unemployed h a dS. Just
imagine if the 26,000,000 motorists
of America suddenly spend an
additional SIS at their service sta
ton, it would represent the huge
sum of $3.50, 100000 being diverted
into business channels.
Good roads created better cars;
there are 100000 miles of good
roads in the U. S. A. today.
Over 725,00O miles are perfect
hard-surfaced highways and the
manufacturers of cars have kept
pace with this rapid road-build-
ing program by building more
comfortable riding, economical
and speedier cars.
We Pay Less Today
Today we pay less to travel
over perfect highways than our
ancestors in their old horse-and-
buggy vehicles. For the first
years after the colonies became
q republic the national thought
turned toward roads, but funds
were meager and the Common
wealth could not afford the bur-
den of road building. Instead,
private companies we're formed
and collected tolls for the use
of roads.
The first turnpike company
was started in 1896 in New
Hampshire and the schedule of
charges were from l cent per
mile for sheep and hogs to 3
cents per mile for horsedrawn
vehicles.
These old roads were poor,
despite the toll charges. Imagine
a. preSent-day motorist travel
ling at so miles per hour over
one of those roads, being stopped
every mile or so to pay a toll.
But the modern motorist does
not have to pay toll on the
modern highways, and there are
100000 miles of perfect roads
through historical America now
ready for you to travel on this
summer.
Keep 1t Like New
If you can't afford to buy a
new car for your 1892 vacation
trip, do everything possible to
keep the old car like new.
That is the gospel being
preached by leading authorities
for safety and economy sake.
1t is pointed out that the aver
age car owner thinks keeping an
old car new is exclusively a mat
ter of repainting, reboring, re-
building. To a certain degree, of
course, that is true. But, another
factor enters into the problem
very largely, and that is the day
Today treatment of the car by
the. owner.
Will Neglect This
Ordinarily. for example, the
owner of a new car will change
his crankcase oil regularly. The
driver Of an older model more
often than not will neglect this
important function entirely or
change the oil at very wide
intervals.
The owner of new car always
is careful to see that the front
wheels are in alignment, for it
has been experienced by many
people to have the treadS worn
OF within few thousand miles
because the wheels were not true,
Inc average owner changes his
tactics, however, once the car has
peen past the breaking in period.
Another important factor in
car preservation is that new cars
receive the benefit of new car
driving. The proud owner is
careful to keep the speed at a
very reasonable rate, or at a
uniform speed. He shifts gears
precisely, handles brakes we'll,
buys the best motor oils for the
engine.
Gives 1t Regular Care
Proving the theory that old
cars can be improved by new-car
care, there is the record of cars
IN the hands of second and third
owners. When a man buys a
used car he treats it like new
car. He does not force it up
hills. He treats it to intelligent
and regular care.
The owner of an old car should
either turn it in on a new model
or give the old buggy a new
lease on life, adopting the ideals