From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Copy of a letter from Major C.B. Northey providing feedback on a vehicle's performance and issues encountered.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan384 | |
| Date | 7th August 1922 guessed | |
| COPY OF LETTER FROM MAJOR C.B. NORTHEY. -2- brushes broken and the commutator in a very bad state and very likely to split if used. The workman advised me not to use it, even if brush replaced. As my batteries did not seem fully charged I did not like to carry on so I tel: to Paris and reported matter to Parsons, who turned up next morning and examined things. He decided I could not carry on with the Dynamo ( he took it back to Paris & wired Derby for another) fitted & wired up the battery of his 40-50 on to the Goshawk & I started for Boulogne about 2 p.m. About 35 miles short of Boulogne we had a bit of a bump in a pot-hole, soon after I noticed a lot of water coming from the radiator and I found that the rubber pipe from radiator to engine had come adrift & most of the water was lost. I had tightened the thing up twice before but the pipe was too short for the bands to get a grip; it took me some time to get things right and I had some trouble in getting water, and it was raining hard all the time. No further trouble to Boulogne which I was very glad to see. What with tyre trouble, etc. etc. and the bad roads, I could not do a very big mileage, it was 780 in 6 days, but when we were going I went as fast as possible all the time, and, if the chassis can stand what I gave it, it can stand anything. The car was very hard to keep on the road at 50 miles & over as I think the body was top-heavy and the tail was all over the road; I managed to get about 56 out of her. The engine is lovely at about 40, especially when she is climbing, but I dont like the second speed, it is too slow and when one changes down one doesnt seem to get away on it. I would like four speeds. The brakes are not good at any fast speed and one has to stand on foot brake to do any good. The timing gears make a noise like a wind, but the clutch and gear changes could not be better. The wheels I dont like because of the absurd way one has to hammer the lever with the mallet before one can get the beastly things off. I think it is a great mistake only having battery ignition, as in my case a Dynamo can burn out and leave one stranded, and the last driver or the one before was stranded and had to get help from Paris because the coil gave up the ghost. The engine uses far too much oil, I had to give it 4 litres after 150 miles. The car ought to be a beauty and the way the engine holds on to its work is a treat. (Sd) Cyril. | ||