BIG SANDY - January is traditionally a slower time of year for many farmers, but for Shon Tester, there’s no shortage of work, even if his crops are made of steel.
Tester calls himself a “car farmer,” a title earned after restoring more than a dozen vintage vehicles, many from his favorite decade, the 1930s.
See Tester's work with old cars:
“It’s just part of my DNA,” Tester said. “I wanted to be an old car when I grew up. I got pretty close.”
Raised near Big Sandy, Tester spends his days and nights bringing long-forgotten vehicles back to life. From a 1914 Model A to a 1936 Hudson, each restoration is built with what he describes as “literal blood,” his knuckles often scraped from hours of work.
His father, Jon Tester, is well known to Montanans as a farmer — and as the state’s former U.S. senator. While Jon’s preference leans toward tractors, he’s quick to compliment his son’s skills.
“I’d love to say everything he knows I taught him,” Jon said. “No, everything he knows he taught himself.”
Shon’s love for cars began early. He restored his first vehicle at age 14. But much of his work remained hidden for years, shielded from public view during his father’s political career.
“The way campaigns are these days, they tend to get pretty ugly pretty fast,” Jon said. “There’s nothing out of bounds anymore.”
For Shon, privacy wasn’t just about avoiding politics. It was about keeping his collection purely his.
“It was in my control,” he said. “It was just for me. In this room, my dad is in my shadow.”
These days, with Jon stepping back from public office, father and son often work side-by-side or, as Jon jokes, with him “sitting in the passenger seat” while Shon drives.
Whether it’s fixing an engine, sanding down a body or taking a freshly restored Corvette for an evening cruise, Shon’s focus remains the same: treasure built from trash, art created from rust.
“I’m not afraid to drive my cars,” Shon said. “Every single evening, even if it’s raining, I go for a cruise.”
And somewhere along the backroads of Big Sandy, there’s a good chance you’ll find this self-proclaimed car farmer, reveling in the past while steering toward the future.
“I don’t know if I’ve nurtured it or it’s nurtured me,” Shon said. “But I love where it’s going.”
