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As published in The Sydney Morning Herald - Motoring News, Thursday, May 16, 1929
A LIVELY SEDAN.
SILVER ANNIVERSARY BUICK TESTED
The new Silver Anniversary Buick has already performed well both in important contests and in the hands of private owners and demonstrated that the objects of its designers to give increased speed and power without sacrificing the best points of the old models have been achieved. This fact was confirmed by a test at the weekend of a standard model four door sedan of the latest type, which had covered about 1475 miles when taken out and which was driven about 275 miles in all weathers and over a variety of roads.
The car used was the model 116, its engine being rated as of 26 h.p., but developing 74 at 2800 revolutions a minute. Its bore is 3&5-16in and stroke 4&5-8in, giving a piston displacement of 239.1 cubic inches (3919 cc). It has a compression ratio of 4.3 to one, four large bearings as well as counterweights and a vibration damper for the balanced crankshaft, overhead valves, cast iron pistons, a Marvel carburretor fed by an AC fuel pump from a rear tank with a capacity of about 12 imperial gallons and fitted with an AC air cleaner, oil filter, and crankcase ventilation system, Delco Remy ignition,starting and lighting, multiple disc clutch of the dry plate type and standard three forward speed gearbox with central control, the ratio of top gear being 4.9 to one, semi-elliptic front and cantilever rear springs with hydraulic shock absorbers, the Buick four wheel brakes, and semi-irreversible screw and half nut steering, adjustable with ignition, throttle and light switch leavers all mounted on the steering column. The car has a combination ignition switch and gear and ignition lock mounted on the steering column also below the steering wheel.
The car was taken over on friday evening in Elizabeth street, city and driven immediately out through Darlinghurst, Kensington and Daceyville across Ricketty street and Shea’s creek bridge. The first impression gained of it was the extraordinarily light steering: although fitted with a luxurious sedan body with ample seating accomodation for five adults, the steering wheel acted positively and promptly on a pressure which seemed hardly sufficient to influence the course of a bicycle. It also posessed a satisfactory
self-centering characteristic which enabled its course to be corrected, after making a turn, instantaneously. Next impression was of the wonderful flow of power which carried the big car, its registered weight was 33&1/2 cwt- along at the ordinary touring speed with the throttle almost closed and caused it to fairly leap forward to sieze openings in the traffic. Notwithstanding this great power, acceleration, and its pick-up from a crawl on top gear, however, it was most tractable.
Saturday was devoted to short runs about the suburbs, about 75 miles being covered in the day. Next day the course followed was over the Blue Mountains to Hartley, where the opportunity was taken of testing hill climbing powers on Hassan’s Walls and the old Mount Victoria Pass.
A start was made about 9.30 am and the car never got out of top gear during the morning except in one place on the deviation between Blaxland and Springwood, where the road was narrow and slippery and several other cars were crawling ahead at the same time. It was clearly advisable in such a place to change down, although by no means compulsory.
KNOW THE CAR
During this run, however, a point came up illustrating the value of intimacy with the particular car and its peculiarities to enable the best performance to be accomplished. This model Buick carburettor is fitted with a heat control, the operating leaver being at the left hand side of the instrument board. Under the impression that on such a day it would probably be a benefit to give the carburettor a little extra warmth, this was placed about midway between full-on and off positions, but the result, as far as the fuel consumption and liveliness of the engine were concerned, was not at all favourable. As a matter of fact, the accent of Lapstone Hill and other steep rises on the mountains was so stodgy, although done in top gear, that for a while fears were entertained that the ignition timing was incorrect, but fortunately before this was interferred with the trouble was really located and an improvement in running noted immediately. So bad was the effect of the mistake, however, that the petrol consumption for the drive from Sydney to Lawson was as heavy as for the rest of the day’s run to the top of Hassan’s Walls hill and back to the starting point in Sydney. After leaving Lawson a certain amount of apprehension was still felt as to the prospects of the car for the day, but it made such light work of Whipcord Hill at Wentworth Falls as to settle these doubts completely.
The road down the old Mount Victoria Pass was taken to test the retarding powers of engine and brakes, but even on the steepest parts of the hill, which was greasy after rain, second gear proved sufficiently powerful to hold the car back to a perfectly safe speed without using brakes at all.
AT HASSAN’S WALLS
Just before reaching Lett’s River bridge another car was overtaken and it compelled the Buick really to show what it could do on the big test hill. Just as the Buick entered the bridge the other car came almost to a standstill at the other end and perforce a very slow speed had to be kept across the bridge until the other car moved out of the way, thus preventing the Buick, fully loaded, from reaching a higher speed than 15 miles per hour when it started the climb of Hassan’s Walls. Nevertheless there was sufficient engine power available even then to accelerate swiftly, and all the way up to the steep bad corners the car was gaining speed. It went right over the top without a change of gear, and finished up the hill at about 35 miles an hour.
The great test on the return journey was Mount Victoria Pass, the steep old pass again being chosen. There is no doubt that the new pass would not offer the Buick any difficulty in top gear; most of the old pass was done in top also, but on some of the steepest parts the surface was still wet and slippery and second was used twice to negotiate them. The rest of the run home was easy, the most trying portions being the Springwood deviation and the traffic procession through Parramatta and Granville.
GOOD HEADLIGHTS
The last part of the drive was done after dark, giving the cars illumination a chance to prove itself. The headlights have a tilt ray devise operated by a small leaver on the centre of the steering wheel, and gave a good light; the road illumination being more concentrated and brighter for the driver when the rays were tilted than when at normal level. The instrumernt board illumination was particularly good; with a small switch on the dashboard in one position the dials were all nicely illuminated indirectly, while with the switch in the opposite position a hansome little dashboard light was brought into use.
The highest speed attempted was 53 miles an hour. This was attained without any bother and with much power still in hand. The car, with ignition fully advanced and with the throttle almost shut, idled down to less than two miles an hour on top gear, and then accelerated rapidly to 35 miles an hour without a change. From a stationary start, and using all gears, it bounded to 35 miles an hour in an incredibly short time. During the period it was used it covered about 375 miles on less than 17 gallons of petrol. Had the mistake not been made with the heat control referred to it would probably have done between 18 and 20 miles to the gallon at a good touring speed and fully loaded on a long drive. This must be considered very satisfactory for a heavy and luxurious sedan with an engine of nearly four litres. The weight during the principal test was about 39cwt.
Posted 09/2006 |
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