New Location, Same Old Cars
- Hey Mike Restorations expands in Hayden. By Colin
- Dec 4, 2015
- 3 min read
Despite rain, wind, snow, ice, dust, smoke, uneven pavement, dirt roads and everything else Mother Nature can throw at us, the Inland Northwest has a serious passion for collector automobiles. Big events like Lost in the 50’s in Sandpoint, Car d’Alene in Coeur d’Alene, and Good Guys Great Northwest Nationals in Spokane, coincide with small town shows all over our area. It’s because of this love that Mike Altzier of Hey Mike Restorations is keeping busy bringing the classics back to their original shine.
“When I first opened, I had visions of sitting in an empty shop waiting for the phone to ring, but we’ve been busy since day one which is amazing,” said Altzier.
Just two and a half years into the business, Altzier has already needed to expand his space to keep up with projects that keep rolling in. The new location at 690 West Hayden Avenue moves the business closer to town and provides better visibility, being just a couple blocks off Highway 95. Here, Altzier can house more vehicles, make it easier to move them in and out, and has a new lift that’s really helpful when working under the vehicle. Through the first couple years, Altzier has seen a mixture of those wanting a custom job and those wanting to restore a classic to the original factory model. “Most of my work here has sentimental value,” said Altzier. “People will say ‘my dad had one’ or ‘I’ve had this for 30 years and want to drive it again.’”
Altzier is upfront with his customers as the tab can grow quickly when doing a full restoration or custom job. But for the majority, the sentimental value is worth much more than resale. Still, if you have an old farm truck that you’re looking to spruce up and sell, Altzier is there to help.
“With basic models you can add value by putting in modern conveniences like newer engines blocks, A/C, cruise control and power steering. If you have a rarer model, new modifications will actually hurt the value as serious collectors are looking for the most original cars and trucks out there,” said Altzier.
He has been fixing up and restoring vehicles since his dad told him he could have his old hunting truck, a ’67 Jeep CJ5, if he could get the thing running again. He went to work at a restoration business specializing in ’55, ’56, and ’57 Ford Thunderbirds at which point he knew this is what he was supposed to do with his life.
Altzier is a member of the North Idaho Classic Car Club, sponsors trophies at local shows and is one of the judges at the annual Car d’Alene show every summer. He’s been busy enough to hire a part time helper and hopes soon to have a handful of full time employees keeping the shop busy year round. He would also love a future opportunity to share his skills with local high schoolers interested in the trade.
While jobs vary from a simple fix to full restoration, there’s one thing that remains the same for Altzier. “When they drive outta here grinning ear to ear, that’s a huge payoff for me. I just love seeing that. I feel so blessed to do what I love for a living and live in a wonderful place. I couldn’t have dreamed it would go this well.”
Hey Mike Restorations
590 West Hayden Avenue
Hayden, Idaho
208.777.7888
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