July 23-24

 

The Ghosts headed out early in the misty mountain air from Wheeling, WV for a 175 run to Deer Creek, Ohio. Two scheduled stops along the way included a tour of Jack Dunning’s private car collection in Cambridge, OH and a visit to the Zane Grey Museum on the Old National Highway, our nation’s first highway.

IMG_6803Alex Joyce of Nashville, TN cleaning 40PG, 1922 Barker
tourer, following three days of on the road driving the rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The morning started out cool and rainy and continued through mid-day. This was the third consecutive day of rain and its effects were beginning to show on the Ghosts, particularly the nickel and German silver fittings. You can tell the quality of rain by how it marks the nickel finish. The more acid, the more stained it becomes. Today’s rain was particularly effective at turning the nickel from a polished finish to a dull brownish shade.

 

IMG_6809

Ralph Linquist of Camp Hill, PA polishing away remnants of acid rain staining on German silver radiator shell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun came out in the afternoon, providing a nice ride into Deer Creek and the opportunity to clean and polish a little on the cars. We also passed the 500 mile mark on the cross-country tour. With the 20+ Ghosts participating so far, that equates to over 10,000 collective miles of relatively trouble-free touring. So far, the Ghosts have only had minor problems that were easily corrected on the road. These are great touring cars and are proving themselves each day through the mountains and inclement weather.

IMG_6813
Silver Ghost covered with make-shift cover from more rain the forecast.
This Ghost, 87E, a 1925 Boat tail roadster, has no top and this cover
provides its only protection while parked.

 

Today also marked the arrival of Con Keogh’s Ghost. His car had been held up in customs and agricultural inspections since July 4th after being shipped to Newark, NJ from Australia. After driving about 12 hours, he caught up with the group by mid-day by using major roads to expedite his trip.

 

IMG_6823Ghosts from Western Australia cruising through Ohio farm country. Lead Ghost driven by Jeremy Green (1924 Tourer – 41EM) and followed by Con Keogh in 1921 London to Edinburgh tourer (106HG).

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday morning started out clear and cool. The weather is an obvious theme when you are driving in open cars. So far, we’ve made the first three days with the top down, despite the cold and rain

 

IMG_6884Jim and DeeGee Bannon of Arlington, TX in 1924 Tourer (36TM) in front of Texaco service station model in Knightstown, OH

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road hazards have been as varied as the weather. We’ve had our share of construction zones with loose gravel. As we drove through the farm country, we’ve added the occasional tractor to the road hazards as well as local fauna, including deer, groundhogs and skunks. All seem to have been in abundance in Ohio.

IMG_6882
Maureen Spilsbury signaling for turn into local ice cream parlor
in Knightstown, OH (Binder bodied Sedanca de Ville -1920 model – 60RE)

The 200 mile Saturday drive to Indianapolis included two interesting stops. The first was in Dayton, Ohio at the Air Force Museum. It is a huge complex that includes airplanes from the very first to the latest. We also stopped in Knightstown, Ohio to visit an original Texaco gas station of the 1940s. It provided an excellent backdrop for photos of cars.

IMG_684202

First time Ghost driver, James Fuqua of Nashville, TN, on the tarmac at the U.S. Air Force museum in Dayton, OH in 1924 Locke Roadster (3AU)

 

 

 

 

 

Our youngest Ghost driver became James Fuqua (age 18) during the last two days. He drove a Ghost for the first time during the last 10 miles into Deer Creek and drove over 150 miles the next day on the way to Indianapolis. A Ghost is not easy to drive since the gears are straight cut and timing of shifts is critical to making a smooth gear change. After several false starts, James had largely mastered the gear changing by the time he reached Indianapolis.

Continue to July 25-26, 2004

Return to Ghosts to Coast Journal

 

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