Joe passed this morning,will always be remembered as Mr Olds...R.I.P. Joe Mondello.
R.I.P. Joe Mondello...
- Thread starter Buickfunnycar
- Start date
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Chevrolaine
Veteran Member
RIP
I just seen him on Horsepower TV last week. He actually has a school on how to port and polish heads.
I just seen him on Horsepower TV last week. He actually has a school on how to port and polish heads.
Chevrolaine said:He actually has a school on how to port and polish heads.
Yep...was doing it for years.
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351maverick
full time Ebay seller/hustler/car killer
Rip
JONESYFXR
Veteran Member
RIP......He's one of the innovators for sure!!!!!
just saw that over on YB
RIP joe mondello
RIP joe mondello
sovain
Veteran Member
my oldsmobile buddy will be very sad to hear this,R.I.P. Joe.
Joe's son broke the news on RealOldsPower this morning.
I wanted to be sure I got it from a reliable source other then 2nd hand info on forums.
He was a pioneer and a great guy from what I heard.
He really worked hard to keep the Oldsmobile name in the top performance arenas.
He fixed alot of the very poor engineering quality control issues Oldsmobile engineers failed to do.
The Oldsmobile community will miss him very much. RIP Joe, another legend passes on.
I wanted to be sure I got it from a reliable source other then 2nd hand info on forums.
He was a pioneer and a great guy from what I heard.
He really worked hard to keep the Oldsmobile name in the top performance arenas.
He fixed alot of the very poor engineering quality control issues Oldsmobile engineers failed to do.
The Oldsmobile community will miss him very much. RIP Joe, another legend passes on.
DB Z28
Veteran Member
Another great legend gone
Joe Mondello
August 6, 1936 - April 6, 2011
"And then there was the time . . . ." "Let me tell you, it was a fun ride."
On April 6, 2011 we lost a man who epitomized the term “Persistence and Determination”, and Drag Racing and the Performance Aftermarket lost one of its brightest lights. Joseph A. (Joe) Mondello passed on at 9:21AM in Cookville , Tennessee at the age of 74 following complications from surgery. Joe was born on August 6, 1936 in Los Angeles , California .
Joe had a passion for everything mechanical and got his inspiration for his Posi-Flow design from the most obscure place imaginable; water swirling in the toilet. But the basic idea of how the water flowed gave him all the engineering required to port and polish a cylinder head for optimum performance. That one observation led to a 54 year career as an engine builder, head porter and later as a teacher, inspiring an entire new generation of head porters and engine builders.
Joe’s talents were his resume and opened the door for Joe to work with some of the most notable race teams and engine builders during the 60’s. That same talent continued his involvement through the turn of the century.
His love affair with the automobile began at age 13. He wasn’t old enough to purchase a car so he convinced his sister to buy an old Ford Coupe for him – with his money – from a salvage yard. Joe spent many hours rebuilding and modifying the coupe which became his daily driver. In 1951 his professional career began working on flat-head Fords in a local shop. His passion became his career, and his passion was drag racing. His success with his own car, a ’40 Ford Coupe, opened the door to work with other engine builders and the legend began.
His talents brought him together with “Sush” Matsubara and the infamous purple Mondello-Matsubara Fiat Topolino blown fuel altered, which won two NHRA National events and is a National Speed and E.T. Record Holder. The record that still holds today -- 7.24 ET and 213 mph pass was made at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 1969, and won runner-up in Competition Eliminator. The record stands today because the fuel altered class was dropped from drag racing. GM, Ford, Chrysler, AMC – even Honda …Joe’s touch improved all of the breed’s heads for racing.
Then one day he received a phone call from Oldsmobile. It seems they were getting ready to create an Oldsmobile Performance Parts Division and they were looking for engine builders to port and polish Oldsmobile heads for increased performance. They sent heads to all the big head porters in the USA and Joe was one of the chosen. The contest was simple; the shop that created the most power with their modified heads got the contract to be the Oldsmobile Performance Dealer. All of the other shops used flow benches and modern equipment to prepare their heads. Joe used his eye, his hands to feel the ports and some common sense. No surprise, Joe’s heads made the most power and he was nicknamed “Dr. Oldsmobile” for his highly successful developmental work on the Olds V-8 engines.
Joe took on every challenge presented to him – from helping develop the Briggs & Stratton engine for the Junior Dragster and Karting program, to off-road racing engines to off-shore and drag boat racing, as well as road racing (Mondello’s hands were all over the 1966 LeMans winning Ford GT-40 from Carroll Shelby). His Posi-Flow® heads were on many of Don Garlits’ Swamp Rats as well as many other leading racers – drag racing, land speed cars, boats, road racing and circle track cars. Garlits’ ran the first ever 200mph run with Mondello heads!
His passion for excellence lead him to establish the Mondello Technical School in 1996, devoted to teaching the art of professional performance engine building and head porting design to all who came, including young men and women who desired a career in the field. The school started in Paso Robles, Calif. and later moved to Crossville , Tennessee in 2005.
His wife Mary says, “Joe’s passion was for those young people in the school. He wanted them to understand what it took to be a professional in the shop and in customer relations. He also extended that passion to teaching many of them how to be a ‘professional’ as a drag racer. He taught them the technical aspects of their trade (as an engine builder and as a racer) and how to interact with people.”
She also said that the Quarter Mile Foundation and the PROJECT 1320 documentary became a major focus of his life for the last year or so. Before his passing, Joe had begun work on a 555 cubic inch World Products Big Block Chevy engine to be raffled for benefit of the Foundation, and was planning two additional engines. Mary relates how impassioned Joe was about the PROJECT 1320 effort and the raffle engine. “He said, ‘Mary, I did not qualify! I can’t finish the PROJECT 1320 engine…I’ve DNQ’d.’”
Joe is survived by his wife Mary, four children Bernard Mondello, Stephanie Mondello, Gina Ozanne, and Nica Mondello-Gomez and four grandchildren, Nicole Mondello, Ross Ozanne, Adam and Joey Gomez.
Those wishing to donate in Joe’s memory in lieu of flowers can do so to two of Joe’s favorite charities:
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
P.O. Box 1000 , Dept 142
Memphis , TN 38148
(mark check “For direct care of children”)
Quarter Mile Foundation
6210 Beverly Avenue
Parma Hts. , OH 44129
There will be viewing and a memorial service at Hood Funeral Home, Crossville , Tennessee on Friday, April 8th, between 1:00pm and 8:00pm, and on Saturday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.
There will be a second viewing and memorial service at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in Los Angeles , California on Tuesday,
Joe Mondello
August 6, 1936 - April 6, 2011
"And then there was the time . . . ." "Let me tell you, it was a fun ride."
On April 6, 2011 we lost a man who epitomized the term “Persistence and Determination”, and Drag Racing and the Performance Aftermarket lost one of its brightest lights. Joseph A. (Joe) Mondello passed on at 9:21AM in Cookville , Tennessee at the age of 74 following complications from surgery. Joe was born on August 6, 1936 in Los Angeles , California .
Joe had a passion for everything mechanical and got his inspiration for his Posi-Flow design from the most obscure place imaginable; water swirling in the toilet. But the basic idea of how the water flowed gave him all the engineering required to port and polish a cylinder head for optimum performance. That one observation led to a 54 year career as an engine builder, head porter and later as a teacher, inspiring an entire new generation of head porters and engine builders.
Joe’s talents were his resume and opened the door for Joe to work with some of the most notable race teams and engine builders during the 60’s. That same talent continued his involvement through the turn of the century.
His love affair with the automobile began at age 13. He wasn’t old enough to purchase a car so he convinced his sister to buy an old Ford Coupe for him – with his money – from a salvage yard. Joe spent many hours rebuilding and modifying the coupe which became his daily driver. In 1951 his professional career began working on flat-head Fords in a local shop. His passion became his career, and his passion was drag racing. His success with his own car, a ’40 Ford Coupe, opened the door to work with other engine builders and the legend began.
His talents brought him together with “Sush” Matsubara and the infamous purple Mondello-Matsubara Fiat Topolino blown fuel altered, which won two NHRA National events and is a National Speed and E.T. Record Holder. The record that still holds today -- 7.24 ET and 213 mph pass was made at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 1969, and won runner-up in Competition Eliminator. The record stands today because the fuel altered class was dropped from drag racing. GM, Ford, Chrysler, AMC – even Honda …Joe’s touch improved all of the breed’s heads for racing.
Then one day he received a phone call from Oldsmobile. It seems they were getting ready to create an Oldsmobile Performance Parts Division and they were looking for engine builders to port and polish Oldsmobile heads for increased performance. They sent heads to all the big head porters in the USA and Joe was one of the chosen. The contest was simple; the shop that created the most power with their modified heads got the contract to be the Oldsmobile Performance Dealer. All of the other shops used flow benches and modern equipment to prepare their heads. Joe used his eye, his hands to feel the ports and some common sense. No surprise, Joe’s heads made the most power and he was nicknamed “Dr. Oldsmobile” for his highly successful developmental work on the Olds V-8 engines.
Joe took on every challenge presented to him – from helping develop the Briggs & Stratton engine for the Junior Dragster and Karting program, to off-road racing engines to off-shore and drag boat racing, as well as road racing (Mondello’s hands were all over the 1966 LeMans winning Ford GT-40 from Carroll Shelby). His Posi-Flow® heads were on many of Don Garlits’ Swamp Rats as well as many other leading racers – drag racing, land speed cars, boats, road racing and circle track cars. Garlits’ ran the first ever 200mph run with Mondello heads!
His passion for excellence lead him to establish the Mondello Technical School in 1996, devoted to teaching the art of professional performance engine building and head porting design to all who came, including young men and women who desired a career in the field. The school started in Paso Robles, Calif. and later moved to Crossville , Tennessee in 2005.
His wife Mary says, “Joe’s passion was for those young people in the school. He wanted them to understand what it took to be a professional in the shop and in customer relations. He also extended that passion to teaching many of them how to be a ‘professional’ as a drag racer. He taught them the technical aspects of their trade (as an engine builder and as a racer) and how to interact with people.”
She also said that the Quarter Mile Foundation and the PROJECT 1320 documentary became a major focus of his life for the last year or so. Before his passing, Joe had begun work on a 555 cubic inch World Products Big Block Chevy engine to be raffled for benefit of the Foundation, and was planning two additional engines. Mary relates how impassioned Joe was about the PROJECT 1320 effort and the raffle engine. “He said, ‘Mary, I did not qualify! I can’t finish the PROJECT 1320 engine…I’ve DNQ’d.’”
Joe is survived by his wife Mary, four children Bernard Mondello, Stephanie Mondello, Gina Ozanne, and Nica Mondello-Gomez and four grandchildren, Nicole Mondello, Ross Ozanne, Adam and Joey Gomez.
Those wishing to donate in Joe’s memory in lieu of flowers can do so to two of Joe’s favorite charities:
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
P.O. Box 1000 , Dept 142
Memphis , TN 38148
(mark check “For direct care of children”)
Quarter Mile Foundation
6210 Beverly Avenue
Parma Hts. , OH 44129
There will be viewing and a memorial service at Hood Funeral Home, Crossville , Tennessee on Friday, April 8th, between 1:00pm and 8:00pm, and on Saturday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.
There will be a second viewing and memorial service at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in Los Angeles , California on Tuesday,
DB Z28
Veteran Member
Spent many hrs with Joe. When to his porting school both classes out in calif . Had lot of fun with him very smart man, but would never tell you any porting secrets.He had lots of stories to tell about racing. lots of wild parties at his house, he will be missed
