Get ready for a blast from the past as Galpin Motors‘ Beau Boeckmann has found the legendary “Uncertain-T” hot rod. This car was a total sensation when it debuted, but then it mysteriously vanished for nearly fifty years. It was recently rediscovered in a dusty warehouse just blocks away from Galpin’s flagship dealership in Van Nuys.

In the late ’60s, the Uncertain-T took the custom car scene by storm, gracing car shows nationwide for an impressive five-year stretch before vanishing in the mid-1970s. The twist in the tale is almost unbelievable – Beau Boeckmann stumbled upon this historic hot rod right in his own backyard after an extensive search across the globe.

“This time, the Uncertain- T found me, I didn’t find it,” said Boeckmann, president and CEO of Galpin Motors. ”While this historic hot rod has been a worldwide phenomenon, with its whereabouts unknown for so many decades, I love that it was built and found in the San Fernando Valley right down the street from Galpin Ford. What makes it even more sentimental is the connection between the previous owner, Dick Nickerson, and my father, who all worked on the Mach IV four-engine Mustang Funny Car together in 1969.”

The Uncertain-T’s significance lies not only in its heyday but also in its lasting impact on custom automotive culture. Conceived in the mid-1960s by 17-year-old Steve Scott, inspired by a classmate’s cartoon, the car was initially deemed impossible to build. However, Scott, undeterred, crafted it in his parents’ garage, resulting in a custom hot rod and a rolling piece of art. The fiberglass body and chassis were groundbreaking at the time.

Debuting in 1965, the Uncertain-T swept prestigious awards across the automotive world. The car even outshined icons like George Barris and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth at the biggest hot rod shows in the world. Eventually, Monogram created a 1/24-scale model of the car that introduced it to even more young hot rodders. You couldn’t pick up a custom car magazine that didn’t feature Uncertain-T on its cover during this time period.

Beau Boeckmann, along with restoration specialist Dave Shuten, plans to restore the car to its 1965 debut glory, documenting the extraction and restoration process. Catch a glimpse of the “as found” condition at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona from February 2-4 and the Detroit Autorama in March before the extensive restoration begins.