Radio and Speakers questions

All old AM radios are two wire + ground. Or one wire plus ground. And then 1 speaker which may be 1 wire plus ground, or two wires to speaker

If a speaker gets torn up and shorted, it's possible but not absolute that you failed the output transistor.

As with any other old electronics, failed capacitors is always an issue.

You can test a radio by hooking up a cheap speaker you don't care about (thrift store, whatever) or even a headphone(s)

It is not a bad idea to wire an old headlight or stoplamp in series with the radio power. You should hear a "thump" when it powers on.

You can gently insert a wire into the center pin connection of the antenna and see if you hear stations/ static.

I would NOT count on an old one working for very long, or even at all. Failed, aging components, bugs, humidity or just plain water leakage and rust and corrosion.