Changing brake fluid

It was needed, it's just that people didn't bother.

Modern cars weigh far more and the brakes get hotter so it has to work harder.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Mark" saying something like:

Because most lazy bastards didn't bother - it was always necessary and recommended.

Seconded. From someone who owns a car from that era.

As someone else also from that era - it could well have been that as braking systems were not as efficient as they are today, you spent more time repairing them - and the fluid was changed regularly as a result (in my case, at least twice a year).

I've lost count of the number of times that the 'rubbers' gave way on the old brake cylinders, or metal pipes rusted - and often snapped during repairs - or the old single-line master cylinders just said 'sod it, I've had enough' at the most inopportune of times, landing you in the odd hedge or two!

Ah, those were the days, no speed cameras, no speed limits on the only motorway (M1), no 'car tax' officials threatening to "crush your car" because you were three months (or so) late in paying, no seat belt, drink driving, MOTs or tyre laws - and even coppers had some common sense then - oh, and petrol less than 4 'bob' a gallon to boot. ROTFL

Cash

Quite right there I think. Just changed out a master cylinder this week which decided to start weeping at the rear.