WHY IT’S FUN TO FIX OLD CARS

My little MG TD has a massive brake master cylinder. It’s actually a reservoir and a cylinder and they look like one sausage on top of another. On the top it has a shiny metal plug that has filling instructions cast right into it. The name “Lockheed” stands out along the side in raised letters and there’s a rather long part number stamped there, too. A big rod comes out the front, passing through a thick, corrugated rubber boot. On the end is a big square clamp that hooks to the pedal. The darned thing is 60 years old, but with some wire wheel work and a new coat of implement paint it looks like new. I left the plug, rod, clamp and pipe in bare metal and sprayed them with clear lacquer. The whole thing looks so much better than a modern plastic master cylinder that it’s amazing. Those modern ones look like soap dispensers or some kind of weird kitchen appliance. My old one looks like a piece of industrial art. No wonder working on old cars is so darn cool.