Customs Muntz….Jet….Custom….History

Looking for history on this 1952 Muntz Jet custom
With Cadillac rear quarters, Cadillac 331 engine East coast build I’m thinking

 

Pretty unique Custom that is. Are they fibergl*** bodies...forgive me I know of them but not in depth

 

There steel only 225 made

 

Thanks, Yes I know they are rare... there is a Hamber here with one or two of them, maybe he has an Idea...

@Special Ed

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=20900

...A Thread Ryan did on him...

 

These photos are from a 1954 car show in Cali
only other Muntz Jet Custom

 

Somebody customized a super rare car. . . Ohhh, the sacrilege!!

 

@Special Ed Has one.

Edit: HAD one.

 

These 2 customs are great…. Even with so few made, there’s was no reason NOT to customize one then. . . Just think….they are period correct.

 

Well said

 

Thanx for posting those, Austie.

 

The first dozen or so were aluminum bodied cars, but they had challenges with the bodies, switched to stamped steel bodies for the bulk of production, then towards the end of production were experimenting with fibergl*** (which was a new process at the time). The last one I built had fibergl*** rear quarters, front fenders and hood. Steel doors and trunk lid. Closer to 225 built, not the 198 number ...

 

Thanks for the history and numbers
And different metals

 

Special Ed's '53 Muntz Jet custom:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/special-eds-53-muntz-jet-custom.448744/

 

The collection I worked at had one. It had a Lincoln engine in it. I don't believe any of them had a folding top. The one in the collection had a fibergl*** Carson type removable top.

 

Is it yours yet @Austinrod...it needs a bit of work...kinda like a Tucker in a different skin...

Hemi's fit nice eh!...nothing wrong with a Caddy either...

 

The owner sez he has receipts dating back to the mid 50's......any chance you can get him to send you some pics of them? Might be something in them that can help.
This is from a Cadillac database and is just an FYI because not sure of it's accuracy (number of Caddy engines)....as they're also using 394 for total units produced - which Muntz always maintained but as said, is inaccurate.

 

Not mine guys asking 67k

 

This is what it looked like in 1987

 

Its nicely executed...a bit odd but they grow on you...I'd like it lower and heck it's modded already so there's potential there...one could easily use it's mods as leverage in negotiations but there's still a resto ahead...that Hemi example is stunning really...

 

It has different skirts...perhaps Factory ones? They might look better anyways...

 

I think the factory skirts are shoebox Ford as is the side trim. I believe the window regulators and some inner stampings are also.

 

A touch off topic but any info on the early vette next to it?

 

Muntz Jet

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Muntz_Jet

The Muntz Jet was developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC), a two-seat, aluminum-body sports car designed by Frank Kurtis. ... Muntz bought the rights to the KSC ...

 

Nope. He sold it.

 

Yeah, after owning six of 'em over several years, it was time to move on.

 

Skirts, side-trim, and all stampings were not Ford products, but original and specific to Muntz Jets. You are correct on the window regulators, though. Also door handles and vent windows are 1951 Ford Victoria items.

 

Sorry nothing

 

The side trim on the one where I worked was modified 50's Ford, as we replaced it with NOS trim that we had to modify.

 

What year was the Jet, what year car was the trim from and was the trim that you removed original to the car?

 

The Jet is a 1952, and the trim was original to the car as far as we could tell. I don't remember what year the trim was from, but will ask someone who may remember.

Edit.
I asked and he thought it was from a 49-51 Ford 2dr. But we had to have it modified to fit.