Art & Inspiration Muntz Jet search

Anyone know of or seen a rough, bad, or wrecked Muntz for sale? Love to rescue one complete or incomplete. It would complete my auto bucket list.

 

I am not sure how much you know about Muntz but google "Muntz Elgin IL" and you will find a newspaper article. Maybe you can contact the businessman in South Elgin. Also try to find the documentary film. I saw it at the showing in St. Charles, it was quite good

 

It might be a long shot but I remember watching an apisode of American Pickers and they had found a Muntz and the owner wasn't ready to sell. There is probably a way to contact them and ask if they have any info that you could follow up on. Otherwise take out a wanted ad in Hemmings and see if anyone replies.
I have only seen one and it was when I was a teen back in the late '50s. I worked at a family friends junk yard and a guy stopped in looking for a part. The car was strange overall but I remember the snakeskin pattern upholstery and the pirate emblem on the horn button. I thought it was supposed to be Yoesimite Sam but later was told it was a caricature of Mad Man Muntz that built the cars.

 

The caricature was supposed to be Muntz thinking he was Napoleon in an 1815 hat and his hand in his shirt.

 

There are two pretty cherry ones around here that come to shows together, one yellow, one blue

 

Got a extra $145,900 bucks lying around collecting simple interest then this one is ripe for the picking. HRP

The ad

 

There is a guy here on the Hang that has one, it's his avatar. You may know that but thought I'd try to help out.

 

That would be "Special Ed"here on the HAMB

 

I know of several out there, as we have a Muntz and Kurtis Registry to try and keep track of the few that remain. There's a fellow in the upper Midwest who seems determined to scoop up any stragglers though, as he's bought about a half dozen of 'em recently. Send me a PM, and I'll fill you in.

Thank you Timwhit and wbrw32 for the mentions.

 

This one rough enough?

 

Where'd you get the pic? Did you take it?

 

DAMN

 

This one was beside the road that leads to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Pic taken five years ago.

 

The one I own now was literally broken in half when I got it.

 

Isn't that a 55 Chuntz On a serious note they were pretty radical looking right off the line...

 

http://www.arizona-classic.com/1951_muntz_jet_rat_rod.htm ignore that word



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Yep, estate auction in Indiana.

It sold for 1100 bucks.

 

I saw the pic of the yellow car and thought " $14,900 not bad" then looked again and saw $ 145,900 ha ha ha. For that kind of dough you might better build your own like Frank Curtis did in 1941.

 

If you notice, that is the same car as in the post above (Grand Canyon).

Rich

 

Actually I didn't make the connection so five years later and some rework...I'd say for the better it is still available at I suppose at a substantial amount more...however that is the way things go sometimes. Cool cars for sure. Rare birds mean high dollars even as projects. Thanks rodster.

 

Yeah, that's about a hundred grand too high for that. None has ever sold for six figures that I'm aware of.

 

There are two derelict Muntz Jets in the vault at the Petersen museum. They are both early cars, built at the Kurtis shop in Glendale rather than Muntz' facility in Illinois. I believe one is Cadillac powered and the other is a flathead Lincoln V8. It was originally Mr. Petersen's intention to build one good car out of the two junkers, but they haven't been touched in the six years that I've been involved there. Contact Leslie Kendall, the curator at the Pete, and see if they're interested in selling one or both.

 

This site provides background and a few photos:
http://www.americansportscars.com/muntz.html

 

Arizona Classic also sells an aluminiumbodied Muntz (no27 of 28). The asked prize is 60 grand...

 

I remember one sitting on Western Ave. in Blue Island Illinois in a fenced lot somewhere between 127th and 119th streets. Northwest corner of an intersection with a small side street.............. But that was mid 1980s.

 

The reason for Mr. Peterson's interest in the Muntz Jet was from his earlier relationship with Earl "MadMan" Muntz. Before he became a publisher of automotive magazines (including Hot Rod Magazine), he worked for Earl as the publicist for his very famous used car lots.

 

I had heard that Petersen, Muntz, and Kurtis were all acquainted. There is a 3rd Muntz at the Pete, which is a later Illinois car with a Chrysler hemi in it, nicely restored.

 

Yes, Peter Condos' Jet. He was a welder for Earl as a young man, here in California. When the car factory moved to Evanston, Earl promoted him to welding foreman, and asked him to move to Evanston. He obliged. Really neat old guy with lots and lots of stories about "MadMan". It was very generous of him to donate that car to the Pete. He had a simply incredible memory, too.

 

"There's someting about a Muntz TV that makes you want to smile"

 

Thanks. I'll look into it.