North Shore auto students
tour vehicle research facility

THE AUTOMOTIVE in-

dustry is going high-tech.

By Barbara Biack
News Reporter

And students taking automotive
in school are going beyond the
usua! repair mcde to look at the
latest developments in the in-
dustry.

Students and staff from West
Vancouver. Sutherland and Argyle
secondary schools recently bussed
down to Western Washington
University to take a look at their
Vehicle Research Institute.

The institute is a leading edge
centre which designs, tests and
researches the latest’ technology in
the automotive world.

The day trip was organized by
The North Shore Optimist Club as
part of Youth Appreciation Week
(Nov. 18-24).. Thirty students were

_toured through the facility by
director Dr. Mike Seal, a. graduate
of North Vancouver High School.

What they saw, says North
Shore Optimist Club member Bob
Robinson, was ‘‘several of the
different cars they’ve built over

Clean auto
interior
for safety

THE GUTSIDE of your car is
sparkling and shiny, the coai of

wax painstakingly applied is a

work of art. But what about the
inside?

Experts recommend making the
inside of your car as ‘‘distrac-
tion-free”’ as possible by cleaning
out all the iunk that accumulates
on the back seats, the back win-
dow ledges, the floors and under
the seais. \

Toys, ice scrapers, umbrellas,
tennis balls and other bits of
detritus car, wedge themselves
under-a seat and can also roll
forward te interfere with the
driver’s pedais. Not only does this
type of cleaning make the car look
better — you'll have a lot more
room: for sitting — dut it’s also
safer. And .just think how happy
you'll be knowing you won't sit
on some jagged piece of junk that
can Snag your clothes.

While you're cleaning, vacuum
the interior and sponge off the
upholstery. Snacking in the car
often leaves behind sticky spilis
you don’t really see. These crumbs
and spills might make your car a

. haven for bugs in the warmer
months,

Dashboards. armrests and steer-
ing wheels are great dust collec-
ters. How often have you sat gin-
gerly in the driver’s seat, trying
hard not to brush against some-
thing you know will ruin a good
suit?

Finally, if you smoke or carry
Passengers who do, the windows
and rear-view mirrors need peri-
odic washing. Tobacco smoke film
can build up and distort vision,
especially during night driving.

nyt

Sturinave.-

Make

the past 15 years. Everything from
gas-powered cars with three
wheels to solar engines."’

One of theie latest projects is a
solar/electric compressed natural
gas hybrid car called the Viking
21. It is a solar/electric hybrid
vehicle with a i00-mile range
which can also conver! to an in-
ternal combustion natural gas
powered engine with an additional
200-mile range. .

The entire vehicle was built
from scratch at the institute.

“The students thought this was
tremendous, it created a tremen-
dous interest in some of them,”*
said Robinson.

West Vancouver Secondary

725 MARINE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER 984-0

teacher Dennis Joel commented
that ‘‘We often don’t get exposure
to the high end of (automotives).”’
Western Washington showed the
possibilities of going into design
and engineering in the rapidly
growing and changing automotive
field.

Joel said the institute is spon-
soving a contest for schools and
colleges to build a solar-powered
model car which he would like to
try out with his students.

Other teachers who went on the
day trip include Lawrence Gueck
of Argyle Secondary and Ron
Collins of Sutherland.

-By Barbara Black

—_——

Friday, December 20, 1991 — North Shore News — 29

photo submitted

TEACHER Lawrence Gueck of Argyle Secondary and two North
Shore students take a closer look at the back-mounted transmis-
sion on the Viking 21, the fatest project of the Vehicle Research
tnstitute at Western Washington University.

1992 HONDA INVENTORY SALE. OVER
1¢0 NEW HONDAS TO BE SOLD. ALL
MODELS. SALE TIMES:

© FRI, DEC. 20, 9 AM. - 6 PM.

° SAT, DEC. 21, 9 AM. - 6 PM,

* SUN, DEC. 22, 12 NOON - 5 PM.

PURPOSE:

Pacific Honda is conducting this huge invertory sale in order to mee! nationat

annual Sales forecasts. The largest selection of new Hondas ever will de

available. No model wiil be held back. No paces can be advertised. You must

attend the sala in person to receive your pric quotation on a new Honda. Pro-

fessional used car appraisers will ba on hand to guarantee top dollar for your

trade-in. Experts will arrange special financing of leasing tc altow for immediate
livery.

PRELUDES The all new 1992 Preludes now
in stack. immediate delivery.

sf