Jon Thomas has a unique automotive advantage that many gearheads covet deeply. The Georgia-based performance fanatic punches the clock every day as one of the R&D new product development technicians for Competition Clutch. As you can imagine, this position has opened some huge bay doors for the guy and his 1999 Chevy Silverado.
What started with fixing a funky Jeep CJ7 at the age 15 years old quickly turned into a job turning wrenches at Firestone to make ends meet when he was 16. But as he learned his way around the shop and how to change things like tires, oil, spark plugs, plug wires, and other forms of routine maintenance, Jon Thomas realized his career calling in life was purely automotive in nature.
Photos by: Wes Taylor
From there, it was on to Universal Technical Institute, where Jon earned a degree in automotive technology. Ultimately, this education led to a job with Porsche’s graduate program in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked for Hendrick Porsche. Again, Jon found himself tackling everything from oil changes to installing performance upgrades on customer cars for upcoming track day events.
During this time with Porsche, Jon married his high school sweetheart, Jessie, and shortly after getting married, moved back to the couple’s hometown to work at a local hot rod shop. Restoration, performance, and repairs consumed Jon’s life from that point forward, with carbureted cars from the 1950s to 1980s being his primary focus. A transition to the dealership world brought work as a technician and, eventually, a shop foreman role that would last upwards of 15 years.
The Race Bug Always Bites Twice
Jon began to build and race cars and trucks in the middle of that, starting with a 1988 GMC 1500 4×4 with a small-block 400 that he converted to a carburetor setup. Mated to a rebuilt transmission and a 14-bolt rearend and accompanied by a long list of other mods, Jon’s truck began to make the rounds at local car shows and meets.
His love for…
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