Everything sounds perfectly normal to me & you fit in here just fine
Welcome to the 'bolt, ernie22
It's probably a good idea to have an oil filter but my '54 doesn't have one (never did) & it's okay.
I don't know if either of the trucks are rare, I sort of doubt it.
A cheap coat of paint was what my dad put on my truck every couple of years as routine maintenance & it kept it protected, that's what's important.
