Faults:

Valve stem seals need to be replaced because they had hardened after 32 years and it was burning oil.

Exhaust fell apart when I hit a bump, so I welded up a new one.

Front leaf springs were worn out from the snow plow, so they got replaced.

Eats a voltage regulator every year like clockwork, so I just keep a spare in the glovebox.

General Comments:

PROS:

Huge payload capacity.

Simple and cheap to work on.

Rugged design still looks sharp (to me) even after 30+ years.

Manual transmission (VERY important with the low-HP Slant Six).

R-E-L-I-A-B-L-E!

CONS:

SLOW MY GOD. 0-60 happens eventually.

MPG is not so great, considering. Maybe 12 unloaded.

Unloaded down a bad road, the ride will loosen your fillings.

Cab is loud; between wind noise and engine noise, a quick trip down the highway gets unpleasant in a hurry.

Absolutely love this truck. It is slow, loud, rides rough, has no power and gets lousy gas mileage. But in low gear I can plow huge amounts of snow or pull a house down. The payload capacity is outstanding; you can put 1/2 cord of green hardwood in the bed and not touch the bumpstops (and it really smooths out the ride!).

The truck is just reliable, reliable, reliable; starts first time over every time no matter what the weather or the temperature. Maintenance on this truck is super simple; you could probably take the entire thing apart with 3 double-end wrenches, a pair of pliers, and a screwdriver. For example, I was able to completely replace the front leaf springs with 2 sockets, a jack, and a breaker bar. Between the NP435 granny low first gear, the torquey slant six, and a good low-range transfer case, you can get out and walk faster than this truck will crawl, so it's perfect for creeping down an abandoned logging road in the summer or pulling someone out of the ditch in the winter. The galvanized body is holding up well with minimal rust after 32 years of use in Maine.

Planning on plowing snow and hauling firewood with this thing for a long, long time to come.