FEATURED BUILDS
Projects That Left a Mark
Some builds stand out not because they were the biggest, but because they required the most. In complexity, in competition, and in craft.
These are the ones that pushed the shop furthest.
About Us
Custom fabrication and racing engineering for builds that stop traffic, in the pits and on the street.
Every project we take on is rooted in experience, continuity, and a rigorous understanding of load paths, function, and structural integrity. The same people responsible for the design and fabrication are the ones carrying the project through to completion.
This is the shop behind that work.
The details you don't see are the ones we care about most.
Performance Fabrication was built on a simple truth: real performance can't be faked.
Steve Schmalz didn’t learn his craft in a controlled setting. He learned it on the track. Years behind the wheel taught him how to think under pressure and solve problems when the margin for error is zero. When he traded the driver’s seat for the workbench, that mindset came with him.
Then came Austen. Growing up in the shop, he learned early that performance is equal parts instinct and engineering. A Mechanical Engineering degree from Arizona State University deepened what the shop already taught him. What Steve builds from grit and experience, Austen adds data, modeling, and modern engineering discipline.
Together, they run a shop that solves problems others can’t.
Today, Performance Fabrication is home to a team of builders, racers, and problem solvers who bring that same standard to every project that comes through the door. Two generations built the foundation. The rest of the team keeps raising the bar.
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Years Under
One Standard
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Land Speed
Records
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Generations
of Builders
OUR SPECIALTIES
What We Do Best
Full Builds & Conversions
From the first cut to final fitment, tolerances are held and nothing gets rushed to the finish line. The details that don't get seen are what we hone in on.
Custom Metal Work
Everything that leaves this shop has been thought through under load, under heat, and under the kind of stress that shows up when it matters most.
Performance & Drivetrain
Fabrication, machining, assembly, and testing all happen in-house. Tighter control over the process means a more consistent result every time.
Race Prep & Track Support
The relationship doesn't end at delivery. We're at the track, available for follow-up, and accountable for the work long after the car leaves.
OUR VALUES
What We Stand Behind
Every decision made in this shop runs through the same filter.
CRAFTMANSHIP
The finished product tells the story. Clean welds, tight fitment, and components that look as good as they perform — because the care that makes something look right is what makes it hold up.
COMMUNITY
We're not a spectator to the racing world. We're part of it. Four decades of relationships with drivers, teams, and fellow builders keep us connected to the work and the people it matters to.
I want every person who brings us a project to leave knowing it was done right. Not hoping. Knowing.
That’s what we show up to accomplish every day.
- Steve Schmalz
Founder | Performance Fabrication
Hilleman AMC Javelin
Built for one of the shop’s longest-standing clients, the Javelin made its NASA AIX National Tour debut at Daytona and came home P2 in class.
Ford Anglia
The Anglia is a showcase of careful, unhurried fabrication — custom chromoly cage, hand-fabricated dash, and an engine bay where every line, fitting, and mount was thought through before it was made.
The Henry J.
The Henry J came in with a vision and left ready to race. Performance Fabrication handled the fabrication work that made it strip-ready — chassis loads, driveline shock, and weight distribution all accounted for.
Mustang Fox Body
A stock Fox body Mustang came through the door for a dedicated drag racing client and left as a purpose-built drag car. Every stage of the conversion was handled with the same standard, from the cage build through final assembly.
The Double Dually
A purpose-built push truck constructed around a Chevy platform. Fully fabricated rear end, double dually setup, custom tilting dump bed, and engine upgrades sized to push a land speed streamliner to launch speed
Bonneville Speedliner
Built and campaigned as part of a collaborative land speed project, the streamliner hit the Bonneville Salt Flats and set a class land speed record on a 408 mph top pass.
When You're Ready
Whether you’re early in the process or already deep into a build, we can help you figure out what it actually takes to get it done right.