The Steve Scott Uncertain T – Resurrected!

I was hugely influenced by the Steve Scott Uncertain T when it exploded on the hot rod show car world back in 1965. So in 2010 I wrote a post here expressing my admiration for Steve Scott’s work with the hope it might enlighten younger car builders because to me that was the true golden age of hot rodding.

Little did I know at the time that I would actually come into contact with Steve and that he would take the time to correct some of the errors in my earlier post and we would become friends. At the time, it was a mystery where the car was to everyone but Steve. Basically, it had gone into hiding in the late 1960s. The late Pat Ganahl’s 2010 book, Lost Hot Rods, further fed the growing interest in what had happened to the Uncertain T.

But the UncertainT has finally come back to the world, and who better than Beau Boeckmann (Galpin Auto Sports – G.A.S.) and Dave Shuten to bring it back to life!

Check out Dave’s video below.

They’re looking forward to sharing it with everyone in its as found condition at the Grand National Roadster Show and Detroit Autorama.

The Uncertain T’s popularity has never diminished. That’s because it was so singularly unique and different in its dramatic appearance and advanced mechanical elements that it was featured in leading magazines and won Sweepstakes in every show in which it was entered during its time and became a featured touring show car.

It became an incredibly popular model car kit.

Ed Roth Born Bad The Uncertain T

The Uncertain T was also immortalized in a Big Daddy Roth cartoon.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

The story of the Uncertain T began in 1960, when a high school classmate of Steve Scott’s drew a wild looking hot rod in a cartoon. When everyone agreed it would make an awesome car, but would be impossible to build, Steve said, “If you can think of something, you can create it.” He knew immediately that he had to do it, just to prove it to himself. Thus was born one of the 1960s most famous hot rods: the Steve Scott Uncertain T.
Steve Scott Uncertain-T

After that initial cartoon exposure, five years later in its November, 1965 issue, Car Craft magazine featured “The Uncertain-T” big time! How about a cutaway on the cover, a 3-page feature story, a mini-feature on how to scratch build a model of the car, and the introduction of a young Steve Scott as Associate Editor.Steve Scott Uncertain T Car Craft

Steve Scott intervews Joe Mondello
Steve Scott interviewing head porting guru Joe Mondello for Petersen Publishing

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

Much has been written about “The Uncertain-T”, so I won’t go into detail about the scratch built exaggerated T body, the injected Buick nailhead engine and tons of innovative suspension and driveline work, including rack and pinion steering, torsion bar front suspension and underslung rear suspension. Steve Scott Uncertain T chassis

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

Radical, but drivable!

Alert Car Craft readers would have seen a small preview pic of “The Uncertain-T” in the May ’65 issue in which it had the enviable honor of racing down the Bakersfield quarter mile after the Top Fuel eliminator showdown to fetch “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and return him to the starting line for the trophy presentation.

Steve says that Don didn’t want to go back, he wanted to keep driving around.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

Coincidentally, this was all happening about the same time that the hot rod world saw the introduction of Dan Woods’ cartoonish “Milk Truck”. Thus, a whole new era of show cars was born.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

It should also be noted that not only was Steve an accomplished car builder, but also an excellent photographer and a promoter of the first order; all of which helped ensure huge success for “The Uncertain-T”.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

Nobody had previously asked Steve about this, but his meticulous bookkeeping showed that the entire project cost over $15,000 from start to finish, including the large garage workshop that he had to build and outfit, a custom ugly trailer, 2 large format professional cameras for publicizing the “T”, 2 custom paint jobs, a second set of rear tires and rims, and so on. When you think of $15,000, it was a lot of money at the time, representing an average investment of $3,000 per year during the build. Steve’s family was just getting by then, and his father died soon after he started creating “The Uncertain-T”, so he worked many different jobs, including building homes as a journeyman carpenter in the exploding housing market in the San Fernando Valley.

But it all paid off because on the car show circuit Steve was able to pull down from $400 to $1000 per appearance.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T

At the time of its Car Craft appearance, “The Uncertain-T” had been a sweepstakes winner at the ’65 NHRA Winternationals Car Show, the ’65 Oakland Roadster Show, the Seattle Custom Auto Show and many others… it won Sweepstakes in every show it had entered since early in 1965.

The lasting impression of the Uncertain T inspired numerous other takes on Steve Scott’s original design.

From the sublime, to the ridiculous.

Thanks to Photoshop, we even have the predecessor to the Uncertain T.

There were even supposed sightings of the long-lost Uncertain T.

The following newspaper story offers some nice information and insight into “The Uncertain-T” phenomenon at that time.

$15,000 and Work Make “The Uncertain-T” Certain to Draw Spectators at Show

Uncertain T Great Falls Montana Show
CERTAIN SHOWSTOPPERS — “The Uncertain-T”, show car and street hotrod, will be the feature attraction of the Central Montana Timing Association’s annual show in the Mercantile Building at the Fairgrounds Sunday. Adding to the beauty of the unique vehicle is Maryanne Branagan, College of Great Falls student from Big Sandy. Staff photo.

Great Falls Tribune, Wednesday, April 28, 1965

Take $15,000, three years of hard work and a knowledge of physics and you have the ingredients for “The Uncertain-T”.

What started out as a joke, now brings anywhere from $400 to $1,000 for an appearance at an automobile show.

The high-powered show car and street hotrod, built and owned by Steve Scott of Northridge, Calif., will be the star attraction of the Central Montana Timing Association’s annual show in the Mercantile Building at the Fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday.

Scott said the car is an “abstract characterization” of a Model T Ford, but it has only four parts Ford Motor Co. would recognize — radiator shell, headlights, radiator cap heat indicator and steering wheel.

General Motors and Harley-Davidson were not bypassed in the construction of the hotrod. Under all the chrome is a 1958 Buick engine and it has a Pontiac automatic transmission. The front wheels are modified motorcycle wheels.

Everything else was designed and built by Scott or for him specifically for this car. When not building or showing cars, Scott is a physics major at San Fernando Valley State College and this has proved of great value in the past three years.

His knowledge of physics has helped him to overcome many problems in the construction of the car, such as the unique feature that it does not have a drive shaft. “There just wasn’t room,” Scott said. The transmission bolts right into the rear end.

Despite the fact that Scott did most of the work himself, he has more than $15,000 tied up in the hotrod. The paint job alone, a salmon-colored, metalflake acrylic, has 40 coats and cost more than $600.

The body is fiberglass and was molded by Scott. He also built the front and rear suspension systems, starting with little more than metal rods.

The car was completed in January of this year and has been judged the best in every show it has been entered in. The showing here will be No. 11.

The car started as a cartoon drawing by a friend, but 22-year-old Scott felt it could be built and made functional. He drafted blueprints and set to work on it, giving up several times for lack of funds or ideas before it was completed.

“The Uncertain- T” has already been featured in several hotrod magazines and more articles are planned for this fall.

The “abstract characterization” will be shown with about 30 other cars from Montana in the weekend show, but it’s certain, the Steve Scott Uncertain T will be the showstopper.

Steve Scott Uncertain-T
© 1965 Tom Davison

Steve Scott Uncertain T Popular Hot Rodding

In the July, 1967 issue of Hot Rod magazine, “The Uncertain-T” was listed for sale in a small classified ad at the bargain price (compared to the build cost) of $7000. Steve Scott Uncertain-T

Steve says that it was a prank, that he most certainly didn’t place the ad. Everybody must have guessed this, because absolutely no replies were received.

But if you want to see how the Uncertain T was built and what lies below that radical body you’ll want to check out our other post on the Uncertain T Exposed!

John Morehead
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9 thoughts on “The Steve Scott Uncertain T – Resurrected!”

  1. I have planned for the last couple of years to modify my old 23 T glass body into the uncertainT as close as possible using some alum forming in the process. Any ideas to help me on this? Im ready to start now. Have my frame 1/2 way there all home made.

    Reply
  2. I have been a fan since 1965 when the car craft magazine came out. It isn’t a car alone it is artwork. I need help in contacting him, I have art work done by me I want him to get these copies. I have tried everything no luck. What is the magic word? If someone out there knows how about sharing, i have been an illustrator for over 60 years. These ae free to Steve Scott. Help me out. I have never posted anything before.

    Reply
    • Steve Lives in Hawaii, has a Facebook presence, and has been trying to get going on manufacturing and selling a model kit of the car. I correspond with him on a fairly regular basis.

      Reply

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