My theory is this: Well over 90% of your "side of the road" breakdowns will be related to some sort of rubber component...tires, hoses, belts. Replace those items on a regular basis or as they wear and you are statistically ahead of the reliability game.

After purchase, I didn't know what the status of Lilly's hoses were and planned on replacing them...to the point of actually having a complete set of hoses in the shop when one afternoon the s-hose coming out of the head, going to the heater split in one of the bends. Fortunately, I noticed it as I walked to the car after work; I checked the coolant level in the header tank (was still OK), released the seal on the cap and drove home with the heater off.
In 8 miles of running and 40 minutes of driving, the engine barely lost any coolant at all (there was still coolant in the header tank).

FWIW, I give my radiator inlets (the top nipple) a firm tug anytime I'm under the hood doing service. I figure, if it's going to break, I'd rather have it break off in my hand in the garage than on the highway someplace east of BFE.

It's always a guessing game with 'ol Murphy.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.