Answers to Queries.
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Concerning a 1910 Chassis.
[2611] (Dublin).—We have had pleasure in posting one of our free cost sheets, as requested. With regard to your inquiry as to the likelihood of a 1910
making a good motorvan, we have to reply that in almost all eases of such conversions of pleasure-car models for commercial-vehicle purposes they turn out unsatisfactory from the running-cost point of view. Machines of this class are not built for the hard special work of this kind, and we, in normal times, never recommend their use. We, of course, cannot give a definite opinion without an inspection of the machine in question.
Buying a Power Unit.
[2612] (Filey).—We think you will be able to get the information re the latest types of steam engines and boilers from :— White-Coleman Motors, Ltd., Carlow Street, Camden Town London N.W.
Sheppee Motors, Ltd., Thomas Street, York. or The National Steam Car Co., Moulsharn Works, Chelmsford, Essex.
Alternatively a suitable internal-combustion engine can be obtained from W. H. Dorman and Co., Ltd., Stafford. Coventry-Simplex Engines, Ltd., Coventry. J. A. Prestwich and Co., Ltd., Northumberland Park, Tottenham, London, N. Douglas Bros., Kingswood, Bristol. F. E. Baker, Precision Works, King's Norton.
From a Firm Which is "Fed-up" with Horses.1 [2613] (Wine Merchants).—You are apparently buying a pleasure type of chassis for commercial work, and we do not gather from your letter the weight which you expect to impose on the machine in your business. We should estimate that your horse contract will not result in your getting more than 280 miles of running weekly, and the service is costing you something in the vicinity of 28 10s. or .E0 per week, allowing for the maintenance of the vane and the drivers' wages. Probably the estimates on our costs sheet (mailed) for a 7-ewt. van with pneumatic tires will about fit your case, except that if you do not get up to 400 miles per week the cost will go up a little, possibly to a maximum of 4/d. for 280 miles of running a week. As regards the rate of delivery by motorvans, owners frequently reckon that they can rely upon a day's work which is based upon an allowance of five minutes for each mile of running, and three minutes for each call. The percentage of c.o.d. ,calls causes this to vary. On the open roads in your ,district, and in the absence of much congestion of traffic, you might safely allow four minutes per mile. Hence, if you want to do 45 miles a day, your running -time will be three hours, and your delivery time, on the basis of 150 orders per day, something under eight 'hours. With a stoppage for dinner, this practically -means a 12-hour day. Perhaps you will check from your own experience whether in your work as much as three minutes per call is wanted. A single test with a 15-cwt. load is no measure of wear and tear under that load continuously. You have merely proved that the springs did not appear to be overloaded with such a load once imposed. You do not -state the dimensions of the tires ; if you will give the sizes, diameters and sections, we can give an opinion. Very large pneumatic tires are needed to stand up commercially under such a load as the one which you mention, and we should anticipate that the cost of them to you will be not far short of 2d. per mile run, -no matter what size they are, if your load is frequently as much as 15 cwt. on the chassis. Extra -wear due to starting and stopping the engine is small Use of His Ford Chassis.
[2614] (Hambleden).—By way of addition to reply to your query of 25th Feby., provided the placing of hampers on the roof of the Ford van does not make it top-heavy, and does not bring the total imposed load on the chassis higher than 10 cwt., there should be no objection to that course. Empty hampers would certainly be quite safe, and with full hampers it is chiefly on the question of turning corners that care is needed. We should not expect to see any margin of profit, on the basis of 6d. _per mile, at a lower weekly running than 280 miles. You must put up the charge if it goes lower in the aggregate. We do consider the Ford van extremely good value for money, subject to the load limitation which we have stated. Its total life should certainly be considerably more than 30,000 miles, if carefully handled and reasonably maintained.. You must work out some of the figures for yourself. You have not told us what you intend to pay your driver per week, what you intend to charge as proportion of rent, rates and taxes, or how much you intend to pay for insurance. Assuming that these figures are normal in your case, on the basis of 140 miles a week, the drier will cost you at least 2d. per mile, and insurance not much less than id. per mile. Taken overall, compared with the aid. for a 10-eict. van on our free costs sheet at 400 miles a, week, the cost may go up to 5d. per mile run, apart from management expenses (if any), special contingencies, and profit. On a 140-mile week, you should try to get 8d. per mile run. We do not state that the cost will be 6d. ; you are asking us to give a figure which will leave you a profit. We recommend ad. for a 140mile week, or there is nothing in it for you. Of course, if you are going to drive the vehicle yourself, and are thereby able to reduce your working costs by 25s. per week, this, on a 140-mile week, is a little more than 2d. per mile saved.