From a mechanic's perspective, they had their weaknesses. Twelve wheel cylinders on very old trucks (and remember that in those days some of those wheel cylinders had been rebuilt again and again) made sure the mechanic was always doing brakes. The exhaust manifolds liked to warp and either blow their gaskets or crack. And the transmissions were somewhat weak. Also, as many trucks from the old days would do, they would burn valves occasionally. Another peculiarity was that occasionally a driver would leave the master switch on, and if the carb needle leaked, you would fill the cylinders, the crankcase, and the muffler with fuel. More than a few mechanics would drain the cylinders, dry the plugs, change the oil, then start the truck and blow the exhaust stack right off the truck. Drivers would occasionally leave the park brake on and snap off the mount from the transfer case. Occasionally they would also break axles or differentials.
That said, they were the typical heavy duty trucks from the 50s. I have one, and once you fix things right, you can expect years of gas guzzling fun.
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