The "Uncertain T"

Seeing this thread again makes me want to find a model kit for this car and I havent built a model car in 30 years

 

Imagine that 7 years later and I build my childhood dream...

 

Paint n chrome then final assembly

 

That is AWESOME !!!

 

Saw both of these at the Detroit Autorama last February.

 

Who owns this kit version

 

the life size diorama is awesome thank you for sharing the photo

 

dog patch customs ? real name George.

 

I can't wait.
Is this like The Curse of Oak Island?

 

Total nonsense. Crawl back under your rock.

 

X38 from Aussie. I do believe you nailed it, "Oak Island".
But he could have a perfect story, here's hoping anyways.

 

...Saw it as well. Such a cool display.

 

So there,s a Fiat Topolino body being fitted to the chassis as we speak/type ?

 

"Uncertain T": Long-Lost Iconic Hot Rod To Be Displayed at GNRS

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Radical, legendary custom Ford Model T emerges after a half-century in mothballs.
by KJ Jones . . . images c/o Dave Shuten
January 23, 2024

THIS JUST IN, mere days before the Grand National Roadster Show: "Uncertain T," the iconic, radically abstract Ford Model T-based hot rod that has been completely off everyone's radar since the mid-1970s, was found and purchased by Galpin Ford's Beau Boeckmann, and will be displayed 100-percent "as-is" at the upcoming show in Pomona, California.

Originally built by @Steve Scott (who was a Car Craft associate editor for a brief time), the uber-unique, cutting-edge car features a fiberglass body that's mounted on a hand-fabricated aluminum chassis, with headlights, radiator shell, and other effects from a 1921 Model T. Power comes from a 384 cubic-inch, 1957 Buick Nailhead V-8 with Hilborn stack mechanical fuel injection, which is mated with a 1955 Pontiac hydro automatic transmission. A quick-change rearend completes the driveline.

For nearly six years after its introduction in 1965, Uncertain T toured the U.S. and won almost all the prestigious custom-car awards of the period. It was featured in, and on the cover of major magazines (Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding), and had the honor of being replicated by Monogram as a 1/24-scale plastic model kit. That recognition was, as it still is, one of the ultimate affirmations of an outstanding custom car, and it helped Uncertain T earn a prominent spot in the annals of American automotive history.

Unseen for nearly 50 years, the whereabouts of Uncertain T have been discussed, speculated about, pontificated on, and mythologized, with stories about the car and its whereabouts handed down through generations. Multiple Uncertain T clones have been built in tribute. The original car's recent recovery—ironically, from a Van Nuys, California, warehouse that is literally a stone's throw from Galpin's headquarters—is undoubtedly making a lot of noise throughout the hot rod diaspora.

One thing is very certain: Beau, and Galpin's lead restoration specialist Dave Shuten, plan to restore the Uncertain T to its exact original configuration and appearance and return the custom hot rod to the car show circuit it once dominated. And, like its extraction from long-term storage, the car's entire restoration will be recorded for future posterity.

In addition to the Grand National Roadster Show, the Uncertain T will also appear (as a barn find) at the Detroit Autorama in March, before returning to Southern California for restoration.

As found



In the GALPIN shop​

 

More pics culled from the Internet:

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I love history and archeology and the threads on this Uncertain T hotrod are just priceless. Good on yall for finding this gem and sharing it with us unwashed masses

 

thread from the year 2005.

 

Yep . . . I thought this (somewhat controversial) OLD thread deserved a bit of “closure”.

 

WELL, WELL, ain't that a kick in the butt.
So happy it was found: THIS will change my life,






not really !!!

 

Those sure are some thick paint coats....

 

I looks like it would be hard to see out of unless you're under 5'5" tall. Probably needs one of those Prism thingys to see the traffic light. But yeah, I know showrods weren't about practicality.

 

I think it's cooler as found than restored, but what do I know.

 

This is an epic "find"! It's hard to believe it was ever really lost... but whatever the case, it's here for the hot rodding world to enjoy, and gladly will be restored to its former glory!

 

I also think it's cooler "as found" but unfortunately it will just keep deteriorating as time goes on. It looks better than I would have thought after all these years................

 

Yeah, but how many threads here have the peanut gallery saying 5 inch chop looks great?


I'd assume the pics with the people gathered are where it has been stored, up on jackstands with the narrower rears.

 

If your not at least 70 years old you won't understand the important's of thread!

 

Wrong! I’m 57 and I get it!
I hope there is a thread here where we can follow along with the restoration.

 

Not necessarily wrong. I got an E mail pal [77yr old] out in wine country, CA and he said he's read all the magazines and never heard of or remembers seeing the Uncertain T car. I'm 75 and remember it.