Common-sense prevails
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Whether the police should be blamed for harassing Motorists over minor matters or whether those who instruct them in their duties are to blame is a moot point. But we commend the common sense of Alderman John Bennett of Stockport Magistrates Court who, when hearing a case brought by the police against a sports Car owner who was charged with having plastic registration marks on his car instead of a number plate, and these at 25″ from the horizontal, found the case proved but granted the car owner an absolute discharge. The case had been twice adjourned and after Alderman Bennett had inspected “the red sports car” he returned to Court and said “It is of no importance. A lot of time of the Court has been wasted.” They’re not all agin’ us!
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Southern Counties Car Auctions Ltd. offer the use of their ten auction centres as starting points or passage controls for organisers of R.A.C. authorised rallies. The centres are situated at Blackpool, Nottingham, Oulton Park, Birmingham, Tewkesbury, Farnborough, Tunbridge Wells, Chichester, Alexander Palace (London) and their headquarters at Measham near Burton-on-Trent.
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During the course of some construction work on a Motor Sport staff car we had occasion to carry out some pop-rivetting. To carry out this work we used a simple and inexpensive tool made by one of our advertisers, Mr. Lockwood of 76, Ernest Road, Bedhampton, Hants. This consists of a hollow tube carrying a drilled bar which holds either 8/22 or ½-in. pop rivets. It has a tommy bar type of grip which permits the use of a spanner on a nut which draws the rivet shank to “pop” the rivet and break the shank off flush. Particular points in the favour of this tool are the fact that it is useable in very confined spaces and its very modest price of 30s., which compares favourably with the lazy tongs or pliers type of rivet gun.
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One of the most comprehensive ranges of tyre pressure gauges is made by Pneumatic Components Ltd., of Eyre Street, Sheffield, 1. We have been using their small pocket type with fountain pentype clip which sells at 8s. 3d. This is available calibrated in various denominations between 6 and 200 lb. For those who motor abroad frequently the model 151 with dual lb./kilos. calibration is most useful.
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By increasing the bore from 78 to 80 mm. the 1,491-c.c. twin overhead camshaft engine of the Fiat 150.0 has been increased in capacity to 1,568 c.c., raising the power Output from 90 to 100 b.h.p. with no other alterations. The car will now be known as the 1600S Cabriolet and is said to be capable of 108 m.p.h.
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The Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. II now appears in revised form, the main modification being the use of wind-up side windows and swivelling quarter-lights. A new wrap-round windscreen is fitted, together with a hood which can now be erected from inside the car, having a detachable transparent rear light. Stiffer rate coilsprings are fitted at the front and a new short gear-lever sprouting from the centre of the tunnel replaces the previous one which was on the passenger’s side of the car. It remains to be seen if the problems of poor pedal layout, excessive cockpit heat and poor ground clearance have been rectified.