Al Cosentino's book: X19-STRADA-128 Race World

questions and answers on Al's book

Folks,

As always, an offer like this seems to generate questions.

BrettM asks "what else".
I was also offered a 1300 "race" motor that Al did not use because it would have been illegal. The asking price was more than what most of you feel your cars are worth...
There are also a few 1116 cc short blocks Al had put together before he died. I did not ask the price, but don't expect them to be cheap!
These was an offer on valve adjusting tools. Asking price is more that what a fellow Xweb member, who did a production run of them, is asking.
I was also told that a list of factory tools would be on it's way. I assume none of you folks will be interested as I get negative feedback on pricing of factory tools I presently have on my web store.

Tony Natole and Steve Lawson discuss "book rate" for shipping. If the book is anything like other books Al printed it will be stuffed with advertising. I doubt it will be of concern as Al's business is closed...
As far as we are concerned, Brookie and I will ship any order by US Post IF you fill out our US Post release form (http://www.fiatplus.com/postal-agreement.html) AND pay our extra fees at check out when you place your order on my web store.
Otherwise it will ship by insured UPS ground service.

Grant Kelly asks for more information about what is in the book. Since I had such a poor relationship with Al, I don't have a copy in my library. Sorry.

Brycele shows that it is available on ebay for less than what I was offered it at, and as I write this there are still 3 copies available.

Right now we are at 15 called for, so that's half. If more of you buy the ebay offered ones let me know so I can count you out of the 15.

As I said before, I don't want to sit on a bunch of Al's books. I am already sitting on 2585 copies of the book my late wife wrote... http://www.fiatplus.com/PRINCE-BORGHESE-S-TRAIL-BOOK.html

Chris
 
Make that 2584 copies, I will take one... especially...

since its going for the Kid's Collage Fund!

BTW... they should be ready soon, right?

Cut me a deal on BOTH or combine shipping... How 'bout it?

Did she not write another book as well?

Thanx...
 
I'll take one Chris.

Can I get it from you at a future FA meeting?

Also, for anyone that's interested in a great read, Ginny's book is something you should get. I met and knew Ginny through Chris. She was a heck of a nice person, but I had no idea until I heard about the book that she was also a great writer.

Larry

I am already sitting on 2585 copies of the book my late wife wrote... http://www.fiatplus.com/PRINCE-BORGHESE-S-TRAIL-BOOK.html

Chris
 
Order Genny's book, too

If you're ordering Al's book from Chris, order a copy of Genny's book, too. Heck, even if you don't order Al's book, order one of Genny's.

I had the opportunity to hear Genny speak at the national Alfa convention in SoCal a decade+ ago. She did a marvelous job as the keynote speaker that evening and told the tale she recounts in her book. It's a tale of the trials, tribulations, challenges, and triumphs of driving the Peking to Paris rally.

I cherish my autographed copy of Genny's book, I'm sure you will enjoy it, too.

Sorry about the slightly off-topic post, but I'm not sorry about recounting those pleasant memories of Genny speaking. :)
 
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Me too... I never met Ginny but read with great...

interest the newsletters she posted back in the day.

I think I still may have one of Ginny's signature "Enjoy the ride" decals somewhere... I wonder if Chris still has 2585 of those left as well.

With the Xception of possibly Chris' hair... I'm pretty sure all and all she was indeed the "better half"!

HA!
 
additional questions answered...

Since my last posting I see these question/comments.

Tony Natoli, deal on shipping?
If your order is placed other than on my web store, we charge the actual shipping costs for everything in the box. If you order off the web store, it calculates shipping thru links to the various carriers and charges that. If you order one book that weighs 5 pounds (I am guessing on the weight here) and ten nuts that weigh almost nothing, it will calculate shipping at 15 pounds (one pound for each nut). Before I get negative responses:
Yes, we know its idiotic to do that, but it's the way the web store program is written. And with all of the hassles I have gone thru to get the web store functional, I am willing to live with an issue that the web store host says is out of their control and can't have a program written around it for less than 20 grand.

Tony, didn't Genny write another book?
Yes and no.
For those of us old timers, my company had a quarterly newsletter for years. Genny was in the process of making our web site a "members" thing, and the newsletter she was finishing when she died was going to be the first one on the new site. Obviously I had to change things, so we scrambled to publish the last one on paper and mailed it out as she had been doing. A good friend of mine owned "VelocePress", so we made a deal to have him print up "Obert's Fiat Guide" http://www.fiatplus.com/OBERT-S-FIAT-GUIDE-BOOK.html , and the guy that bought VelocePress continues to offer it. The sales are still really good, and it covers a lot of technical information that was all in the newsletters.

Larry, can I pick up Al's book at the Fiat America club meeting?
Yes, no problem.

Tony, enjoy the ride stickers?
Yes, I still have some left. Large white http://www.fiatplus.com/-ENJOY-THE-RIDE-STICKER-0000000GO3N.html
small white http://www.fiatplus.com/-ENJOY-THE-RIDE-STICKER-0000000GO2N.html
Small black http://www.fiatplus.com/-ENJOY-THE-RIDE-STICKER.html
When I sell out that's it, the costs to do another production run can't be justified. As a bit of background, Genny signed a book to someone at one of her book presentations. The name she wrote down was wrong, so she grabbed another book and signed it correctly. The incorrectly signed book was in her presentation box, so I had the signature scanned. I also had a rubber stamp made so I can sign her books, if requested...

Tony, my hair?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RPovmMwef8
It's getting thinner and shorter all by itself, and it's now blonde instead of red. And Jay Leno has again recently approached me from behind thinking I am female. No, I did not cut it.

eschneider, how to pay for Al's book?
When the book comes in and I have spread the incoming shipping costs out over 30 book, I will put it up on my web store and announce it here.
You will then be able to order it directly off my web store and pay the calculated shipping costs to your door, or call me when I am in the warehouse and pay the actual shipping costs when Brookie processes your order.
We accept credit cards or pay pal.

Tony, there yet?
Right now we are at 21 books. My email before I sat down to write this was to order the case. I am still waiting for the tool list, and have asked the person clearing up Al's estate to hold off on shipping until I have had time to review the tool list.
I am assuming and hoping that I will have more persons asking for the book, so assuming everyone who has said "yes" above (and the other guy) actually follows thru, I still have 9 books available.
Hold it, make that 8, I'll put one into Genny's library, just to say I have one of Al's books!

Chris
 
Re: 1116cc engines

I was also offered a 1300 "race" motor that Al did not use because it would have been illegal. The asking price was more than what most of you feel your cars are worth...
There are also a few 1116 cc short blocks Al had put together before he died.

Rumor has it that these engines have already been sold to someone connected with the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Supposedly the 1300 engine was "built" by Al, & the 1116's were still regular NOS Fiat shortblocks. I can't imagine them wanting those 1116's for anything other than a 128 or maybe an old Sports Racer that used that engine type back in the day (like some of the PBS cars)?
 
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