toca,r EDr?oE Maurlce A. Smlth D.F.G. aPoltTS EDtroR Her Garnler aaarararr EDlroFa Leonard A. Ayton, Ronald Barker UTDLAND EDtroR Edvard Eves aRT EDtron Howard Vyse

7 FEBRUARY I 964

railAorilo DrREoroB H. N. Prlaulx f.B-E.

Do What Yourself? n UR receot readership survey, now analysed except I I for the forms still cming in from the other side \-/ o1 the world, tells us frorg other thingB that as many as 52 per cent of readers would lite to have more features on horne servicing and repairs. The survey tells us, too, that about one in 20 of our readers also sees one of the monthly magazines specializing in do-it-yourself subiects, and that nine out of 20 service their own cars. At least five out of 20 charrige their cars everJr two years, more than six every three or four years and 1l usually buy new cars.

Frankly we were surprised to find that as nrany as 781000 readers waot more home service and repair articles. Our questionnaire necessarily called for only very briof arrwers, so we would now like to ask for moie details. For example, what is missing frorr the owners' manuals which usually nrn to about 50 pages of advice and ilhlsuationg and frour the small handbooks available for a few shilings at book shops and devoted to the maiority of well-known models? Words of wisdom about routine servicing and greasing are gening fewer because service is called for much less fiequently and grease points are fast disappearing from modem cars.

Anicles, sometimes of doubdul value, are written on gening better performance from your car or increasiog O" life of its engine. There is, of course, good advice to be givea oo such zubjects, btrt often the authors start out from a contrived situation 'Take ooe woro and neglected old car and . . ." Autocals survey suggcsts that our readers are unlikdy to start with a worn and oeglected car. On the contrary, a nurDhr write to us about old treasures that they have kept in immaorlals condition for lQ 20 or more years and which are still going stroog.

Miod you, there are young chapa and other enthusiasts who, like cenain merrrbers of our staff, accumulate eldedy machinery because they have iackdaw tendeocies and enjoy tinkering. With our Readers'Service by post and an occasional special article we try to meet their needs. (Tbe survey says that our Veteran and Vimage coverage is about right)

To us, long life for an engine means 5Q000-6O,fi)0 miles without comgxlcnt replacerneot or maior overhaul, Depeoding upon the nature of 6e ergtne, today it may mean without even uking the head off for a de-coke. We noticed an artide oo the subfect which recommended the owner wisbing to irsease engine life to renew rings, valve sp,rings and big ends by 20,fiX) miles. We[-it depends what you mean by long lifel -

Understandably handymen owners prefer to avoid garage bills if thiy can do a iob thernselves, and not all Earaees are as conscientious as one could wish. On the 6ttrei trana certain servicing iobs are usually bctter donc by garages which have mdgrn equipment designed to do thern----often at a fixed charge.

Sometimes we are asked how to " rpne-upo an engine in the sense of adjusting it to give better performance. The answer is that without taking parts off, reshaping and substituring you cannot do so unless there is sqnething out of adiustment, in which case normal service, not tuning, is needed. Equipment is available in sqne garages to check scientifically rhe rnain aspects of engine performance and cordition-

Autoco is anxious to me€t readers' desires and is very willing to have a go at any reasonable suggestion- We would appreciate suggestions for do-it-yourself subjects of generd interest to which we should give priority.

CO'ITEf,T.A

Cors We Seldom See Disconnected Jouings .. : : Comera Spreod Rood lest: Youxholl Yictor de luxe

Estote Cor Trovel Talk ln the Fog .. Ihot Sometfi in g Extro. No 8-Ta ur us The Mon from Nowhere .. New Products Review Detroit Notebook .. Correspondence News And Views Used Cor lest: HumberSuperSnipe Ifie Sport .. Gowring's Seryice

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