IT is ill work discussing what passes for a climate
in these islands, but the lateness of Spring's arrival—if indeed it
can be said to have arrived by the time this is printed— has for once had a concrete effect on the ordinary owner- driver's car. As a rule it is in March that he sets about the grubby necessary business of overhauling it in order to give himself some sort of guarantee against avoidable annoy- ances when the sun shines again and, whether he travels on business or for fun, he would rather do it in his ear than in a train.
In the course of the week's work and wanderings. I meet I suppose as many motorists -as. most people, and it is a fact t hat I have not yet overheard the word overhaul nor any descriptive of the things one should do to a decent cur before asking it to go touring long distances or, at the very least, doubling or trebling its monthly mileage. It is no matter for astonishment. . Except in' professional garages where people are paid to do it and there is nothing voluntary about it, who would have set about even the mildest debauch amid the grease-guns, the oil-cans, the well carboned heads and the rest of it ?
It is not in the dark and freezing garage, where you can not only not see what you are doing but where you are stepping, too,when the doors must be shut to keep out the icy cast wind and everything you touch is dirty as well as damp, that you should attempt so delicate a labour, which should be ordinarily one a!so of love. If you do, you are fairly sure to scamp it and it is far better to go on hoping the sun will shine one day into those gruesome corners and let you work without an overcoat on. • There are sonic things that must be done at least once a year to every good car, but as every car, good or bid, has its own peculiarities and makes its special demands on its owner's off-road time, one cannot draw up a comprehensive chart that could usefully be tacked up on the wall of .every private motor-house. One can only give the general orders, as it were, emphasising those that cannot saTely be dis- regarded. The first is, of course, to check the condition of the brakes. A careful owner will know by a glance at
the mileage-recorder and at the crime-sheet whether anything in the way of replacements are necessary, but if he has only vague knowledge of What he does to his car and when, he must dismantle and verify. On a good ear, with an average running maximum of 50 miles an hour or so, no
attention, beyond adjustment, should be needed oftener than every 25,000 miles—though, of course, nearly everything depends upon how the car is driven.
That is the worst of the jobs you may have to undertake,
though others may make you as dirty. Next- the oil in the sump, the gear-box and the back-axle. The two last have probably not been seen to for several thousand of miles and although they endure neglect much better than the engine it is cheaper to give them clean oil onee every 5,000. While you are down among these shades you will verify the condition of the brake-rods or cables and check the amount of take-up that has been lost. Wear and, in the case of cables, stretch proceeds faster than you would think and of all roadside worries I know one Of the worst is finding that your brakes have become anaemic and that there is no more thread left on the tighteners. Take heart and put all these right now. Before emerging from these noisome depths spend some time in spraying the springs and all Outward moving parts with penetrating oil. If you are afflicted with an under- shield take this rare opportunity of cleaning it out.
So far as chassis-greasing goes you would, of course, do far better to take the car on a convenient occasion to the nearest service station where they do it professionally and under such pressure as no hand-gun could show, but if that is for any reason impossible- do not leave the pit without having first put the gun on all those points that are invisible from above. That is one of the beststhings they do better now and I do not know how to spend half-a-crown more thoroughly satis- factorily.
The next jobs are both dirty and tedious but they have got to be done. The head must come off and it and the piston-tops absolutely cleared of carbon. It is not quite a waste of time to do it half-and-half fashion bit nearly. You may leave blisters of carbon here and there which will make you wonder why she pinks again so soon after decoking. Fit a new gasket every time. They are still frail things and never seem to be the same once they have been disturbed and prized off the studs... When this is done get the plugs clean and set the points to the exact gap recommended, and no other. Clean and do the same by the make-and-break. Unship the car- burettor, with the petrol leads to it and to the vacuum-tank or pump as the case may be, and thoroughly clean the lot, not forgetting the filters of the supply systems. Very strange matters may collect at the bottom of' the best vacuum tanks and lie there unsuspected until, en tnasse, they rise and stop the engine. Do not be so misled as to fit smaller jets because summer is coming—that is unless replacing them with the old ones gives you some recondite pleasure. You will have to, probably before the first fifty miles have been run.
Lastly grind in the valves—having first checked their probable condition by your records—and do .exactly what the instruction-book tells you about re-timing them. This is still one of the most horrible jobs an owner-driver can take on. In my ideal engine I would have the valves innocent of all adjustment and when they began to open or close at the wrong moment I would drop in new ones. Their seats would, of course, have to be of highly enduring metal.
At the end, so far as the working parts go, come the tyres, upon which much of your peace Of mind depends. They are far better than they were only a few years ago, they last longer and they put up with ill-usage and neglect in a manner that is little short of miraculous. Only a short time ago about 90 per cent. of the cars you saw stopped on the road were there because of tyre-trouble. I very much doubt if the figure today is five. There is no means of finding out but the fact remains that it is very rare to see a puncture or a burst. I bad my second in four years last week, and that was from a carpenter's nail picked up in some ribbon-build. Neverthe- less, go very carefully over the five covers for nails, flints. sears and tread-wear. If there is much of the latter, make up yotir mind to get your new tyres now instead of at the end of the touring-season. It always pays. Lastly, have every wheel off, grease the hubs richly, and make sure that taking off and putting on go easily. You may be grateful for this advice one dark wet night.
All this weary business (which need not be weary in the sunshine) means that you should drive care and trouble-free all the time of the year when it is most important you should.
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