Olly398-
Thanks, the complete experience of reading the first book 'king of small cars' , finding a phone number in the back of the book and calling Al when I was about 15 and asking about abarth cam shafts for fiat 500s. He said about 210 dollars and I said ok ill come back to you. ( sorry no speach marks). So i used to call him now and again just to talk Abarths. Then my mate, who worked for an air line said - lets do a road trip- to Cali.. I had to say yes. So for 100 quid we fly upper class to san fran and slowly drive down to LA. via Laguna seca, then to Thousand Oaks, where Al lived. Al insisted we met him at an industrial area- where he kept stock. The rest is pretty much what can be seen here on this other guys trip to see Al, we didnt get to go in his 037 though.
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/seat850/sets/72157606620357642/You can see the tea trolly in the room!
His books were like scrap books, all full of letters, rambeling and protests, art work and amazing stories about racing. I used to get the books from Chaters at Brands Hatch. I lent about 5 to an Italian guy when I went over seas. On my return he denied that he had ever had them! Al wrote a letter for me to pass on to the guy, i never did so i still have it somewhere.
You are reading a single comment by @Olly398 and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
VintageJon
Thatllbe fun. When i moved to our house there were 2 wide bodied x19s rotting away next door to us. I think they got scrapped. I have a very good series of books by Al Cosintion, who was a crazy Abarth Nut. I went out to California in 2004 with a mate and we spent an afternoon with him, his muffler museam , his cars and his dead labrodore who was under a tea towel on a trolly in the dining room. He said that the dog was the prototipo! We sat round a table that had a bowl full of abarth badges in the middle. We had the oportunity to go in to a room and just soak up the vibes. A nice experience. He also had a mazda rx3 race car that he raced at Daytona in the late 70s. He died a few years back and the cars and Faza got sold to an Australian. The rx3 is now in Nz. Wish i had bought that one.
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/02/mystery-mazda-the-jtcc-rx-3-found-basement/
This is the car.
He wrote the Faza x19 , 128 race world manual. Get a copy if you buy the car.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-FAZA-ABARTH-X1-9-STRADA-128-RACE-WORLD-REPAIR-MANUAL-Alfred-S-Cosentino-/301113156618