After a decade of hard, meticulous work, Larry Parker’s 1942 Buick Special is nearly back to looking just like it did rolling off the factory floor.

When Parker first laid eyes on the vehicle, it was abandoned in a farm field. The lines of the car, including its fastback body (a sloped roof in the back), caught his attention.

“Even though it was sitting in the ground, the body was in fairly good shape from the standpoint of rust,” Parker said.

When he later attended a vehicle auction at the farm, the time-worn car came home with him. 

Buick began making the 1942 Specials amid World War II, shortly before the United States joined the global conflict. Around that time, Buick had taken on the task of producing plane engines. But a company magazine from the period explained that, as long as Buick could continue to accommodate national defense needs, they would also “continue to supply for the car owners of America the finest motor cars we can build.”

“Not always is it the first rule of success to do one thing at a time,” the Buick publication read. “Circumstances sometimes require that two or more things be done at once, and a virile organization is always ready to meet such a situation.”

The piece went on to explain there had been changes to the model, largely improvements, including softer coil springs and stronger connecting rods (discovered thanks to their airplane work). On Feb. 3, 1942, the last Buick model was produced — a special model painted “blackout” to signal a wartime transition according to motorcities.org.

It was roughly 70 years later that Parker found his Buick Special in a field.

The hood has some neat details, he said, pointing out an area where the paint had been “sculpted” for dual colors. However, Parker has opted to paint the car only one color — a factory-accurate dark maroon like it would have been off the lot in 1942.

The painting was no easy task, though. Parker called the company that was in charge of the vehicle’s paint  at the time, and they went back through archives until they found the correct color, then he had the paint custom mixed in Cody. Even the engine color is spec accurate.

When the job is finished, Parker explained that he hopes to take it to various car shows, where vehicles are judged on how closely they match the original.

A good portion of the work has involved researching and sourcing parts. It takes time, and Parker has met people several states over as he gathers what he needs to bring the vehicle back to life.

Finding a badge for the hood of the car was particularly difficult, as the 1942 model’s badge differs from the surrounding years. Parker also sent the grill to Pennsylvania to be redone and the dashboard was sent to someone who specializes specifically in 1940-1942 Buicks.

Right now, the Buick is hanging out in Belfry, Montana, where it’s being reupholstered. Parker found a shop there and — after three years of waiting due to demand — his car is finally getting some TLC.

“Probably more than anything else on this, I’ve learned patience,” he said, adding, “you can’t get in a hurry” and in some cases, “you’re just going to have to wait.”

While Parker has started the car, he hasn’t had an occasion to drive it just yet. He’s going to wait for the inside to be finished and there’s a few other things to wrap up. Parker bought some whitewall tires a year ago, and since the car has been in Belfry, he’s been able to finish the rims and mount the tires.

“I’m just waiting for them to come home so I can put them on,” Parker said.