Our Story

Two men working on a motorcycle in a garage with orange walls. An old car is parked in the background. Tools and equipment are on the workbenches and the floor.
A busy outdoor car show event with people walking around classic and custom cars, tents, and vendor booths in a parking lot next to a building.

Founded in Watseka, Illinois in 2007, Nichols Paint & Fab brings together family, craftsmanship, and a passion for custom automotive builds. Our work includes sheet metal and chassis fabrication, performance upgrades, and off-road customization.

Meet the owner

Justin Nichols

A bearded man wearing a black baseball cap and a black t-shirt with a graphic design, sitting at a table in a room with gray walls. There are two paintings on the wall behind him showing beverage bottles and glasses, and an artwork of barrels on a window sill.

Born and raised in Watseka, Illinois, Justin Nichols turned a lifelong passion for custom cars, fabrication, and paint into Nichols Paint & Fab in 2007. His creativity, attention to detail, and hands-on approach have helped grow the shop from its humble beginnings into a nationally recognized name in the custom automotive industry.

Justin starred in two seasons of Wrench’d on MotorTrend, appeared three times as a builder on Search and Restore, and has been featured twice on PowerNation. His work has also appeared in publications including Classic Truck, Street Rodder, Hot Rod, Raw Bike, Bagger, American Bagger, and Built Not Bought.

A custom 1932 Ford Radster pickup on display at an indoor car show, surrounded by multiple trophy awards.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • Grand National Truck Show 2023

    • World’s Most Beautiful Truck

      • Outstanding Engineering

    • World’s Most Beautiful Truck

      • Contender

Work With Us

"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking"

- Henry ford

Group of fifteen people posing for photo inside an auto repair shop, with a purple car elevated on a lift in the background.

our team

Behind every build is a team of skilled people who bring experience, craftsmanship, and attention to detail to the shop every day. Meet the crew that helps bring each Nichols project to life.

meet the crew