That story sounds familiar...
My dad has his 1966 Chevy G10 van that he fixed up when he bought it (in about 1970) and then put the 292 inline 6 in it (biggest torque moster) in 1972. Ever since then it has had 1 paintjob, brakes have been done when needed, oil changed every 2000-2500 miles, tires when they were either rotted off or cooked off doing some burnouts and donuts, a fan belt replaced when rotted out, greased a couple times a year, and the seals and bearings when they could no longer do their job. The newest addition is a new exhaust pipe from the muffler back because of rust.
This van has been to the moon, back, and is half way there again (distance wise) and most of those miles is with a helluva lot of weight in it AND behind it. But considering how much it has been used and the lack of having to replace parts is amazing. It is still going today. I could walk outside right now, start it, and drive it a long distance without have to worry about ANYTHING... well.. except running out of fuel.
If you take good care of a vehicle, it will last you longer that you can imagine.