About Dave Wilkes Transmissions
Clifford McCormick, Rebuilder, Master Auto Technician
Cliff has been in the transmission repair industry since 1979. Starting in 1986 till 2003 he was in the technical education and troubleshooting business including 11 years with ATRA Inc,. Cliff holds an ASE Master certification in all mechanical and electrical fields of automotive technology. He's a proven expert in all types of domestic and import transmission repair, from yesteryear's classics to today's high-tech computer controlled powertrains. Also an MCSE certified network administrator/computer expert as a hobby, Cliff helps keep the shop computer systems happy and bug-free. An outside-the-box thinker, if you've got a really weird problem requiring a really weird solution that also happens to be right, Cliff's the man. Cliff joined our team in May of 2005.
Daniel Mendez, Shop Foreman, ASE Certified Technician
Graduating from Arizona Automotive Institute in 1987 it was then Dan launched his career in the transmission repair industry when Dave hired him at Trans-King Transmission. When Dave launched his business in 1993, Dan joined the crew and has done it all ever since. Dan supervises all on-vehicle repair work and rebuilding of transmissions. He is an expert transmission rebuilder and Dave's primary diagnostic technican. He's a wizard with a diagnostic scanner, pulling the secrets and solutions out of today's automotive computer control systems. Dan enjoys running, riding his mountain bike and reading in his spare time. He's ASE certified in Automatic Trans/Transaxle, Manual Drive Train & Axles and Electrical/Electronics. When everything in the shop is running smoothly as usual, and the little details are always getting taken care of, it's usually Dan's fault.
Henry Villanueva, Installer
Henry is our most experienced transmission installer. Having been in the transmission industry for over 20 years, there are not many car or truck transmissions that Henry has not installed. He pays great attention to detail on the work that he does, with an amazing ability to do the seemingly impossible under the car. When it seems like you just can't get to a certain bolt or remove some hidden part deep in an engine compartment, Henry knows how. He joined Dave Wilkes Transmissions 1989. He is responsible for servicing, removing and reinstalling the transmissions and repairs when the transmission is in the vehicle.
Sarah Riley, Office Manager/Bookkeeper
Since August 2009, Sarah has been a pleasant and helpful professional answering the phones, greeting customers and starting the customer service process at Dave Wilkes Transmissions. Her bookkeeping skills also make sense of the mountains of paperwork and accounting responsibilities, keeping all of the numbers in balance and all of the 'I's and 'T's dotted and crossed. A mother of three and AVID fan of all things Disney, she lights up the shop with her ringing laugh, a real asset to the shop.
Dave Wilkes / President
Dave Wilkes grew up in Solvang and got his first job in the automotive industry in the 1968 when he was employed at a service station where he watched them work on vehicles. Do you remember what a service station is verses a gas station? A service station was where they actually looked under the hood of your car and inspected your engine oil level, checked your tire pressure and washed the windows. Following his service station position, Dave spent the next six years as a brake and front-end mechanic and then three years in a general repair shop in Santa Barbara before he started as an R & R technician for Mike King at Trans-King Transmissions in 1980. Because of his previous experience he moved quickly being a rebuider then was promoted to shop foreman and eventually shop manager. Dave ultimately purchased the Ventura Trans-King shop and in 1993 he changed the name to Dave Wilkes Transmissions. Through the years Dave has seen the transmission industry change significantly from all 3-speed-rear wheel drive transmissions to highly complex front wheel all-computer-controlled transmissions of today.
