Several years ago I was friends with Bud Jones who ran a flathead lakester. Bud told me that he was going to put the engine in a new 'liner being built by Jack Costella. And that they and a few other San Jose area racers got together for Sunday breakfast, And I should join them and meet Jack and see what they were doing. So I went to breakfast with Bud and Jack and Dave Dozier, Bob Lindstrom and Jerry Helwig. After eating Dave and Bob went home. Jack, Jerry, Bud and I went to Jacks. What was to become the 788 car was a pile of tubing on the frame table. But it was interesting meeting Jack. From time to time I would drive down on Sunday and see how it was coming along. Finally Bud called to say they were going to fire it for the first time and i should be there. They pushed the chassis out and Jack told Bud to get some gas to fire it. Bud said "OK. Give me your credit card" Jack said no. You pay. This turned into an argument and Bud pulled the Flathead and took it home. Jerry Helwig offered the flathead out of his 40 Ford Bonneville coupe. And that was what Jack ran that year. All of them are gone now. Got old and died. I'm the only one from that breakfast.
Condolences to the Costella Family and Friends on the passing of Jack... That's an interesting story there Rich...the air was probably pretty pin drop quiet for a moment back when the Gas issue went a little south or was that the engine went south... Anyways yes a sad day but also a time to reflect on the Good times with Jack... He had some cool and I'm sure seriously fast and stunning machines... Thank You for sharing this unfortunate loss to the Community @RichFox
Amazing story Rich, Yes,,,,it’s sad how time marches on,,,,and everything passes on by. Sounds like you guys had some really good breakfast meetings though,,,that is worth a lot in my book. Tommy
He built some great cars, they all had a signature look. Is it true he used thread taped to the body, and a leave blower for a wind tunnel? What was the fastest any of his cars went? Prayers going out to his family and friends. Bob
Saw that last night on Landracing.com.... Jack was a true original, and a serious thinker. My guess is he was never boring.
Thanks for posting.....hopefully the guys are upstairs together now chuckling over the old days.......
Jack's Biography (from his website): I was born on July 11th 1935 and raised in Santa Cruz, CA. I grew up in the hot rod movement and can remember my mother telling me that when she was pregnant with me she could hear wrenches clanking together in her stomach. As a child I built model cars, then U-control airplanes. That’s where I won my first contest for top speed with a very small plane. The same style can be seen in all my future race car designs. In high school I started getting into dragsters with my first one being a very fast ’40 Ford coupe with a 3/8 x 3/8 flathead. Then I built a nitro-burning flathead-powered Crosley with a chopped and shortened slingshot coupe with a fiberglass nose. This was my first introduction to fiberglass. My Crosley took four first place trophies with one being for best looking car. Then I built a series of very small dragsters, which all set records. In the '50s and '60s was a period of time where there was rapid innovation and great freedom of expression in drag racing. At age 20 I went to work in the fiberglass industry, and learned tooling, mold-making, and prototypes. I worked 45 years for several companies’ prototyping boats, cars, and dune buggies. There were various projects in the fiberglass companies that let me exercise my creativity. Before long I went to work for FMC in San Jose, where I still live incidentally. I worked for FMC for 25 years and retired in '97. My job was model maker, prototyping, mold maker, mostly wood work, some metal and fiberglass. I always thought of myself there more as an artist than an engineer. The boss and the engineers come into the shop waving their arms, and we're the fellas that turn ideas and drawings into real parts and structures you can do something with. My first experience at Bonneville was in 1969. I built three mini bikes when I worked for Bonanza. We came home with 2 records. By the '80s I had the creative urge for racing again, and in '85 I went to Speed Week and looked over the streamliners. In '89 I built Nebulous Theorem I. I used a Honda V4 motorcycle engine de-bored to 1000cc, with front wheel drive, and tandem rear wheels. I made a twin-turbo system for it with home-made fuel injection and intercoolers. But this first attempt was not successful, the handling was poor at low speeds, it darted back and forth. So I scrubbed this one, and went to Nebulous Theorem II. I think looking back probably nothing was wrong but the steering was too quick, and I likely could have cured it. I built Nebulous Theorem II using the same power unit, but conventional rear wheel drive with a quick-change, and slowed down the steering. In '92 I got the H/BGS Bonneville Record with it at 239. The car is still running today. People wonder if my vehicles are submarines or gliders. There is no driver, wheels or engine visible. It is imagination and innovation that keeps me going. I like participating in an activity that recognizes and awards creativity and innovation. The main obstacle with other racing is that events become handicapped with rules that don’t allow any different thinking. I now build LSR streamliners that allow the most freedom of design and innovation. My accomplishments have certainly been made possible by my wife Keiko and family. With my many great partners and friends as well over the years.
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