JOE MONDELLO PASSES

[fastlane]

I JUST READ YESTERDAY OVER AT BANG SHIFT.COM THAT WEST COAST CYLINDER HEAD GURU JOE MONDELLO HAD PASSED AWAY IN A CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL. SAID HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING TONS OF FLATHEAD AND OLDSMOBILE CYLINDER HEAD WORK SINCE THE EARLY 50S OUT THERE OR JUST ABOUT THE TIME DRAG RACING WAS GETTING ITS ROOTS PLANTED WITH WALLY PARKS IN THE N.H.R.A. A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE FROM THE WEST COAST TOP FUEL MOTORCYCLE CHAMPION GRANDADDY JOE SMITH WHO IS 80 NOW. HE WON TOP FUEL BIKE AT INDY 4 TIMES IN THE 70S USEING MONDELLOS CYLINDER HEAD CONFIGURATION ON ALL HIS TRUSTY HARLEY DAVIDSON DRAGBIKES FIRST HIS SINGLE AND THEN HIS DOUBLE ENGINED HARLEY SHOVELHEAD MONSTER . FASTLANE. 😎

[babycakesParticipant]

WOW! Another ‘shocker’! I had a set of used Mondello heads for a Chevy small block.Unfortunately when running at the ’68’ Spring Nationals,I had a failure with them with coolant coming through the water jacket ( too much material grinded out in the port).Joe Mondello made good for that damaged head,after I sent it back to him,and sent me another cyl. head in it’s place (mind you,these were ‘used’ heads I bought).GOOD BUSINESS! And yes,he was known for Olds performance products as I remember.Boy it’s tough to swallow all these great losses in a row.R.I.P Joe.

[Author]

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