Pink Panther, Joe Hunt and Auto Haus...

[Ole]

Some years ago when I was about to purchase the Pink Panther, I received a list with the parts coming with the car. One of them was a Joe Hunt Magneto. When I picked up the car at the shipping company, I realized the sign on the Mag reads "Don Zig Magneto". Anyway, I was happy it didn't got "lost" while shipping and to this day it performs very well. At a closer look I noticed some letters stamped in under the distributor-cap. They read "JH 09991"



I assumed it actually is a Joe Hunt Magneto and got maintenance some time later at Don Zig. To be sure I sent a Mail to Joe Hunt Magnetos, and here's the reply:

"Yes that  was originally sold by joe hunt magnetos. It was sold new in 1972 to a business called Auto House in Buena Park California.  The last time we seen it was it 1977 a person named Sergio Weingarten sent it in. That is all the info I have on it.
Regards
Steve"

I know some of you loungers worked at Auto Haus back in the day, or at least went there to pick up parts. Anybody recalls the name Sergio Weingarten?

Saludos,
Ole

[johnl]

I don't recall the name, but know that Auto Haus did make at least one purchase of a group of Joe Hunt magnitos.  Out of that original purchase I obtained one that ended up in the Butternut car and I seem to remember F&A (Fleming & Aronson) purchasing at least one and possibly more.

I worked for the Rosevear's from September of 1971 through March of 1981 starting as a counterman and finishing as the retail general manager with several stores under my control.  Today I still have the Joe Hunt Magnito sticker that came with my original unit and have posted it on the forum.  Type in Joe Hunt under "search" and you should locate it.

[johnl]

Here is the link I spoke of in my previous post:    http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,16644.0.html

[deano]

That name sounds familiar.... Wasn't there a guy named Sergio that owned a car, back east, named the Black Widow?

[.]

There was the Florida based Turbonique Black Widow.
But it used a rocket instead of a VW motor, hence no magneto.

[hotrodsurplus]

One of them was a Joe Hunt Magneto. When I picked up the car at the shipping company, I realized the sign on the Mag reads "Don Zig Magneto". I assumed it actually is a Joe Hunt Magneto and got maintenance some time later at Don Zig.

This is a bit off-topic but I think it bears mention. Most magneto shops will replace tags with their own, often at the expense of historical accuracy and part value. My pal sent in a really rare Pounden mag to have the magnets recharged and it came back drilled for a new, incorrect tag. If you ever send a mag to a shop be sure to emphasize (and put it in writing) that they are not to remove the tag or install their own.

[Ole]

Nobody else heard the name Sergio Weingarten before?

I just wonder if the Magneto I have is still the same which was used back in 1974 (pic below). After the OCIR-adventure the car went back to Mexico and didn't show up at California before 2000. Probably they sent the Mag to a compañero up at Estados Unidos to have it for service at Hunt.

[hotrodsurplus]

I just wonder if the Magneto I have is still the same which was used back in 1974 (pic below).

Whether or not it is  the right one, as long as you run a red cap on it at least it will look period correct.  Race parts change hands so frequently that it's often impossible to tell.