In response to a request in another thread.
Book of the above title, subtitled “For all those who are devoid of all mechanical knowledge
By Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon. Published 1927
Preface
Many excellent books on the motor-car have been written for the instruction of car owners, but I have never yet come across one which has recognised sufficiently the abysmal mechanical ignorance of thousands of those who daily drive cars on the King’s highway. The ignorance of many of those is on a par with that of the average housemaid whose ingenuity is severely strained if she has to renew the cord of a roller blind. (he carries on for another four pages).
The whole of chapter one is about how to read a drawing...
Chapter 11 is entitled “The Differential” and frankly, apart from the tone, is enough to put anyone off. Pages of poor explanation with a few, terrible drawings. I know how one works, but even I'd skip that bit.
The man is extraordinarily verbose, and to be honest, a post quoting enough to make much sense would have to be so long as to be impossible.
He says this however
On driving
Always at cross roads, or on entering a main road, slow down, sound your horn and listen for a reply...
On ignition
Now how can I conveniently increase the push behind a current of electricity? Why, by creating a lot of little currents one after the other, all pushing each other in the same direction; so that the resulting push will be considerably greater than the push of one single little current.
On lubrication
All oil systems that are fitted with an oil pump have a pressure gauge on the dashboard...
(Not true in 1927, I own an engine made in that year and the corresponding car has no gauge).
On starting a cold engine
If you are not strong, and have no man to help you, then take steps to keep your engine warm, by keeping a lighted safety lamp under the bonnet...
(It's a valid tip for the period, but badly written).
It’s a terrible book all round, and you won’t be surprised to learn, the publishers were Mills and Boon.
Rather like you watch "Plan 9 from Outer Space", I had to have the book.
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