Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock Hints

How does the car work?

  • 1 of 4: Very simply. Just hold down the left mouse button and move the cursor in the direction you want Nancy to go. The left mouse button makes the car go forward, the right button makes it go in reverse. When you want to stop, either let up the mouse button to roll to a stop, or pull into one of the parking areas in town and hit the spacebar. If nothing happens, it means you're not in a parking space; maneuver a little and try again. That's pretty much it.
  • 2 of 4: You can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the car, but the mouse is a lot easier to use. There's an in-game tutorial on using the car if you're having trouble; go to the main screen, click on "New Game," then click on "Tutorial."
  • 3 of 4: The gas gauge on the lower left side of the screen shows how much gas you have left, which is important. You can buy more gas at Zippy Gas (see the map, in your inventory when the game starts) when you run low; at 16 cents a gallon (yes, that's really what it cost in those days), you can get pretty far on 25 cents worth, and you can fill your tank for $1. If you run completely dry, you'll have to have the car towed to Zippy, which will cost you (gulp!) $5, and if you don't have it Zippy will put you to work sorting nuts and bolts for him. It's a lot cheaper just to keep the tank filled.
  • 4 of 4: The tire on the lower right side of the screen shows your spare tire. If you get a flat and have to change your tire, the picture of the tire will be greyed out until you go to Zippy and get your spare fixed. This costs $2, or $5 if you don't have a spare and have to be towed. It's cheaper just to avoid the potholes and mud patches in the street to save your tires.