Dan Costelo

Well Im boxing up some of my small block parts, heads, and intake, and shipping them off to get some port work done by another member. I needed a box to ship the intake, I search everywhere in my shop. Well I found an old ratty looking Edelbrock box and clean it up. Its the box Dan shipped the parts for the 340 in when I built that for the Cuda. I decited to really clean it up and use it for the intake.

Dan was such a great guy to me, cant express that enough. Ray Meyers is doing the work on my heads and intake, and Im sure he would appreciate knowing the history of just a simple old box.

Miss Ya Dan!!

I agree. Dan was a great guy and helped me out a lot too. What's better is Ray and Dan were also good friends. Your stuff will be in very good hands w/ Ray.

I really thought I was Dan's only friend because I talked to him so much. Then I found out he was like that with everyone. That is when I went from thinking I was special to knowing he was special.

Sorry Ray, didn't mean to start the water works man, but I sure loved learning from him, just on the phone was pretty special.

I still have several things I bought from Dan laying around. i hope to be using a brand new small block K1 crank I bought from him during the special he ran, some Diamond Pistons, the Calias crank in my 572. He was a great guy to deal with and talk to.

All the guts in my 408 were from him except the rods. IIRC they showed before the cash left my bank!

It went on from there, I never bought parts from anyone else.

Ok smartazz, For the record. Dan once told me my port work sucked compared to Dwayne Porter's. Lol. I swear to god

Fair enough!! I trust ya man!!

Dan was a great guy to deal with and more than willing to help. I bought my stroker kit for the 408 from Dan and still have the boxes too.lol

sixpackgut mentioned Porter, another great guy.

Porter has helped me more than a few times also especially when I was over my head.

There are a bunch of other guys too

Dan and I used to talk for hours on the phone about life, women, guns you name it and he will be missed forever...........

Dan was a great asset to forum and is missed greatly!Dwayne carries on with his vast knowledge and great product.

One thing Dan mentioned, that stood out to me, he frowned upon taking a ride in a customer's car, something about self preservation and showing off.

Ray, seeing some pics of the stuff you've been doing lately....... It's obviously not the case these days!!

Thank You. I appreciate that. I try. Dan would still give me crap though

and DRUMS!....I have a pic here of him playing my old shop drums....I'll post it when I can...his brother was a terrific guitar player.

I took Dan for a ride here one day....in a customers car....kinda had to get the cobwebs out for the customer.....Dan [censored] his pants.....lol....the best part is....we came back, Dan stood outside with me....said hey" wanna shoot a few rounds'? Like, dont ask ME twice. He pulled out a Glock 17 9mm, a Smith and Wesson .45, and a .44 Ruger. We stood and laid a few rounds down behind my shop, he smoked another cigarette, said, " thats was f-in fun", and back to work we went....lol. There is a LOT I could tell about Dan, so much, it would take tyears to tell...but I have those memories. Still talk to his brother. Mom isnt far from me. Still have two big black patches on the fresh asphalt at Schepps Funeral Home ( The drivers name shall remain nameless, but he's a member here!) I still keep Dans card, right here next to my computer in the office.He would be happy to know we are sharing his memory for sure. I still have the last text he sent me from the hospital. I wont share it, but I knew what it meant.

and I just realized, I have no idea how to attach or post a pic here anymore...lol

Miss him greatly such a great guy his number is still in my phone. It’s almost time for a fresh up wish I could call him.

He was a big help in sourcing much of the bottom end of my motor. Great guy, he was up here to witness my license runs. With him helping so much with putting the new motor together, I was real happy he got to see the car run in person! RIP Dan.

Hey, I'd be more than happy to take Dan's place as far as giving you crap.

P.S. to the OP - It's Costello (2 "Ls")

Man, I hate these threads. Mainly because it sucks to have lost so many good guys over the years.

Dan was my Diamond dealer and always set me up right. Like everyone else we spent many hours on the phone discussing all things in life. He was one of those guys that could help you further understand things you already know if that makes any sense. And of course he was rad in all ways cars, guns and music. On of a kind and sorely missed.

RIP buddy!

Forgot about the drums since I quit playing...........

Is this going to turn into a "Post a pic of your drum kit" thread?

Nope, over the whole late night drunk azz idiots for me as that's where I earned my nickname "THUMPER" and spent a few nights in the cold concrete rooms.............Plus looking back, I was never really as good as everyone told me I was.........

LOL>.thats funny...I suck...but just enjoy it. Most cats in the neighborhood start singing and swaying in the alley up on the fence when I start playing.I keep threatening to sell them, but everytime I do, I go play them and it seems to take another month to decide.

I think Dan had 3 sets, maybe four. He had a nice electric set actually, but I dont think he liked paying those.

I'm an all or nothing guy and anything less than great isn't good enuff anymore so I'll keep trying to be a great person and carb builder/tuner till I die.........THAT'S why I wake up in the morning, no other reason too imo..........

Hey, at least someone told you that you were good. All I recall anyone saying about my drumming was that I was LOUD.

Life humbles you sometimes and even though we had songs on local and national radio stations and did small tours, it was never enuff for me because I had to rely on others to help me feel complete. It's why I can't stand ball sports of any kind (No I in team) and w/carbs and car work that I do it's just me so if it fly's, cool I made it happen, if not well study and try harder to make it happen.............Peace!

Some logos I did for him.

Never met him in person, but I sure wish I had.

I never met or talked to him, but I learned a lot from his posts about crankshafts and ways they could be machined improperly.

R.

Dan didn't like 440 Source parts at all
He also didn't like any one else making more HP per C.I. than he did, I found that out quickly when I first posted my dyno results on my pump gas 511 C.I. 400 stroker motor on here
Rest in peace Dan

I still have the big block honing plate that I bought back when he was making them for us moparts guys, still sits wrapped up on my shelf unused because I cannot force myself to use it,he even engraved my name in it, I still have magnetic clips hanging on my garage fidge and can coozies that have his company logo and phone number,,and it remind's me of all the phone conversations we had, first one being just right after he lost his wife and he just needed to talk. we never met in person, but Dan was one person I vowed that I was going to take a trip and meet,,, but time ran out, and I blame myself for not doing it at a time in which I could of.

I had limited, but very positive, dealings with Dan. But I have to ask while he's the subject of the thread... after he passed away unexpectedly, did all his in-progress business dealings with his customers get handled properly? I recall a number of people posting he had their parts or had paid him for parts or work not completed. The last I heard -- and since I wasn't one of those people, didn't need to follow the situation to its conclusion -- everything went into "lock down" while his brother(?) was left to sort it all out.

There was a local friend of Dan's that stepped in without compensation and did a pretty good job of sorting out all the in works projects. The landlord also was very accommodating. Locating all the parts for my in progress engine build took a bit work. I think I came up short on one item, but under the circumstances, its hard to complain. I (and Dan to some degree) was probably deficient in not maintaining a better paper trail. We all are grown ups and things happen that no one can expect. I can only speak for myself. The big issue, for anyone who had stuff at his warehouse, the whole matter was probably not handled by the letter of the law, ie we got lucky, in that probate should have quarantined the entire operation, and taken a year to sort out the assets and parts, much to the chagrin of all the engine owners involved. I hope everyone else had satisfactory resolution. There was not much static here on Moparts on this aspect, so I'm assuming everyone else was made whole. Dan always treated me right. I have another motor he built that has never been fired. I'm hesitant to run it, as if there is anything wrong, I don't want to disparage his memory.