About Us

Born and raised in Watseka, Illinois, Justin Nichols was a by product of his father, a man genuinely connected to the life of fast cars and flashy paint jobs.  His love for anything automotive led to his creation of Nichols Paint and Fab.

In a relatively short time, Justin has already accomplished what many fabricators and builders around the world seek from their careers... two full seasons of his own TV series on MotorTrend "Wrench'd." A three time builder on Spike TV's Search and Restore, featured twice on Powernation, Justin has become an automotive icon.  His ability and passion to create some of the most amazing hot rods and custom rides to ever cruise the streets of Illinois has become an inspiration for many automotive enthusiasts statewide.

Beyond the Search and Restore TV series, Justin's work has been showcased in Classic Truck, Street Rodder, Raw Bike, Hot Rod, Bagger, American Bagger and Built Not Bought magazines as well as being awarded for many other top of class, Top 20 at World of Wheels Chicago, Street Rodder top 100 in the nation, Top 10 at Syracuse Nationals, Builders Choice, best of show and paint awards.

Recently, Justin and his staff won Best Traditional Hot Rod and Best in Class with their 1929 Ford Sedan at World of Wheels in Chicago.  Shortly after, a chance meeting with Courtney Hansen landed him an interview on Powerblock TV.

 Justin continues to run his business, Nichols Paint and Fab, where he designs and fabricates some of the most appealing hot rods and custom motorcycles to come out of the state of Illinois.  Justin has put together quite the 'A' Team to work towards success.  Introducing Maegan, the CNC designer, Ziggy the shop manager/welder/fabricator/body guy, Mike the metal fabricator, Cory the welder/fabricator/assembly guy, Harold the body guy/fabricator, Russ the performance tech, Kurt the performance tech/tuner/assembly guy/mechanic, Dan the 3D software/programmer, Jamie the parts specialist, Kayin the RC manager, and Taylor who is in charge of public relations and sales.

Nichols Paint and Fab offers you the highest quality custom automotive builds in the industry.  Whether you are looking for sheet metal forming to full custom or hot rod, we can accommodate your needs. Recently, Justin and his team opened the new shop, at 1800 N ST RT 1, Watseka IL. The new 100x300 ft long shop allows for all of our work to be done in-house without the hassle of bouncing between two shops. We also have a 60x80 ft long Dyno tuning shop located towards the back of the main shop.

We understand the importance of top-quality fabrication and provide our customers with the best possible service provided today.  Every project gets our full attention so that you are pleased with the entire process from start to finish.

Nichols Paint and Fab is a family owned and operated facility and all of our staff are highly qualified and trained to provide exceptional automotive services.  We have been building top notch rides for many years and have compiled many repeat customers who turn to us in good faith that their projects will be completed with a top level of detail.