Thunder Ridge is full speed ahead

A new shop on California Street is turning wrenches, building engines, and shifting the local automotive scene into high gear. Thunder Ridge Diesel opened last November and is quickly gaining traction — not just for its diesel expertise, but for offering full-spectrum mechanical services and supporting the local community along the way.

From oil changes on your daily driver to a custom build Thunder Ridge has you covered. Owner Kody Britton, a longtime diesel enthusiast and seasoned mechanic, was raised working on heavy machinery on his family’s ranch in Raton and later employed as an industrial electrician in Albuquerque.

“I was an industrial electrician for about seven or eight years. I started that when I was about 16,” Britton said, adding that the COVID 19 pandemic derailed his plans in that industry. “I had a second job, which was diesel mechanics, and I did a lot of racing in Texas. We built a lot of high performance diesels and stuff like that. And so I shuffled between the two, and then kind of jumped on an opportunity [to open his own shop].”

Kody’s wife, Whitney Britton — a special education teacher by trade — helps manage the business on the administrative side while preparing to home school her two young daughters.

“Even though we’re new to the community, we sponsor quite a few things, like rodeo and basketball for the kids,” Whitney said. “We want to be a part of the community and help where we can.”

Despite its name, Thunder Ridge Diesel isn’t just for diesel engines. The shop is staffed with some serious talent, including master mechanic Joe Stuyvesant, a veteran builder known for his work on high-performance gas engines.

“We do some pretty crazy stuff here, like, right now we’re stuffing a full size Cummins 6 BT in an ‘86 Toyota pickup. Before that, it had an LS 6 Corvette engine in there,” Kody said.

Custom builds and performance tuning are big parts of Kody’s vision — something he says is sparse in New Mexico but flourishing in nearby states like Texas and Oklahoma. Kody said that when he was racing in Texas, he helped build 1,200- to 1,500-horsepower trucks. New Mexico, he said, doesn’t really have a diesel performance scene yet, but he aims to change that.

The Brittons are even eyeing the idea of bringing diesel drag racing to New Mexico, with hopes to build a private track for events, if they can secure land.

The couple also has plans to expand westward, purchasing land in Reserve to build a home on and set up shop specifically for ranchers in the area that need diesel service close by.