Engineering:Uncertain T (show car)

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Short description: Show car built by Steve Scott in 1965

Uncertain T is a show car built by Car Craft photographer Steve Scott in 1965.

Construction details

The chassis is steel tube, painted red.[1] The 1957 Buick nailhead,[2] block painted brown with red detailing,[3] was bored and stroked to 386 cu in (6,330 cc) and equipped with 11:1 compression Jahns pistons, Hilborn injectors, Scheiefer magneto, 1963 Buick cylinder heads, and open headers.[4] The transmission and quick-change rear axle casing were painted brown, the rack and pinion and torsion bar tube yellow.[5]

The body was fiberglass,[6] resembling the Model T "phonebooth" coupé, steeply raked forward, with a "wind-up key" in the rear section.[7] When it debuted, the body was painted a deep candy red (applied by Bill Cushenbery).[8] The upholstery was done by Lee Wells.[9] The steering wheel was a four-spoke design, mounted vertically.[10]

The car ran on narrow spoked motorcycle wheels in front and wide five-spoked wheels in back.[11]

Torsion bar front suspension was a rarity in customs (or any cars) at the time.[12] Scott's use of a 1960 MGA rack and pinion to operate the drag link was also innovative.[13]

While the car ran, it had no suspension, no shock absorbers, and no front brakes, effectively making it a trailer queen.[14]

History

Uncertain T debuted at a carshow as part of the 1965 Winternats at Pomona in February 1965, and appeared in the May issue of Car Craft.[15] It was on the cover of November's Car Craft, which had a three-page feature (with only black and white photos) inside.[16]

About a month after completion, Scott had the car repainted metalflake brick orange by Junior's House of Color, before entering "Uncertain T" in the Oakland Roadster Show;[17] in this new color scheme, it toured the U.S., and won a number of trophies.[18] Some time later, the engine and chassis details were repainted yellow.[19]

"Uncertain T" also appeared in Hot Rod in July, August, and September 1966.[20] In the September issue, it was listed as for sale, with a price of US$7000; usual for a used custom car was $2000 to $3000.[21]

In 1966, "Uncertain T" was offered as a Monogram model kit.[22]

Around 1970, the car, then painted metallic gold, was sold to a California resident. Ownership could not be established, and in 2003 was still unknown.[23]

In 2024, it was announced in various online sources that the car had been rediscovered in Van Nuys California by Beau Boeckmann and would be displayed at the Grand National Roadster Show.[24]

Featured appearances

  • Car Craft Magazine, November 1965.
  • Street Rodder, July 2003

Notes

  1. ↑ Ganahl records Car Craft calling it 6061-T6 aluminum, but believes Scott would have polished rather than painted it, in that event. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 and caption.
  2. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  3. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 caption.
  4. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.74 caption and photo.
  5. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 caption.
  6. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  7. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75 photo.
  8. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  9. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  10. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 photo.
  11. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  12. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  13. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  14. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 caption.
  15. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  16. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  17. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, pp.75-6.
  18. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76.
  19. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.76 caption.
  20. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  21. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  22. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  23. ↑ Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, p.75.
  24. ↑ Jones, KJ, in Motortrend, January 2024, https://www.motortrend.com/news/uncertain-t-custom-1921-ford-model-t-grand-national-roadster-show/

Sources

  • Ganahl, Pat. "Uncertain T", in Street Rodder, July 2003, pp. 74–6.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/wild-60s-custom-uncertain-t-uncovered-ending-50-year-mystery/



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