Autocar EDt?oR Maurlce A. gmlth D.F.c. aPoRTS EDrroR Peter Garnler AaatBTANT EDI?oBa Leonard A. Ayton, Ronald Barker utDLAilD EDlroF Edward Eves ABT EDtron Howard VYse

2I FEBRUABY I 964

MAr{aotNo DlBEoroF H, N. Prlaulx u.a.e-

Help Yourself f I IHEN, rwo weeks ago, we ashed what work l/V readers did or wanted to do oo their cars, we v v did not expect to be o,pening a safety valve' Most of the replies received to date have boen very helpful indeed, and we are planning to provide new features of a pr.actical nature to meet the requirernents indicatsd, bui into ttrese replies are also urritten rsal cris de ceurs-a burst of sad stories of disillusionmeot and frustration

We have been told: " I despair of geuing reasonable service from my local garage so have started to do all my ourn maintenance . . ."'r " after thre useless attempas to put this Eouble right the garage do rot $'ant to knou' about it, so I shall have to try myself. . . .' * \[e are resigned to ttre fact that nesv cars are ttrrown together and, theqefore, the oum€f, has to be able to -rk" t ir car redworthy. . . ." " My car is essential to my daily work. The garage first wants ytru to make an appointmerrt and then they keep the car two or three dayJ foq a fob that should take only that nurnber of hourr. . . .' " I simply cailtot afford to ovn a cat otd pay thc son of reprair bills you get today." - This all soenrs to suggest tbat perbaps as ouny o\rrlsffi may be tackling their orm rnaintcoaoce and rcpair work reluctantly as do it by choice. It would be v.ry unfair to grnecalize, but the urhapgy fact remains thai too nrany garag$ a.re poody staffed with rrrchanics who have had no formal instruction and with service rnanagen (if aoy) wbo have stepped into the iob rather tharr ben uained for it. Vith tfre engineering indu$ries hning and paying high wages, g:arages fiod it iocreasingly difficult to attract good men, aod the demands on their enisting staff ard facilities inctease each week-

The ultimate aoswer is not trome *rvice but more rcliable cars requiring oo routirc maintcnance. This is what the rranufacturers are striving to prwidesuccessfully to the exteot of greatly reduced mainteo. ance schedules fo,r nsw modelg.

Ve expect in time to see a big extension of exchange replaceurcnt scbemes in place of regairs. Just as onc hearrcs out a dud battery after its twuyears-and-ore-day life and drops ir a new one, so it may be possible one day, in the event of uouble, to obtaio a new carburettor, distributor or wiper motor from a self-service garage store, "plug" it into the car and clip on the colour coded wires or controls.

Several kinds of repa.ir are becoming uneconomical' If the component or assembly can be turned out in tens of thousands by modern productioo pr@esses, a tew replacertent unit must nearly always be cheaper' This remark applies to detachable body paoels as well as to mechanical parts. Today, Do one tries to straighten out a bent wte.t of the modern pressed-steel kind or a crunched tail lamp assernbly when replacements cost only a few shillings to make.

In spite of these colrunerfis we are happy to feel that " Do-ii-yourself " will go on, if only because many of us derivl pleasure and relaxation frorn working on our cars and iatidaction from making sure that they are just so. Ard leisure time does not have to be costed' G".aget, not all of which seem likely to top the popularity polt just now, migbt bear i" P'"9 that most p.oil"-

"." willing to pay a quite stiff price for a job well and quickly done, but they resent every peony spent on slow, shoddY work.

CO}ITENTS

Renoult Rg I 100 .. A Glimpse of Corslco The Tired Driver .. Comera Spreod Disconnected Jottings Rood lest: DAF de luxe Drlvtng For o Ltving Out West .. Trovel Tolk New *lotor Corovons New Products .. Correspondence News ond Views The Sport ..

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