Evening star., 1942-02-22
Auto Replacement
Paris Expected 10
Fill 18-Month Need
Don't Try to Build
Whole Cor With Them
It'll Cost Fortune
BY DAVID ]. WILKIE,
Wide World News.

Wide world News.
DETROIT, Feb. 2f.-If your au-
tomobile needs new valve spring,
new tappet, new cylinder head
or even an entirely new motor
now is the time to arrange for the
replacement.
Right now you can--or soon will
be able to-have virtually any part
of your car replaced to keep it in
running order as long as possible.
This doesn't mean tire replacement,
of course, but the industry is build
ing up huge stockpile of replace
ment parts, covering everything that
goes into an automobile.
The stockpiles look huge right
now. Stored temporarily in the fac
tory bins, preliminary to diStribu-
ton to various centers throughout
the country. the accumulation is al
most as impressive as actual car
assembling.
Is Months Supplies.
But they have taen carefully
weighted as to future necessity, the
calculations being based on prob
able requirements for the next 18
months. 1t has been said in some
quarters that the stockpile may be
sufficient for two years of no new
car production. This is wholly con-
jectural, however, ana decidedly op-
timistic.
With older vehicles being main
tained in use far beyond their nor
NAL period of disability, demand for
replacement parts will exceed the
supply at time when the machine
tool equipment for replenishing the
stocks has been finally ripped out
and stored for the duration.
One thing contributing to this
probability is the fact that used cars
are going to be turned over more
often than ever by individuals
seeking to get the best such units
obtainable. They will be traded in,
with some cash, of course, because
they are not wholly satisfactory.
To make them again saleable, parts
requirements must be made.
Functional Units.
Thus, many authorities agree. re-
placement parts may have to be re-
stricted wholly to functional units
long before most motorists antici-
pate. That would make a new trans
mission, new axle housing, cylinder
heads. gaskets and the like still
available, but there might be some
difference Of opinion between the
automobile owner and his local ra-
tioning board whether a fender, a
hub cap, a window-raising mech
anlsm or any one of a long list OF
other such items could be classed as
functional.
You may have hit upon the idea
t1;at If the replacement parts pro-
gram Is to be SO comprehensive
providing every functional and deco
ratlve part in the car, there's moth
ing to prevent you from hand-as-
sembling what amounts to an en-
tirely new vehicle merely by bring
ing in chassis and four wheels
1t can be done, of course, but YOU
won't want to do it after you've
made few inquiries as to the cost
200 Man Hours to Car.
Cars were made that way in the
experimental days of Charles Dur.
yea, Edgar Apperson, Alexander
Winton. Ransom E. Olds and a few
others, but they became available te
the average individual only because
Of mass production-the technique
that rolled them off the assembly
lines at the rate of one a minute
in many plants.
Exclusive of the outside work. like
the refining of raw materials, some
thing like 200 man hours of work &c
into the production of the average
automobile.
you might do it." said one leading
production engineer, discussing the
assembling of a complete car from
the parts replacement stock, but
the car you bought last year fol
$1,000 or $500 would cost you a
font cfir e,,,,,