Evening star., 1935-11-03
MANY ADVANCES
IN AUTOS FOR So
Lowering of Temperature Of
Ingoing Gas Is One OF
improvements.

Visiting Fall automobile snow Will
reveal the major surprises In design
and style, but only actual ownership
of these cars can uncover the many
minor improvements which. considered
in the aggregate, are of major impor-
tance. Some Of the advances are so
detailed, some so technical, that 1t
takes a fine comb to discover where
they are tuce~: away. But their
effects will be evident to any one who
is fortunate enough OF sign on the
dotted line.
Taking delivery of 1896 car will
be synonymous with taking delivery
OF q sizeable chunk of progress. This
gain will be achieved while at the same
time casting into the discard numer-
Gus annoyances that have plagued
motorists for years.
Typical of the big little things"
that have been done to the 1896 cars
to make them more foolproof is low
ering the temperature Of the ingoing
gas. Some engines have been de-
signed with view to making the in
take cooler for cold weather, just
reversing the popular notion that the
intake system should be hotter when
outside temperature is lower.
Cooler Air Is Heavier.
The explanation of this reversal Is
the discovery that cooler air is heavier
making for better efficiency. This
means a gain in horsepower, an alb
sence of vapor lock as we'll as other
difficulties which, due TO the use Of
more volatile Winter gas, may be
more annoying in cold weather than
in hot. 1t has been the custom for
some engineers to design the fuel
pump so as to exert from 25 to SO per
cent more pressure in order to take
care of the vaporizing Of fuel in the
lines and carburetor. BY cooling the
intake. and making it easier for the
fuel to now without going into gas
eous form. less pump action is needed.
All savings in power required to drive
the engine accessories are reflected in
output gains.
BY putting more braking power on
the front wheels it will be easier to
cool the brakes on the 1886 models.
The front wheel brakes are the nat
ural cooler" of the set. Utilizing this
fact. engineers have designed i'm
proved mechanical and hydraulic
braking systems that lessen the posi-
bility of fading and drum warpage.
There are some startling innova-
tions hidden away in the new jobs.
One completely reverses the accepted
idea that the top ring of piston is
essential. The top ring is done away
with, its groove being given a special
cut, and the net result is improved
oil mileage. Some interesting things
are found in fabrication, especially
with regard to bearings. It is now
rather common to have the rear wheel
bearings so built that they are lubri-
Gated for the life of the car. An
other development that is certain to
be noticed as the new cars join the
service parade is the system of plac-
ing front wheel bearings in such a
way that even if they throw grease
they cannot send this lubricant into
the brake drum.
Further steps have been taken in
efforts to make cars inherently bal
anced for a comfortable ride so that
not too much dependence is placed
on the shock absorbers, the position
OF the engine and the use of special
wheel suspension. This started with
q close study Of spring behavior and
was amplified by better methods for
determining just what Is meant by a
good-riding car. It has been found
that the motoring public does not
really know what constitutes good
ride and that mere ease, as provided
by luxurious cushions. is not always
the object to be desired.
Safety Glass Widely Used.
Something that will not be appre-
ciated in the new cars until they are
out on the road in quantities is the
Use Of safety glass in numerous ac-
cessories. Some of the new cars have
special headlight bulbs with cast-in
caps which cut of the light rays that
customarily blind oncoming drivers.
The latest in radio receivers is the
use Of metal tubes.
Detailed though they may be, these
numerous improvements should add
new impetus to 1886 motoring. The
needle type of bearing for parts which
heretofore were wholly dependent
upon bushings and lubricant to offset
friction are a case in point. Much
improvement has been made in muf-
hers. Having reached high state
OF perfection and dependability. the
automobile clutch was not expected