Blaine Carmena
Owner/Technician/Fabricator
Born in Louisiana and raised in St Thomas USVI by a father addicted to making fast cars, Blaine didn’t stand a chance. Car modification, tuning and building engines was in his blood. Trained in Oklahoma as an aircraft and power plant technician, Blaine used his skills working on yacht engines and systems for 8 years. While sailing around the world, he met his wife who gave him no choice but to settle in Victoria BC where Blaine now raises his family, one son (who loves Hot Wheels!) and a daughter (who doesn’t!)For the last 15 years, Blaine has been building his beloved 1974 DeTomaso Pantera which is how he met his past business partner and opened 5252 Motorsports. 5252 was their baby for five years until Blaine decided to branch out on his own as Carmena Performance. Blaine looks forward to sharing his passion and expertise for all vehicles with you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give him a call.
Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people.
– Blaine Carmena
Sean Lafrance
Technician/Fabricator
Sean picked up his first Performance Auto & Sound Magazine back in the early 2000’s and it was all over. A VW GTi was featured and from then on he knew he needed one. He got his learner’s licence as soon as possible, and after driving the family GMC Safari around to obtain his N, he got his first car. That 1985 VW Golf didn’t stay stock long, nor did the many VWs after that. Then it was onto the Hondas, which is what his current project is. A 2000 Honda S2000.
After working in the automotive maintenance world for 10 years, Sean decided it was time for a change of pace and to try something that he was truly interested in. Designing, modifying, and building has always been his passion; so when he heard Blaine was looking to hire a helping hand, he jumped at the chance.
After working in the automotive maintenance world for 10 years, Sean decided it was time for a change of pace and to try something that he was truly interested in. Designing, modifying, and building has always been his passion; so when he heard Blaine was looking to hire a helping hand, he jumped at the chance.
Mitch Guindon
Technician
Our resident Datsun Doctor, Mitch Guindon, grew up in a car family. His dad always had a project car in the garage and naturally Mitch and his brother were always helping out. Mitch’s first job as a mechanic started when he was just 12 years old, working weekends and after school at the local bicycle shop putting bikes together and building wheels in the basement. Once he was old enough to drive, cars took over.
Mitch acquired his first Datsun 240Z when he was 18 in a trade deal with his brother for a ‘72 Camaro RS and the Datsun Doctor was born. He says he has owned more than 25 Datsun Z’s, and 510’s over the years and has driven them in TSD Rally, Autocross, Drag Racing and Time Attack events at various tracks as a member of multiple car clubs.
Though Mitch’s specialty is Z cars, he began his formal automotive training working in a European specialty shop and later completed his Red Seal working for a Honda dealership in Northern BC. When the island called him home, he followed his passion for modified cars and went to work for 5252 Motorsports where he was able to learn all about engine swaps and stand-alone EFI management. After a couple of years at Mercedes Benz, Mitch again returned to his passion when Carmena Performance needed to expand and has been up to his eyeballs in engine swap madness ever since, and Datsuns too!
Mitch acquired his first Datsun 240Z when he was 18 in a trade deal with his brother for a ‘72 Camaro RS and the Datsun Doctor was born. He says he has owned more than 25 Datsun Z’s, and 510’s over the years and has driven them in TSD Rally, Autocross, Drag Racing and Time Attack events at various tracks as a member of multiple car clubs.
Though Mitch’s specialty is Z cars, he began his formal automotive training working in a European specialty shop and later completed his Red Seal working for a Honda dealership in Northern BC. When the island called him home, he followed his passion for modified cars and went to work for 5252 Motorsports where he was able to learn all about engine swaps and stand-alone EFI management. After a couple of years at Mercedes Benz, Mitch again returned to his passion when Carmena Performance needed to expand and has been up to his eyeballs in engine swap madness ever since, and Datsuns too!
David Edwards
Technician
David still recalls his first dream, flying through the clouds in a red civic beside a fire breathing dragon powered by a 6.2 Hemi? This is the beginning of a long adventure for David, an adventure that would take him deep inside the car industry culminating in a technician position at Carmena Performance.Growing up helping his dad fix cars in the garage then moving under the wing of the uncle at his uncle’s business, David learned that if you dream it – you can create it. During the following eleven years David learned and refined his mechanics skills which later opened the door at Carmena Performance where he has been since July 2019.Specializing in custom projects, David’s passion is helping car enthusiasts bring to life their vision embodied in a beautiful machine
Matt Hall
Office Manager
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