Popularity of magnetos in the cal-look days

[Brian Silva]

Would you say that magnetos were a popular choice of ignition in the early years of cal-look? Do you consider mags cal-look or for race applications only? Just trying to get some inspiration to finish building my engine. Every detail counts!

[Diederick/DVK]

i love em! but i never know if they're good for street use too.

[Fastbrit]

Ii ran a Vertex magneto on the Chop-Top for a few thousand miles, and one on my Okrasa-engined Split-window, too. No reason on earth why they cannot be used on the street. they actually make a lot of sense as they don't require any battery power to work. Don't worry!

[71CALRIPPER]

and its good fun to tell your friends to grab the HT lead

[Diederick/DVK]

all right. i'm not trying to hijack the thread here.
but it's not the scintilla magneto you'd want, right? rev. limited?
so... reworked vertex or joe hunt's?

[Prowagen]

Right call me a complete dumb ass, but how does the Mag work and power itself? Does it mean the coil is redundant?

Love the way they look, but scared of them as i dont know squat about them!

I would say they are 100% Cal Look and street on tons of cars.

Regards,
Rob.

[Lee.C]

as far as reliability goes - I was once told that " they have always used them in plane and they still do" and if there is one place you NEED reliability its up at 20,000ft 

I personally love the look but I don't think I will use one myself as not that many were used on the street "back in the day" - from the pic's I've seen anyway

[Sam K]

If I could find a good deal on a mag, I'd run it just for the look!

[Neil Davies]

My 2007cc 48IDF/DRLA (can't remember which...) motor has a magneto, but I really know nothing about them! At the moment I think I'm going to swap it for the MSD dizzy and 6AL that I ran on the racecar, and keep the mag for the 2276 IDA motor for the '51. They certainly seem more '70s than the MSD distributor...

Got to admit that they look the bollocks - I'd like to have a dummy one filled with the ECU for the IDA-alike EFI and have the crank trigger off the pulley hidden below the tinwear, so the engine looks period correct but runs like a brand new motor!

[71CALRIPPER]

i would choose one over an MSD any day , for the build quality , i have had to take 2 MSD dizzys apart and they are SHART. Cheap to make and sell i guess.

[deano]

I believe Roger Crawford has always found that mags can make more hp... it's just you don't have the rpm control that you do with an MSD (except for the mag-clones of course).

[Fastbrit]

Has anyone seen one of these in the 'flesh', so to speak?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=491714

[Frank LUX]

Has anyone seen one of these in the 'flesh', so to speak?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=491714

No,

But I already asked about these in an earlier Topic, was interrested in one of those Fake Magneto's...

They sure look good on the Picture...

Frank

[Brian Silva]

I have seen one of those in person. Great looking piece. Coil is hidden inside and you can run an msd on it. I believe Darren Dilley has one in his car (landproducts.ca). So far have heard nothing but good things about them. They come polished with a joe hunt badge on them. Planning on getting one really soon.

[Prowagen]

Has anyone seen one of these in the 'flesh', so to speak?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=491714

I have tried messaging this guy twice with no reply, I want one and $650 seems a good price as they are $1200 on Hunts own website and on summit.
Anyone know anymore Details, or if I can get them for this price elsewhere?

Thanks,
Rob.

[Lids]

have a search in the 4 sale section on cal-look.com, i was in contact with him, opted out.  He sets them up, then you can't adjust them!

"Thanks for the interest
  The units come with 20 degree advance, and are fully self contained. coil is inside housing
 you only have to connect your wires to hot lead and msd.
 
 traditional mag cap and I suggest using the msd wires "

anthonysracingcomp@sbcglobal.net

[Prowagen]

have a search in the 4 sale section on cal-look.com, i was in contact with him, opted out.  He sets them up, then you can't adjust them!

"Thanks for the interest
  The units come with 20 degree advance, and are fully self contained. coil is inside housing
 you only have to connect your wires to hot lead and msd.
 
 traditional mag cap and I suggest using the msd wires "

anthonysracingcomp@sbcglobal.net

Ah that sucks, Why can't you adjust them? Can it be done via an MSD control?
Thanks,
Rob.

[louisb]

The guy who builds those has posted here a couple of times.

I have never really liked the look of a mag, or an MSD for that mater, hanging off the back of a VW engine. Not sure why really. I like my 010 better.

--louis

[Jim Ratto]

back to topic...

I think I remember reading that Mahaffey ran a mag on his 2074/2180 monster in his split window.

Seen pictures of Ron Flemings motor with mag too, not sure if it was 1700cc or what but it was street motor, IDAs

I remember seeing lots of pics of midget motors running mags in 70's/80's from Buggy house.

Off topic:  back in 1992 I built my Super Flow 2276 with Berg 311 cam, IDAs, huge header, etc etc etc.... initially I ran Bosch Red coil and 009. Fiddled around with jets carbs, chasing my tail with top end miss. Another night driving with Jerry....blasting out of driveway of Buggy House... pass after pass down Mission blvd...
we kept throwing more fuel at the thing, and no more rpm....lean it...no more rpm....  so Jerry says "wish you'd put a mag in this goddam car!" He decides the flame is going out over 6500 rpm.
So he walks over to the shelf and pulls a locked Vertex out from under shop rags, and a big alloy clamp. "Here put this muther-f**ker in there...ain't no way this bitch'll give up"
So I bolt it in, he shows me how to buzzbox time it, we set it @ 36 before locked, fire up car (starter hated that)...holy shit....night and day difference. No Kidding! We took the car out and it was like it grew another 500cc. No flat spots, no laying over at top end, just viscious power all over. Later that week my girlfriend (at the time) and I took car out one night and went out to long straight road in Livermore (8 miles or so) and I laid into it in 3rd ran it over 100mph indicated, the shift to fourth, still pulled like a train (stock 4th) pegged 120mph VDO speedo... car was scary up that fast.... girlfriend was scared white. Too bad I had to eventually give the mag back....sticking 009 back in was like castrating the balls right off that motor.
I run MSD locked now, and still think the mag ran harder. Nothing ever woke me up like that mag did. Sheep rode in it with mag... he can vouch.

PS you have to run tight plug gap, unlike with MSD. I think I ran .020"

[Diederick/DVK]

I really want a magneto now

[Jim Ratto]

I really want a magneto now

I'm sure that case would be happy to have a nice big fat mag plugged into it again.... just make sure you get a good clamp so yuo don't wallow distributor drive hole out. 

[Diederick/DVK]

well, i'll save up for one. a vertex or joe hunt?
and does it allow for an MSD box? i don't see the point in running the fake mentioned above.

(sorry hijacking the thread again)

[Jim Ratto]

well, i'll save up for one. a vertex or joe hunt?
and does it allow for an MSD box? i don't see the point in running the fake mentioned above.

(sorry hijacking the thread again)

no you won't need that 6AL....but your brother could use... 

[Bill Schwimmer]

If your going to run a mag, run a mag... not something that looks like one. I have used mags & MSD's. I have never had a mag go bad, but I have had a MSD box & coil fail.  I think the MSD runs a bit cleaner down low & is easier to start. However @ WOT I don't think there is much difference. If I were driving cross country, I would trust the mag more than the MSD.  I have a mag on the shelf I was thinking of plugging it in to see if there is a back to back difference. Maybe when some more time comes my way... Later Bill

[Jim Ratto]

I want some Kadrons that are built inside of these, for the cool look

[Sam K]

That's Hilarious!. It reminds me of me of this kid I know who has a civic with some electric device that simulates a turbo and blow off noise. Anyway, I'm on gthe lookout for a good deal on a mag now. What I wonder is how you hook up a tach to one. I heard somewhere that you need an adapter of some kind. Anyone?

[Diederick/DVK]

there is an adapter by autometer. but that's all i know.
i don't even see a wire to connect it to in the pictures...

[Frank LUX]

You need to Use a Tach that is Calibrated to use on a Mag!!!

Or if you wanna use your your Standart Ignition Tach you need to buy the Autometer Tach Signal Converter...

Frank

[mr.speedwell]

i vote for the real stuff 

[speedwell]

  that breather box is so cool  , is it a real one from speedwell