This 1947 Ford 79T cab over engine (chassis 1564256) was restored in 2007 by a period Ford truck expert and looks excellent as presented in photos. A 239ci flathead V8/4-speed primary, 3-speed secondary gearbox drivetrain sounds both super entertaining and tricky, and would be a great automotive accomplishment once mastered. We’re not sure what we’d do with it afterwards, but love it just the same. Find it here at Park Place LTD in Bellevue, Washington for $54,950.

​COE’s are innately cool looking things, but this generation of Ford is among the best styled of the era. We like this one’s pale sage green and yellow color combo, but black fenders, wheels and chassis add some needed visual heft to the lower half. Stampings on the nose and cab are surprisingly detailed for an old truck, and the vertically-stacked FORD script just above the waterfall grille is a definite highlight. Finish quality is easily a step above what is normally seen on old work vehicles, and we can’t imagine it’s been driven much since completion.

​Though very simple inside, paint and finish look to be just as nice as found on the exterior, with door panels, dash and other sheet metal showing no scratching, dents or other signs of use. The Art Deco theme seen on the grille continues to the great-looking instrument panel, and a neatly hand-drawn shift pattern plaque is definitely a keeper. Wood floors are painted black, and two rearward-angled shift levers and a handbrake sprout from between green vinyl seats.

​The flatty looks tightly packed under the nose, though most of what sits above the floor line looks to be intake and cooling plumbing. Chassis and painted wooden bed floorboards show no grime, grease or other road debris, and the skinny tired dually rear end is a throwback to a different time. 87 net HP at 3,500 RPM is quoted on the chassis plate, with a maximum gross weight of 13,500 pounds—momentum preservation sounds like added motivation to learn those twin sticks.

​We’re able to justify owning all sorts of impractical, unsafe, slow, unreliable, uncomfortable and challenging old vehicles, but still struggle to come up with even one good reason this thing should be next. Maybe it’s time to get into the parade circuit.