Martin and Marion Bennett's Uncertain-T Recreation

Martin and Marion Bennett's Uncertain-T Recreation of Cambridge, New Zealand. The car is a recreation of Steve Scott's famous Uncertain-T show rod of Reseda, California. The recreation was completed in 2019, and it made its debut at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of www.nzrodder.co.nz.

A photo of Steve Scott with the original Uncertain-T in 1965. The idea for Steve's build came alive in 1960, after seeing a cartoon that a classmate had scribbled down. Steve was 17 years old when he started the build. He completed it five years later, and it made its debut at the 1965 Winternationals N.H.R.A. Custom Auto Fair. Bennett was inspired to re-create the vehicle after he put together a model car kit of the original Scott show car. Copyright Steve Scott.

An early construction photo of the car. A fiberglass company told Martin he should use a buck, but Martin decided to use the wooden buck as a body. Photo courtesy of www.nzrodder.co.nz.

The body, dash, and console on the car were handmade out of wood. The wood was covered in fiberglass and gel-coat to provide a good surface for the paint. Photo courtesy of www.nzrodder.co.nz.

Photo courtesy of www.nzrodder.co.nz.

The Uncertain T recreation was built in secret. This and a few other photos of it started popping up on Facebook November 4, 2019, the day before it's big SEMA Show debut. Photo courtesy of Autorama - World of Wheels - Cavalcade of Customs.

Photo by Alastair Ritchie courtesy of NZ Hot Rod Magazine.

Photo courtesy of Autorama - World of Wheels - Cavalcade of Customs.

Martin and Marion's Uncertain-T Recreation is featured on the cover of the upcoming New Zealand Rodder Issue Number 184. The magazine shot the car prior to it being loaded into the container, and they will have a huge in-depth feature of it with build pictures. Click here to order a copy from www.nzrodder.co.nz.

Photo courtesy of www.nzrodder.co.nz.

Martin and Marion's Uncertain-T recreation was featured on the cover of New Zealand Hot Rod December 2019.

In January of 2020 Martin and Marion's Uncertain-T Recreation was shown at the 71st Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. Photo courtesy of Charles LaGreca.

Photo courtesy of Howard Gribble.

Martin Bennett with the original "The Uncertain-T" at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show. On January 23, 2024, the hot rod and custom car community was electrified with the announcement by renowned custom car builder and restorer Dave Shuten that the legendary "The Uncertain-T" had been found and that it now was part of the Galpin Auto Sports Collection. Lost for decades, this iconic show car resurfaced, much to the delight of enthusiasts and historians alike. Shuten's Instagram post revealed the excitement surrounding this discovery, sharing that the Uncertain-T would make its much-anticipated appearance at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show and the Detroit Autorama. This news marked a monumental moment, not only for Shuten and the Galpin Collection but for the entire hot rod and custom car culture. Photo courtesy of Dave Willis.

The Uncertain-T Tribute on display in 2025, taking home a Top 10 Choice and the Mothers’ Shine Award, proof that the years of hard work behind the build did not go unnoticed. Photo courtesy of Martin Bennett.

Photo courtesy of Martin Bennett.

Reverse engineering the American Uncertain-T Hot Rod

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Martin and Marion Bennett's Uncertain-T Recreation of Cambridge, New Zealand. The car is a recreation of Steve Scott's famous Uncertain-T show rod of Reseda, California. The idea for Steve's build came to life in 1960, after seeing a cartoon a classmate had scribbled. Steve was 17 years old when he started the build. He completed it five years later, and it made its debut at the 1965 Winternationals N.H.R.A. Custom Auto Fair.

Bennett later described the project as the result of a lifelong fascination with the original car, calling the finished tribute “the biggest build I’ve ever undertaken,” with nearly every component either handmade or specially commissioned.^[1]

Wooden Body

Bennett was inspired to re-create the Uncertain-T after he put together a model car kit of Steve Scott's car. In November of 2019 Alistair Davidson of New Zealand Rodder Magazine told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that Bennet consulted a fiberglass company about the build. They told him he should use a buck, "but Martin said, "why not used the buck as the body?" So, Martin's tribute has a wood body." The body, dash, and console were handmade out of wood. The wood was covered in fiberglass and gel-coat to provide a good surface for the paint.^[2]

“As you can imagine the build was big,” Bennett told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2026. “Everything was handmade or specially built, with parts coming from many suppliers both in the United States and here in New Zealand.”^[1]

Engineering and One-Off Components

The build required extensive custom engineering and collaboration with specialist manufacturers. ET Wheels produced two sets of rear wheels, one for slicks and a second set designed to accept 31.0×12-inch DOT-rated Hoosiers to comply with New Zealand regulations. Radir modified their pie-crust rear tire molds by adding two inches of width specifically for the car.^[1]

Hilborn Fuel Injection produced its first-ever injection system for a [[Buick Nailhead engine, while Stewart-Warner built custom gauges styled to match 1960s instrumentation. Schroeder Steering supplied the front torsion bar suspension, and Moon Equipment repaired a broken mold to reproduce the Buick valley cover used on the engine.^[1]

For New Zealand use, Rebel Wheels manufactured a one-off set of 16-inch, 12-spoke front wheels, as Harley-Davidson motorcycle wheels are not street-legal in New Zealand. Bennett noted that the car has been run locally with these wheels, though he has never attempted to make the car fully road-legal under New Zealand law.^[1]

The original front wire wheels were built using Borrani aluminum rims. Bennett later clarified that the rims were assembled by a U.S. drag-racing wheel manufacturer, whose owner, an experienced former drag racer, assisted with machining and adapting the hubs to accept brake rotors. Bennett also recalled the difficulty of sourcing a correct front axle: “Trying to get a narrower front axle was a mission, but finally Pete & Jakes built one for me that was four inches narrower.” The front wheels can be swapped between wire wheels and 12-spokes in approximately 20 minutes without disturbing the braking system.^[1]

Approved by Steve Scott

From first concept to completion, the project spanned seven years, with nearly five years dedicated to fabrication and sourcing specialized components. “All this took the best part of five years, with a lot of help,” Bennett said. “Start to finish was seven years.”^[1]

Completed in 2019, the car made its debut at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The car was built in secret, and photos of it started popping up on Facebook November 4, 2019, the day before it's the big debut. Sondre Kvipt asked original designer and builder, Steve Scott, about the newcomer, and he told us he was elated, "because it's a gorgeous, very well made tribute car."

SEMA Show and US Trip

Martin told Alistair Davidson that he was blown away by the reactions the car received after photos were spread online. Although he had not originally planned to ship the car overseas or participate in the American show circuit, an unexpected opportunity changed those plans.^[2]

“Much has happened since our unbelievable trip to the States with the car,” Bennett recalled in 2026. “The total experience couldn’t be beaten.” Following SEMA, the car appeared at Autorama – World of Wheels – Cavalcade of Customs events, including a showing in Salt Lake City in March 2020. “That show was almost cancelled as COVID moved across America,” Bennett said. “In the end we had to ship the car home straight after the Autorama in Salt Lake in mid-March 2020.”^[1]

After returning to Los Angeles, the car was loaded into a container, and the Bennetts flew home to New Zealand, arriving just two days before the country entered a full nationwide lockdown for five weeks. “A horrible time for much of the world,” Bennett reflected, “and hopefully that’s all behind us.”

For Sale

Today, the Uncertain-T tribute is shown whenever possible in New Zealand, though Bennett notes that opportunities are limited. “Being a small country of five million people, indoor shows are slim pickings,” he explained. After several years of ownership and countless visits from local car clubs eager to see the car up close, Bennett has decided that the Uncertain-T tribute would be better suited in a new home.

“Apart from many visits from local clubs wanting to see the car, I feel it is time to accept that the T would be better off in a new home,” Bennett said.

The asking price for the Uncertain-T tribute is USD 140,000. The sale includes a comprehensive presentation and display package, reflecting the car’s international show history.

Included in the sale:

All promotional material
A full 6 m × 3 m Swisstrax show floor
Stainless steel display stands for lifting the car
Custom-built bollards with integrated lighting

To simplify the process for the buyer, Bennett will load the car and all included items into a 20-foot shipping container and cover freight costs to the port closest to the buyer. “Depending on timing, I would come over when the container arrived and meet the buyer,” Bennett added.

Interested parties can contact Martin Bennett directly: