At a recent cruise-in, a custom rolled in that seemed to catch everyone’s eye. One among hundreds of entries, it wasn’t just the high-quality workmanship and its unusual light-green color that had heads turning. You could see by the thoughtful looks people were wondering, “What kind of car is that?”

Or more aptly, “What kind of car was that?”

Fortunately, owner Mike Jeffries stationed himself by the car to field questions. “I bought it as a basket case,” said Jeffries. “The previous owner began the chopped top, which was sitting on the pillars but not yet welded. The motor was supposed to have been rebuilt, but wasn’t running.”

Jeffries’ car is difficult to identify because it isn’t a customized Ford or Chevy, but a pre-war Buick. Add the chopped top and the 1955 DeSoto grill and, for many, its year and make become a mystery.

In 1992 Mike was looking for a car and found this one. At the time he didn’t know what a 1941 Buick looked like.

“I went to the annual Portland Swap Meet and it rained both Saturday and Sunday,” said Jeffries. “I saw a trailer with a sign and all it said was:

1941 Buick Sedanette, chopped top started, 455 engine

“I was walking with my buddy Robert Stevenson and said, ‘Robert, come back here, what’s this?’ Neither one of us knew what a ‘41 Buick looked like so we went into one of the buildings and found a book with a picture. Then we went to the see the car. It was a complete basket case and Robert said, ‘Mike this is you!’ I wanted something different, and that’s why I bought it.

“There were no fenders on it--it was just a shell and everything was inside the car. Luckily, Robert is a good metal man. He helped me put it together.”

Restoring with a friend can turn into a battle of wills, but Mike let Robert take the lead and was glad he did.

“The biggest challenge was listening to my buddy say ‘Mike, just sit there and shut up!’” recalled Jeffries, laughing. “There were certain things I couldn’t visualize but when he finished I said ‘Robert, you’re right!’”

Mike had the car running in 2003 with just a coat of primer, but the “rebuilt” 455 engine had problems so he switched to a Chevy 350 with a 700R4 automatic transmission. The car rides on a Plymouth Volare torsion-bar subframe and a 12 bolt Chevy rear end with 3.73 gears. Now it’s a pleasure to drive. Although the car has been on the road for years, it looks brand new--the paint and upholstery are only a year old.

“It runs great! It all turned out beautifully and I can see out very well while driving,” said Jeffries. “I thought there would be a problem but the visibility is very good. In the summer of 2009, I had the paint and pin striping done by El Robbo Studios in Battle Ground, Washington, and the interior done by Northwest Auto Upholstery in Vancouver, Washington. My future plans are to just drive it and take care of a few little bugs.”