Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1958-03-19
Free
WheeIinq
BY BILL CROWELL


ty, state troopers can't baby
their cars. So when road weari-
ness begins to slow ethrough
they turn them in to one Of six
spick-and-span garages, oper-
ated by the State Highway Pat
rol, for mechanical therapy.
Stroll into any one Of the
patrols modern gear and
grease establishments and
you'll see anywhere from one
to half-dozen highway cruis-
ers undergoing repairs. Expert
enced mechanics can handle
anything from d punctured tire
to a major engine overhaul. In
a pinch they can even rebuild
a wrecked car from the ground
up, but ordinarily such heavily
damaged cars are junked in
safety's favor.
Specialists in electric wiring,
glass and sheet metal are on
duty at each of the garages to
mend parts and equipment
damaged in action. They get a
steady diet Of broken window
glass, mashed tenders and
doors, body dents snd scratches
and the like. Highway patrol
cars, bear in mird, are driven
six miles for every one mile
you drive.
Patrol cars, during the two
years they are in use, are oper-
ated at about an average OF
three cents per mile. Halt of
the 600-vehicle fleet is replaced
each year with new models, a
complete change-ovr occurring
two years, of course. At pres
emit, the entire nect is made up
of Ford and Chevrolet sedans.
specially-powered and beefed-
up mechanically for heavy
duty.
New cars, fresh from the
manufacturer, arrive at the
patrols headquarters garage in
Raleigh and are completely
serviced before being assigned.
Mechanics install three-way
radios, a combination roof
mounted red ligh. and siren.
and a state seal on either door.
Each new car is further
equipped with a fire cxtin-
guisher, firSt-aid kit, flares and
shovel.
Safety seat belt; are installed
before the car goes to the first
mile on a regular patrol.
Those radios, contrary to a
widely held opinion of the pub
lie, give relatively little trouble.
Inc curious motorist, seeing a
trooper speak into his radio
feels certain it must be a heavy
Juice user. However, the main
tenance and repair force had
found that standard equipment
batteries, when properly used /.
operate quite satisfactorily. The
radio receiver, which is con-
Stantly on, pulls about five
amps. The transmItter, used in
termittently, about 30 amps.
Tires, though, catch it like
ali get out. Subject to abuses
that would horrify the average
CO owner, patrol tires nonethe-
less last a respectable eight TO
ten thousand miles or more be-
lore they are replaced. Hardly
anybody gets more than about
$4,000 miles on a set Of neu,
tires.
What brands are favored by
patrol repairman' They're not
saying, but they do use nearly
every standard Take of tire
Inc same goes for batteries.
While major and minor ra-
pairs are handled by machan-
les, ordinary maintenance is
left up to individual patrolmen.
weekly washing, and periodic
fabrication and oil changes, are
looked after by each officer
OH duty, many troopers wax
and hand rub their cars to a
cleaning finish III order to pre-
sent the best appearance on the
highway.
Garages and the mechanics
VINO man them are under the
jurisdiction of the patrols COM
munications a,1d transportation
division, headed by veteran
lawman Major w. B. LENT \
cnarter member of the 29-ycar
old highway patrol.
Major Lent EMPLOYS az
trained technicians to keep the
patrols vast fleet of vehicles
rolling through all kinds Of
weather, night and day. the
year around.
And troopers who, in a years
s,ne average up something like
~ million miles OF protective
pa,roliing, can look to compet-
ent help from this little heard
ABOUT patrol operation when
.helr ailing steeds need atten-