Martin S.

So we are having dinner in a family style Basque Restaurant in San Miguel, CA (7 miles north of Paso Robles, CA,) and our fellow dinner at the family style table is none other than Joe Mondello, a local. Mondello's shop is in Paso Robles (But not for long).

Mondello flow benched the heads for the winning Ford Cobra cars at the (I believe) 64 Le Mans. His heads are on lots of present day stock cars, race boats, etc. Needless to say, we had a fascinating discussion (I listened, Joe talked)...history on the hoof. Joe knows/knew all of the old legends, Ed Iskendarian (spelling?), X Moon from Moon Equipment...you name them, Joe knew them.

Joe is 69 years old, looks to be in great shape and has not an intention of retiring. He invited us to stop by his home/vineyard on the way home...out to the garage we went where he fired up his 34 Ford pickup with a flat head engine, Offenhauser heads, twin Stromberg 97 Carbs, you name it. He is taking me for a ride today...we are going to do a few burn outs.

Joe also conducts schools in the art of flow benching...he is moving the whole "shooting match" to Tennesse in the next 30 days, selling the vineyard.
His vineyard is incredible producing Petit Sirah...of course he had a bottle and we had a taste, excellent, some of the best of this varietal.

All of the above, a blast to the past. Google Mondello...you get a flavor for the experience.

jrgordonsenior

Great story Marty. I remember using his heads back in the 60's on a 327's that I dropped into a Anglia sedan delivery. The frame work was altered at Blair's Spped Shop in Pasadena and they had this set of Mondello heads from a block that had blown so I just plopped them on my 327 and off we went. I would have loved to have sat with that man.....

Martin S.

Great post John....I am going over to Joe's house tomorrow or Monday to sample some of his Petit Sirah. He makes some really good wine...he sells his grapes to Rosenblum Cellars Winery, (510) 865-7007, 2900 Main St, Alameda, CA 94501. Roesnblum makes consistently good, drinkable and affordable wine. I will get the specifics on Joe's wine...and taste some too.

Recall all of the below:
Blair's Speed Shop...Don Blair; I remember that place well.

Tim's Precision Engines on Kinneloa near the Bob's Drive In

Garherty Automotive in Eagle Rock

Roger Burch at Scientific Automotive

"Dyno Don" Nicholson......

All of the above great heavenly places if you were a "Gear Head" in Pasadena, CA way back when 50's 60' and 70's. Now we have 993 cars...that's not so bad!

chris walrod

Great time you must have had speaking with Joe.
As I once was a muscle car restorer and long ago street racer, his cylinder heads were legendary. Along with Joe Sherman and a few other local SoCal engine builders. Wish I could have been there Martin!!

Monique

Fabulous story Martin.

P)iston heads are forever... Porsches can come and go. It is a state of mind.

SteveAbrahams

One of the great old school head porters long before flow beaches
came along and made everyone who wanted to be a head
porter. How did Joe (and others) know what was going on
inside those heads and combustion chambers? Glad to see
he's still at it.

jrgordonsenior

I'd forgotten that name Dyno Don Nicholson....I used to watch him as a kid out at Fontana in his 427 Comets...And of course Roger Burch was a legendary Porsche mechanic with his exhaust system.....I also remember that Porsche engine builder/tuner up on Lake Street but damn if I can remember his name....

Bruce SEA 993

Been to that resturant...about 25 years ago. Didn't meet any hot rodders but I met a few farmers!

Martin S.

Joe lives about 2 miles from us and is a fellow grape grower. Hr invited over yesterday to sample his (For Friends Only) Petit Sirah...very nice, great quality stuff.

We got a tour of his garage(s)...there sit two Olds 442s, a 34 Ford Pick Up with a 276 Cu Inch flathead. He gave me a ride in this beast...a shame in a way, because I thought it would be much quicker...the 993 has spoiled me.

He has a 442 station wagon, totally original, with a totally tricked out motor, 500+HP, brutal. Oldsmobile made seven of these 442 wagons, there are 2 left in the world, 1 in Joe's garage. He fired it up for us, truly evil, with a big cam, great sound.
And he has a second 442 coupe, also with a trick motor, in beautiful original shape.

His wife has a very rare 55 Olds convertible, continental kit and with air conditioning no less. She has turned down big bucks for this beast. Joe and Mary are moving the Mondelo operation to TN soon...so I am losing the neighborhood gearhead icon.

Anyway for those of you that appreciate Mondelo Heads I thought you would appreciate the story. By thje way, he does flow bench Porsche heads...says he has done at least 100 sets (600 heads!).