Industry Profile

Getting to know John on a more personal level, I have to admit he's one down-to-earth guy, but don't let the cool-guy attitude fool you. Behind his cool demeanor, John's passion in automotive technology and engineering has placed him in a group of elite automotive geniuses and well respected tuners. From building Nitro methane lawnmowers in his garage at a young age to setting new records in the RWD Pro- Civic piloted by Stephan Pappadakis, JC has done and seen it all-well almost all (six second time slips, right John?). John is an accomplished engineer with an Emmy award in mechanical engineering and he continues to strive in creating new products for the import world. All I can say is John Concialdi and AEM definitely have their shit together.

2NR: John, first of all, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with Import Tuner for an interview
JC: No problem at all; glad to be of service.
2NR: Can you give us some background into how you got interested in the automotive field?
JC: Well to tell you the truth, I've been a fan of cars since I was a kid. I recall, when I was 5 years old, I was taking apart my mom's vacuum cleaner with the curiosity of how it worked. I took apart household appliances because we didn't have cars. My mom was a nurse and my dad was a meat cutter so cars were totally foreign to us in the family. Even today I still have my old hot rod magazines dating back to 1963, which would put me at 8 years old at the time, so you can say that I've always been connected with the automotive world long before I could drive.

2NR: Where did you live at the time?
JC: Born and raised in Covina, California.

2NR: So I assume you didn't have your parents blessing with your whole car hobby?
JC: With My mom being a nurse, as far as she was concerned, cars were dangerous and speeding was a BAD, BAD, thing. As a young adult, you have these urges and desires to pursue your passion and you overcome whatever obstacles are in your way because its something you really want to do. I recall watching Jackie Stewart racing Formula One cars when I was young and I would read all about him in all my magazines back in the 70's.

2NR: It's often said that when a teenager obtains his driver's license, that it's the first step towards adulthood and responsibility. What was the first car you received?
JC: Actually, I didn't receive a first car but I was able to borrow my dads Ford Station Wagon (grinning). Back in the earlier days, you get a drivers permit at age 15 and a half years old and at 16 you can get a drivers license. I recall when I had been 16 for only one day I got an exhibition of speed ticket in my dad's station wagon (laughing). I was roasting the tires in the wagon trying to showoff in front of a couple friends. Unfortunately, it was right in front of a highway patrol black and white. I got my license suspended for 3 months after the incident. So BANG! It happened so quickly-sixteen years old and one day with a suspended license for three months and no car for the summer. Man was I pissed! Well after the whole station wagon phase, the very first car I could call my own was a Volkswagen Baja Bug.

2NR: So, did you begin tinkering around with your dad's station wagon or when you first owned your bug?
JC: No, dad's wagon was the first victim. Well, come to think of it, because my parents wouldn't let me mess with cars and the whole danger factor, the first real victim was my dad's lawnmower.

2NR: Say what?? (At this point I'm thinking that John is borderline nutcase or just a deprived kid who never had enough toys to fiddle with. In either case I give a reassuring smile and continue on with the interview.)
JC: Well there was this older kid down the street that was a drag racer at the time and one day we decided to dismantle the lawnmower. The cylinder head was removed and milled to increase the compression. Call us crazy but we tried to put the mower engine on Nitro methane and alcohol just for kicks and took the governor off it. We tried all sorts of stuff to make it one kick-ass lawnmower. Although my dad wasn't very happy with a nitro methane lawnmower, can you imagine trying to mow your lawn with something like that? That's just nuts! We were kids, what can I say?