He Built a 36-Year Performance Shop Starting in His Basement | Donnie Walsh Jr. | D&D Performance

How do you build a performance shop that lasts 36 years? Donnie Walsh Jr. of D&D Performance in Wixom, Michigan has the answer and it starts with a dad, two slicks, a jack, and a trunk full of nitrous bottles in the late 1980s.In this episode of Automotive Advantage, Justin sits down with one of the most respected names in Mustang and performance transmission history. Donnie and his father started D&D Performance out of their basement building T5 transmissions running a single print ad with hours from 6 to 9 PM. Today, D&D is a full-service performance shop specializing in Tremec and BorgWarner transmissions, driveline builds, supercharger and turbocharger installs, and dyno tuning — and they're up 20% year over year.In this episode:Donnie's drag racing career competing in Fox body Mustang classes from the nitrous era through Pro Mod, and why he was considered the best driver in NMRA Mustang historyHow D&D Performance started: basement-built rear axles, a T5 transmission niche, and a BorgWarner deal that launched a 36-year businessThe real margins on performance shop work: why building cars is passion-driven, not profit-driven, and where the real money actually comes fromWhat separates shops that last from shops that close: customer experience, staying on the phone, and rebuilding a transmission overnight at a car showReading the market right now: economic headwinds, the return of the $40K fun car, and why D&D is up 20% while others are tighteningThe Fox body Mustang legacy and what the new Mustang is getting wrong: why attainability built the aftermarket, and why that's being lostThe future of D&D: a new mainline hub dyno, a revamped website with install videos, and why private equity isn't the answer for shops like thisD&D Performance is one of the most trusted names in Ford performance and Tremec transmission builds in the country. If you're a shop owner, performance enthusiast, or automotive business operator this conversation is a masterclass in staying relevant, staying profitable, and staying true to why you started.Subscribe to Automotive Advantage the podcast built for serious automotive business professionals.New episodes every week on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.#AutomotiveAdvantage #PerformanceShop #DDPerformance #DonnieWalsh #FoxBodyMustang #TremecTransmission #MustangDragRacing #NMRA #AutomotiveBusiness #PerformanceAftermarket #BorgWarner #T5Transmission #SuperchargerBuild #DynoTuning #AutomotivePodcast #ShopOwner #AftermarketBusiness #MustangPerformance #CarBusiness #PerformanceAftermarketPodcast