Motor-aided Commercial Travellers. The Editor," THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
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Sir :—Having been asked by several of your readers to give some of my experiences in respect to the upkeep for repairs to my car, I send the following brief ac
count. It will be generally understood that, from all points of view, it was a very different thing starting off on a week's journey through Dorset, Devon, Wilts, Hants, and Berks, five and a half years ago, from what it is to-day. Few people knew anything of cars, and the one idea of the average repairer was to learn as much as possible from cars entrusted to his charge. After starting the next day's journey it was no uncommon occurrence to find that something in the car
had been &rime-ed. Oa one occasien, I found the timing wheel had been taken off and replaced, regardless of its proper position, and, unfortunately tor me, it had been put back somewhere near its right place. As a result I had very sluggish running, without being able to hit upon the direct cause. Not until I had spent several hours and found out the mischief, was I told, very coolly, that " the timing wheel had been taken off."
The actual upkeep of my car has (notwithstanding the considerably increased annual mileage) been less each year in fact the first year it cost me more than the next two years together. Although my car was originally called a 6h.p., with the usual tube ignition, I ant quite satisfied that now, with the many improvements (including electric ignition, compression plates and pneumatic tyres), I seem to have quite double the old power. Whilst only being able, during the first year, to make an average of 12 miles an hour 1 was, during the fifth year, able to make as much as an 18-mile average on dry roads. I have long since come to the conclusion that, to run a car economically, it is best, as • far as possible, to put all your repairs into the hands of one firm. Nly first repair bill worked out at something like .;'7o for the 12 months, the following year being only -.£0, and the next following L-31. This, of course, is exclusive of tyres. The most important thing, when a motorist makes a start, is to find a good reliable firm of motor engineers and, as far as possible, let them do all his repairs. It will be interesting to note that, in the whole of my 78,000 links, a horse has never drawn my car. I have been hauled in three times by other cars, and that in the first 18 months, before I had given the builders of my new car all my work, I have many times hauled in other cars myself. As to the length of life of the gear, that, in my experience, depends upon the quality of the fitting and lubrication. I have found that oil. is much cheaper than bearings. My first set of gear went in the first year, hut the new set, which was well htted and kept well up to its work, lasted more thltil two years, and ran over 30,000 miles. I have had several mishaps that were rather expensive, but they were usually to be traced to negligent work or want of skill. My new i8h.p. car is capable of carrying &wt. of carpet samples (I have represented Messrs. Tapling, Ltd., London, for 30 years), and three passengers at a push. The car will easily average 20 miles an hour in bad country, and I have driven it up a gradient of it in 6 on the first speed. It it fitted with 51n. Palmer cord tyres on the driving wheels and 4in. on front wheels.—Yours faithfully, ROBERT E. G MONS.