MEET THE OWNERS
AL SPARKS
At age 18, he joined the U.S. Navy where he was in charge of the gun mounts including hydraulics, mechanics, etc.
After serving our country, Al worked with his father-in-law at his machine shop, building airplane mechanical parts for the family business. He went on to work in other machine shops, building various parts to meet customers’ application requirements including parts for the shuttle for NASA.
In 1985, Al went back to automotive repair and maintenance, working on everything from newer vehicles to building race cars for his customers’ who were road racing in Riverside, Irwindale, Orange County, and Willow Springs.
Al and his business partner, Christ Schmidt, founded Sparks Performance in San Juan Capistrano in 2005. They had one goal: to provide their customers with the best automotive repair and restoration experience at a fair price with honesty and integrity. With over 30 years experience, Al has been giving his customers the best in automotive repair and restoration, leading to a loyal customer base that comes back to his shop time and time again.
CHRIS SCHMIDT
Chris Schmidt began learning about automotive repair and maintenance at the age of 19 when he attended Universal Technical Institute (UTI), where he earned an AA degree in the field.
After earning his degree, Chris returned to his hometown in Irvine, CA and began working with his friend, Al Sparks, at a local repair shop in Laguna Hills, California. They spent the next few years working together for another shop owner until that business was sold and they went different directions for a period of time.
Chris went to work for a new car dealership body shop where he engaged in mechanical and collision repair, which would later be invaluable experience for restoring classic cars both inside and out. From his experience, Chris learned how to build cars from the frame up, doing all the mechanics, body & paint, electrical and suspension work.
By this time, both Chris and Al started having a loyal following and they knew it was time to start up their own automotive business. With only $5K to start, they began working as many start-up shops do — on the vehicles of friends and family members. No automotive job was too small or too big for this team.
Over the next 10 years, Chris and Al worked tirelessly, putting in long hours and many weekends working on their customers’ new car maintenance and repair as well as troubleshooting minor problems and engaging in full restorations for classic cars. Customers find value in the fact Chris and Al are able to offer a complete suite of automotive services for both new and classic cars.