HISTORIC VEHICLE ASSOCIATION
OLD MASTERS, NEW AGE
Part II: Structural Woodworking
For the second installment in a series examining highly specialized skills associated with historic vehicle restoration and maintenance, we take a closer look at structural automotive woodworking. Why are these craftsmen so scarce nowadays? What is the future for these hands-on careers? Here’s what the experts had to say.
BY BOB BUTZ
UPDATE |
historicvehicle.org
People once questioned Peter Gluklick’s cho- sen profession. A self-taught furniture maker and specialist in structural automotive wood- working, Gluklick founded P. Gluck Wood- works (
pgluckwoodworks.com) 40 years ago in Oak Park, Michigan.
“Gas prices were high. People didn’t have a lot of discretionary income,” he says. “In many ways it was a lot like today—a perfect time to get into the business.”
Gluklick jokes, but the fact is that people with his skills are in demand. Structural wood- working consistently ranks as the number one skill sought by employers looking to recruit graduates from McPherson College’s Automo- tive Restoration Program (“Old Masters, New Age,” Hagerty, Winter 2011).
High Demand and Low Competition Today, Gluklick enjoys a steady flow of cus- tomers seeking his expertise—primarily for cars produced before World War II, when ve- hicles came with wooden substructures includ- ing door frames, body framing, dashboards, garnish molding, running boards and, in pick- ups, truck beds.
“Making custom furniture and crafting wood automotive parts are very similar skills,” Gluklick says. “But cars are an art form even more so than furniture and I’ve found that the rise in value of these collectibles has resulted in an increase in the amount of money people are willing to spend to preserve them.”
Business Backup
Mike Nickels, owner of Nickels Automotive Woodworking, agrees. Inside his 8,000-square- foot garage in Traverse City, Michigan, he has a two-year backlog of projects—predominantly classic woodie wagons—all without a website or any sort of advertising beyond word-of-mouth.
(Top) With a degree in history and no formal training in handcraft, Peter Gluklick founded P. Gluck Woodworks more than 40 years ago. (Bottom) Mike Nickels, owner of Nickels Automotive Woodworking, has more than 20 years experience working with woodies.
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