Woodie Wagon craftsman collects and restores Military buyback cars | Barn Find Hunter - Ep. 76
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2020
- Mike Nickels has been restoring old Woodies for several decades. Fortunately for Tom and us, he's located right in Hagerty's hometown of Traverse City, MI. Tom thought Mike might have some leads on where we could find cars in the area, but as it turned out, Mike had plenty of interesting cars of his own to keep us busy for the day. WWII-era military vehicles and several Ford and Plymouth wagons in the process of being restored are only part of the story in this episode. Tom asks Mike questions about Woodies that he's been wondering about since he first found his 1939 Ford Woodie Wagon at the age of 15.
Subscribe to our TH-cam Channel! | bit.ly/2iooBxJ
#BarnFindHunter #NeverStopDriving #HagertyDriversClub
Hagerty supports, entertains, and informs the automotive enthusiast community across a variety of media and social platforms, including hagerty.com/media
LIKE us on FACEBOOK | / hagerty
FOLLOW us on TWITTER | / hagerty
FOLLOW us on INSTAGRAM | / hagerty
JOIN our COMMUNITY | community.hagerty.com/
Check out our most popular video series:
REDLINE REBUILDS - bit.ly/3bNdVmN
We spend hundreds of hours tearing apart old engines, machining and obsessively cleaning the parts, and reassembling it all. We exhaustively chronicle every step along the way with thousands of photos, then boil it down to a fast-paced but incredibly detailed time-lapse video. Share the satisfaction of the finish and the first fire-up!
BARN FIND HUNTER - bit.ly/2WgjGTg
Tom Cotter literally wrote the book(s) on barn finds, starting with The Cobra in the Barn. Tom travels North America in his 1939 Ford Woodie Wagon, searching for forgotten classics in barns, backyards, dusty garages, and scrapyards and meeting the fascinating characters who open the barn doors for him and tell him their stories.
WHY I DRIVE - bit.ly/2WhLPtv
Deep dive profiles of owners of interesting cars. Owners narrate, sharing their particular passion, with evocative on-the-road footage. We take you to their homes and garages, showing you firsthand the turn of the key, the first high-rpm upshift, and their favorite roads and destinations, whether it’s the local racetrack, ice cream parlor, or canyon road.
Find out more about Hagerty | www.hagerty.com
Hagerty Drivers Club ™ | Join today: www.hagerty.com/drivers-club
Hagerty Drivers Club is the world’s largest community for automotive enthusiasts. Members enjoy valuable automotive discounts, exclusive events and experiences, roadside service created specifically for collector vehicles, subscription to the bimonthly Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, and much more.
Contact us:
Phone: 877-922-9701
Fax: 231-941-8227
Barn Find Hunter tips and inquiries: barnfindhunter@hagerty.com
Suggestions and/or complaints: Your2Cents@hagerty.com
Marketing & Event inquiries: marketing@hagerty.com - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
We need to see a hour of this somebody needs to do a documentary on Mike Nichols
Was thinking the very same. What a master craftsman in a super unique niche. Wow.
Cars and woodworking. Hagerty you need to a full show on this or even a few series with Mike... amazing
I hope he has someone to pass his knowledge on down to as this art needs to be preserved and continued for generations to come.
David Gosling I thought that the whole time I watched this! Beautiful place!
Thankfully, I just learned enough to do it myself with lots of practice and experimentation, with the basic woodworking skills learned in High School woodshop. The key thing is making good finger joints, and leaving proper tolerances for the Glue. We are rebuilding WWI replica aircraft that were used in the making of the films, The Blue Max, Dalring Lilly, Von Richtofen and Brown, and others. Similar tooling needed for the wood wings, but the finger joint detail is the missing piece for me- Now, experimentation will lead to the skill being retained. Thanks Tom for the video, and especially to Mr. Nickels for sharing. I am also restoring a 1930 White 1 1/2 ton commercial truck.
There will never be a shortage of woodworkers, but wooden coach building is a whole other thing!
@@UberLummox One can still aspire, and perhaps even become- I learn from others, and by actually making a living doing the full restorations myself
David Gosling Ditto
Stuck at home today. I can think of no better way to spend my time than with Tom and one of his many fantastic shows.
Thanks Tom..
MY goodness that finished Woody in the Blue color was spectacular...
Indeed! A real beauty!
That car blew me over!
Woodwork and auto resto...what a life talent. That’s art!
That blue woodie is gorgeous!
Tom Cotter this is another great story about a great man, Mike Nickels.
When I see this man and his work a proverb comes to mind.
Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Thank you Tom and Mike.
Must have been one of Tom's BUCKET LIST days. Great Show.
Boy i hope he passes his trade down to someone what skill and talent wow 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I love learning about the cars in each video as well as the history behind the vehicles in Barn Finds. :)
White Ash wood. I wonder what will eventually be rarer, the wood or the cars.
Charming craftsman, Mr Nickels. Brilliant video.
Nothing more satisfying than grabbing your gal and taking the old woodie for a spin...turning heads everywhere you go!
A living legend. What wonderful work he does and modest too.
Sad that this guy's shop burned down. Hopefully he rebuilds. Top guy in the woodie business.
You could do 10 shows at that shop.
Mike Nickels is a mighty nice guy. This interview must have been a pleasure.
really awesome...timber will always be our friend...."we got a clean room we paint in"
Thank you so much for bringing us Mr. Nickels, Tom. Like you said, it's good to put a face
(and facilities) to the famous name. Meeting him must have been quite the thrill.
Love what you guys do with this channel; been a long-time Hagerty customer as well.
Safe travels!
-Ed on the Ridge
As a Brit can I say I’m addicted to this American classic culture. Thanks Tom.
OMG!!!!! Never in my life have I seen or heard of anyone that does work like this. Amazing!!
Thank You Tom !
That was a real treat and I appreciate it
“We’ve got a clean room we paint in” lol👍awesome line
I wish Mr Nickels many more productive years, amazing skills and valuable knowledge.
Absolutely incredible work!!! I'm always so in awe of the older generations Craftsmen and their tricks and skills of their trades. Always cool to see the work of a true Craftsman.
I got a '49 Ford woodie in 2002 I called it the Woodless Wonder. It had 0 salvageable wood left on it.I priced the wood kits from 3 different kit producers including this guy.The kits were,depending on options, between $10,000 and $13,000 and the wait was 6 months.
Mike Nickels seems to be a very likable and talented man. I hope there is someone he is mentoring.
Tom, please let us see more footage of this guy building Woodies. That was the quickest 19 minutes of my life. Fantastic 👏🏻😀👍
It was amazing thank you Tom
Great story! Not many craftsman around like him anymore.
Great episode and glad to hear the blue woodie is coming Down Under. Mr Nickells said it was going to ‘Brusselton’ but I assume he meant Busselton on the beautiful south-west coast of Australia.
Billy, it sure did find it's way here to Busselton in the South West of WA. Scott and I have just watched this and grinning from ear to ear! What a great episode - thank you Tom. We visited the USA and stayed with Mike & Lana in 2016 which was such a privilege. To see his work shop, unbelievable talent and of course our beloved WIP 48 Woody was something we will never forget. However, we have been so saddened to hear that just recently Mike & Lana have lost the workshop along with so much of his life's work. Such a devastating and tragic loss for Mike and the family and to all the woody lovers of the world.
Wow! This guy literally makes a silk purse out of a sows ear! What a craftsman.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Incredible skill and craftsmanship.... he needs to train someone to take up his skill
What a legend! I've never heard of the guy but he's obviously a King.
Holy moly that WODDIE WAR WAGON had Only 5 miles on it 😮😱
So much enjoyment watching this humble man and his life of creativity and restoration. Nothing of the big shot about him at all, not at all.
I drive past this house all the time, and always wondered what was in those barns. Thanks for showing me.
For sure, another couple miles to some pretty good trout fishing on the Boardman!
What a timely coincidence, a woodie I just bought was restored by Mike Nickels back in 2013, a 1948 Mercury (listed on his wall of woodies @15:18, #2 from the top under the Army Wagon). The previous owner handed down a huge binder full of restoration notes, pictures, and ideas. It's there where I ran into the Nickels restoration. The previous owner had it upgraded to a 12V system among other numerous items to make it road ready for the 2,300 mile Great Race of 2017.
I think this is the most smitten I’ve seen Mr. Cotter. ❤️
Glad you stopped there Tom. Interesting place.
That gentleman is "one of one"!
A professional documnetor and film crew needs to spend a few days with this man and document EVERYTHING. These are skills rapidly disappearing from the American fabric.
Very true!!
100%
Great to meet the people that dedicate their lives to saving these classic vehicles.
That was one of the better videos and they're all good. That guy is a true Craftsman like a wooden boat builder!
That craftsmanship is breathtaking
Wow what a talented human being this was awesome to watch wish I could apprentice this guy what a craft
Amazing. How can you not love this stuff. Thanks for the share.
I'm just a metal guy only, but there's something very special about these. Romantic/homey.
Whan I was a kid I found a running '48 Olds 6 or 8 door woody, probably from an old resort here in Maine.
Staff cars are really special too, even a 'buy-back'. That 'War Wagon" is crazy cool!!
Thanks for the video!
Thanks Tom for showing us the world through your eyes. 👍
Only had 19 Likes when I found this video. Yet it deserves many thousands more. What an astounding specialty workshop. I’m happy to have found this vlog such a need to be documented for posterity subject matter.
What a great show! Tom, you and the BFH crew are a national treasure. NEVER STOP HUNTING!
Very good episode!! Unbelievable craftsmanship!!. Somebody get this man an apprentice before this skill is lost!
This guy gives new meaning to the term "morning wood"
No Name - "Morning Wood" as you say in this case is what the French call a double entendre, It could mean one or another thing!
Now that was cool. A rare guy!
What a treat
Thanks for takin' us along Tom
Woodies are so unusual these days
Love it
I hope he's teaching someone else everything he knows. That's a *lot* of knowledge and experience locked up in his head -- it'd be a damn shame to lose it all when he passes on. What amazing work he does!!
The stories that man knows and the lawn ornament. Beautiful
This guy needs to hire help to teach and pass this talent to new generation or this will be lost forever
he should have had a bunch of sons...
sad is...youngeters are not interested in work!
@@bugnfront I'm a teenager and absolutely love vintage cars as a first car I chose a 55 Chevy Sedan, kids like me are still out there to keep the classics around for generations.
There is no substitute for a Quality from a Craftsman... Onward!
Honestly one of the best things I’ve watched in a long time. Anything is interesting when the people talking are passionate about it........ thank you
As a hobbyist woodworker I get double the pleasure out of this video....cars AND really excellent woodwork!
What a genuinely nice fellow - "Ya, we've got junk all over the place" - if anybody could turn a mouses ear into a silk purse, Mike Nickels is the one.
When i served my apprenticeship,one of my instructors was talking about the Ford flattie 6 and how he had worked on them during the war out in the western Desert. He said they were pretty serviceable but not overly powerful.
love watching this episode probably as much as you loved taping it. This woody stuff is so cool.
Nothing like a true artisan a lot of skills
Tom -you definitely have THE best job in the world. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Theyre not only cool as heck, but they look very useful.
That was something else,incredible skill.
I was not going to watch this but am glad I did.
I dont need a wooden motorcar but still very interesting. And worth watching, as are most of these clips.
Wow what a legend Mike is. Such a fantastic place and craftsman. In many ways it's soo sad knowing all these skills and knowledge will just fade away. But what a great place and guy. Many thanks for sharing with us 👍
No matter where you go.. most say this is the last one.... as far as we know!! Very nice
Thanks for such a good video. Not only was his collection, work projects, personal cars, workshops, and parts rooms a must see, he himself as an individual is very interesting. Mechanics and automotive restorers like myself need to speak with and listen to these guys and draw from them what they are willing to share. I've just recently joined the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America). It's good fellowship and camaraderie as well as a knowledge give and take experience.
What an amazing man with so much ability and skill
I hope he has trainees to be passing this on to
It would be such a shame for his knowledge to die with him 😍😍👍👍
I think this is my favorite of his shows. I love woodies!
I could binge watch these shows for a lifetime
that guy is a legend . Out done yourself again tom
Lol Brusselton hahahaha. I assume he means Busselton? If so I hope it gets sent home so we can see it.
Thank you very mucho that´s a very cool experience !! take care !!
Looks great. The man has skills.
I sure hope you'll continue Barn Find Hunter and the other shows during Covid-19... I need something to watch! :-) Stay safe tho!
Great video! This guy is seriously hardcore when it comes to restorations. An interesting deviation from the normal BFH videos, thanks Tom!
Loooooots of knowledge about woodies there. If I ever get the crisp to build my dream Chrysler Town & Country, I'll be looking for this dude.
Great video!!
What an outstanding craftsman. Thanks for sharing. I would like to see more of the same type of craftsmen before we lose them to the "time" monster.
It's funny how they focused on the Ford flathead 6 and it's rarity. My parents inherited my great grandma's 1946 Ford Super Deluxe that she bought new right after the war ended. It has the same inline six with a 3 speed column shift. I am having a lot of trouble finding engine parts for it, so keeping it on the road is a time consuming and very expensive challenge. Still really cool seeing it mentioned for once haha.
It's an amazing Carrier
Love woodies. Road Art
Fascinating show. I love all the shows this one is special. You can tell he has love for these cars
Mike is such knowledgeable man great episode Tom
I love his comment about Ispheming! What an Awesome Experience!
Tom asked "What country is that town in?". If you are from Michigan you know.
Outstanding show man I enjoy all af you episodes keep them coming Tom .....
Very talented gentleman ! Thank you for sharing his collection and life work . Wonderfully interesting video . I would love to see an hour long show of seeing this man do his job .
great work, Tom, that must have been a total jumpin' Jack Flash of a gas for you!
Some nice signs in that garage!
Will always be a dream to drive a woodie and find such treasures
I bet that shop smells like heaven . I bet that shop smelles like no other shop ever .
The Ford flathead 6 (at 2:32) displaced 226 cu in (3.7 L) and produced 90 hp, same as the V8. It was used from 1941-51.
had a 6 cyl flathead 1949 ford truck. sure do miss her.
When I was a kid a farmer neighbor had an old International woody that was something around a 1930 in his junk yard. It was the most exotic old woody I ever saw. He also had an old Graham Paige in there. I have tried to find information on the international woodie from that era with no luck.
Wonderful, you will find it hard to top this episode!
Mike is a really cool guy
Perfectly timed just as home 👌