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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1920)
1 , mx tswpui - jr V 'I Makers Differ On Price Cuts, Y" Dealers Say Some Cars Offered at Re duced Figure, But Others Declare VQuality Be fore Price.1 Automobile dealers in Omaha, as elsewhere, are getting their bearings after a week of uncertainty due' to sporadic price adjustments. Some cars have been offered at a ower price than heretofore. Oth r are held at the former figures, .neir manufacturers declaring that they at no time had charged a figure which permitted any material cut. The, Willys-Overland company, which reduced their Overfond and Willys models from $10t) to $200 each, has met a very gratifying re sponse, according to dcale-. throughout the country. On the ether hand, Dodge Bros., announc ing the continuance of the existing price, declare their demand still in excess of the supply. Dodge Bros, state: "In marketing their car Dodge Bros, have never made a point of price, and will never sacri fice the quality of their product to enter price competition." R. W. Peterson of the Peterson ' Motor company, handling the Tor dan, declares quality comes first, but that his company nevertheless - wished to do its part towards a res toration of lower price levels. The Douglas, made-in-Omaha truck, is slated for a reduction of between $20y and $300, according to Crge ChristODher. oresident of the TUTtnanv Tt will nr. t ...... k. made, he said, of Omaha-made or purcnased materials. According to word sent the local dealers, the Standard Motor Car Co., The Westcott will reduce all 48 models $200, effective October 2. the 38 touring model and the road- ( iter $400 and the sedan $500. Cleveland models have been re duced $150 and Chandlers $200, ac cording to word received by the vA.ard-Adams company, local dealers, j Russet E. Gardner, manufacturer f of the Gardner Light 4, has advised me western Motor Car company, of $90 reduction on the touring car and roadster and $100 on the sedan. J. H. Hansen Cadillac company has received word from the Cadillac company that "there is no fictitious value in Cadillac- and no, profiteer ing which make price reduction necessary." K ( Connecting Rod Scoop. "A connecting rod scoop mav be made from heavy sheet metal. It is placed directly under the oil hole, where a slot is cut in the shape of a triangle in the sheet metal about three-quarters of an inch long and bent down. The length may vary according to the closeness with which the rods' approach the pan. If the motor is a very long' stroke and more splash is wanted the slot may be cut in the shape of a rec tangle so that it will splash more oil. Flat Tire Running. When it is absolutely necessary to run on a flat tire keep the tire on soft earth as much as possible. This vents cutting the tube, which is inevitable if the wheel passes over sharp stones, car tracks, etc. New Manager Named For Rubber Co. Here W " ' I Practical Paragraphs J. J. Meacham. John. T. Meacham, formerly man ger of the St. Louis branch of the United States R:ibbcr company, has succeeded Mr. I. 1. Needham as manager of the Omaha branch on ac count of Mr. Needham s transter to New York as manager of all branch stote sales. Mr. Mcacham's transfer to Omaha li a distinct promotion through the fact that the Omaha branch is the largest of the fempany's branches and handles all products of the com pany, while the St. Louis branch distributed their tootwear and cloth ing lines only, and the promotion puts Mr. Meacham in the most de sirable position in the branch store organization. Mrs. Meacham and three children will come to Omaha just as soon as he can dispose of his St. Louis home and find a place for them in Omaha. Omaha will not be new to Mrs. Meacham, as she was Miss Maude Keys., daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. M. Keys, prior to her marriage to Mr. Meacham. Pull-'Em-Out. When a car is embedded in mud or sand it can usually be pulled out by means of a bit of plank and some stout rope. Wrap the rope around the end of the plank in a slip knot and the other end around a spoke of the' wheel. Thrust the end of the plank under the tire, turn on the power, and hope for the best. A rope may also be used by passing it around a tree and fastening both ends to the car. A stout stick, the jack handle, for instance, is inserted between the two strands of the rope and twisted. i Pulling Wheels With the Jack. An ordinary jack may be used in an emergency as a wheel puller. The jack is rested on the hub cap and a rope is passed around two opposite spokes and then over the top of the ja.ck. When- the power of the jack is applied off comes the wheel. In certain cases it is necessary to use a block or some similar object between the bottom of the jack and the axle. Ball Check Repair. In engines having pressure feed oiling there is generally a regulator with a ball check valve in a housing. If this ball gets stuck or lacks sphericity it is difficult to remove it for replacement. About the best way of getting it out is to take an L shaped tube or rod of a diameter slightly smaller than the ball. On the end of this rod or tube stick a small .lump of grease. Putting the rod through the opening carefully the grease on the end will usually pick up the ball and bring it out. The Cooling System. This is the time of year when the average car owner needs to be re minded that his cooling system needs a little extra attention. The ami-freeze mixture should be drain ed out and the system be flushed out with clean water. Many car owners find it beneficial to put a solution of baking soda and water in the rad- .. ., ' e o iator and run tne engine ior u min utes or half an hour, after which the soda mixture is drawn off and the cooling system is flushed out thoroughly with clean water, This tends to remove any scale that may have formed from the anti-freeze mixture. Also this is the time to re new the rubber connections of the cooling system. Save the Finish The cost of refinishing or repaint ing a car is considerably higher than it was a year ago or even six months ago. It -is necessary for the owner in order to save addi tional expense to take more pains in keeping the body finish in good or der. This can only be done by fre quent washings, especially keeping the body free from mud spots. Dust should be removed as soon as pos sible. ,The body should be polished at least once each two weeks. At tention to smaller fittings will save much money, as the cost of re-en' ameling and nickeling is extremely high nowadays. It ought to be the duty of every owner to do as many things as possible to keep his car looking well. Speedometer Wisdom Aside from standpoints of tire economy and good driving, if the I . J-! car nas a transmission unveu soeedometer it is advisable to re- frain from SDinninsr or sliding the rear wheels. JLhis practice is liable to spring or break the speedometer shaft and cause an error ot i to a per cent in odometer readings enoueh to throw one off route di rections in, following a tourist's guide book. Attaching Frame Bolts Bolts running through the frame channel are often very difficult to get in place, once they are removed. An easy method where these bolts are drilled to take a cotter pin is to run a piece of wire through the frame hole, then out and through the hole in the bolt The bolt may then be drawn through the hole. End Play In the Drive Bucking at low car speeds, caused by .end play in the driving system, may be caused by a worn clutch thrust bearing; end play in the crankshaft due to flattened tearing: worn clutch plates in the case of disc clutches; worn universal or THE FLYER Some thin g Unique We are anxious to show you this new Dixie Flyer model. A Sedan as rugged as the coach can be made, yet finished in ex quisite style. - Remember, the Dixie Flyer is an All-Purpose Car. Touring Car, $1700 f. o. b. Omaha Sedan, $2675 f. o. b. Omaha W. R. Nichols Motor Co.' Omaha, Neb. H I Ik I Distributors 2420 Farnam St. Usfwkji , ...... .... iir wear in the pinion bearing of the rear axle. Unless end play is taken care of quickly it soon will develop into serious trouble. Protecting a Gasket Gasket material when applied in place for some time will adhere so well that it is difficult to remove it without tearing the gasket. Before a gasket of this type is applied it should be given a gcneroifs coating of graphite, which avoids sticking and allows the gasket to be used over and over again. v Watch the Oil Gauge. The oil pressure gauge may be a means of determining the condition of engine bearings, because as the bearings wear the pressure drops owing to the greater freedom of movement of the oil. If the gauge shows low pressure consistently and you know the regulator is all right, suspect bearing wear. Slack in Skid Chains. In applying anti-skid chains they should not be made so tight as to stop creeping. The chain should be allowed to creep slightly so that the wear will be distributed instead of concentrated at fixed points. Gasket material Different locations demand dif ferent types of gasket material, de pending on whether they are to be subjected to the action of water, oil or gas. Gaskets in the wa.-.r lin chnnM irnrn1?v h rt crranti. ited asbestos, cut from a sheet and then spread with shellac. Care must he taken not to get too much shel lcc, because where there is an ex cess some of the shellac may be squeezed into the water jacket and make trouble. For oil joints use paper and for gas joints copper cov ered asbestos. Emergency Carbon Brushes The small carbon rods which ae part of the ordinary pockct-lamp battery can be filed and trimmed down to make a very acceptable temporary replacement for worn out carbon brushes in the magnet' Spring Flattening It has often been remarked face tiously that a certain car has an al terable whcelbase. As a matter of fact this is literally true of almost every car, especially of those which have llotrhkiss drive. When the springs flatten and remain so, even to a slight extent, the axles are changed, perhaps an inch or two. Measuring the distrance from wheel center to wheel center is a good check on spring condition. Careful With the Hose. Many cases of failure of wheel bearings may be traced to rust caused by the indiscriminate appli cation of a stream of water at 40 or 50 pounds pressure to the square inch to the parts of the car where hey are mounted. Overheating in Winter. It seems rather anomalous that overheating is one 'of' the troubles that often occurs ' in very cold weather. Sometimes this is caused by the use of an antifreeze solution having a boiling point below that of clear water. More often when a car is run with nothing but water in the radiator some part of the water sys tem freezes enough to obstruct the passage of the water, with the re sult that boiling quickly takes place. Valve Clearance In many of the older car models no' means of adjusting the valve clear ance is provided. By slipping one or more fiber of metal disks of suffi cient thickness to take up the exces sive play between the bottom of tho valve stem and the push rod this trouble may be obviated. A metal retainer cut from sheet metal will keep the disc in place. l i Quality Goes Ciear Through wAM) , F. WA MEIS, Jr. Omaha Branch Manager Announcing Dort Sales Company Harvey H. Jones, President 2211 Farnam Street Dort Distributors Omaha Territory JNO. J. LAUGHLIN Des Moines Branch Manager PRICES Touring Car $1085 Roadster 1085' Fourseason Sedan 1765 Fourseason Coupe - - 1765 F. O. B. Factory Wire Wheels and spare tires extra So impressive has been the Dort rise in popularity throughout the entire country that we take particular pride in announcing our connection with the Dort Company as distributors for the Omaha territory. Before becoming Dort representatives in this territory a searching investi gation was made of the merits of all cars in the moderate price class. The qualities of one, car were weighed fairly and exactly against those of another. Plants were inspected. Owners con sulted as to how these cars performed. And so by the process of elimination the Dort was arrived at as the final selection in the field. The Dort is, first of all, an alert, agile, graceful car that handles with de lightful ease. Unusually long springs, a staunch frame and restful upholstery com bine to make it a fatigue-less car to drive. The siply designed, powerful Dort. motor pulls with, smoothness and delivers full powei; to the wheels all the time. The Dort construction throughout is so accessible that service can be given any part very readily and inexpensively. The entire assembly of the Dort chassis reflects the deliberate effort of the Dort engineers to keep operative and upkeep expense at the very lowest point. As you check off one by one the points of Dort construction and Dort performance you cannot help but be impressed with its low operating cost. Today, with many good cars on the market, the Dort stands out as an exceptional car and an uncommonly desirable investment for you. Back of its national reputation for long and loyal service at a very low cost per mile is the satisfactory ex perience of more than 80,000 owners. In Omaha a service organization has been built up that assures you prompt and efficient work and thor ough satisfaction. You are extended a cordial invitation to inspect the .various Dort models on display at the Dort Sales Com pany's showrooms, 2211 Farnam St., Omaha. (.v-i "II".. llllllfff II II I 1 (li 1 1 1 ' ' 1 1 HiiiiLiilfii.' i .. ii, ma muni i .wm, ,11 J'lHIIIIIlllllillllilllllllllllllllllniUJJJI ' ...!,! ,nni,t:.3r ,i HUiiiwiiiiliii,,. lit ... f ySmmm wmk0S mr , n J I 'Hi. m iff ( '''Mil j0mwmmmmimimmanmirmm If ii 'ii urn nun m - n ;mii iiium L... ,ifii ' m W N Mr ' ' ''III 'mimmmnnliHNl 1 k it t. V til 'i n i :