It could be a blown seal in the master cylinder. Or it could just be air in
the system. How is the fluid level in the reservoir?
If it was my car (71BGT), I would try bleeding the brakes first. If the
master cylinder is okay, you should be able to shoot fluid out of the nipples.
How much travel was there on the brake pad before this happened? The rear
brake shoes may need adjusted.
It would be prudent to do a visual inspection of your brakes by removing
each tire and the drums to see if anything looks out of the ordinary. And
check for worn shoes/pads.
Fortunately, brake components are actually pretty cheap and brake
maintenance is fairly easy (okay - the master cylinder may present somewhat
of a challenge).
Now I have to mention my own experience with my 65B and its brake failure.
I was living in Denver, I was young, and it was my first day at a new job.
I came cruising into the parking lot (with a little speed) and as I was
parking - no brakes, brake pad went all the way to the floor. Boom!! I
crashed into a chain link fence and bent the fence slightly foreward. After
the fence stopped me, I managed to pump up the brakes and they worked, with
a distinct squeak when coming to a stop.
When I got home and inspected the car, I found that one of the front brake
pads had the asbestos pad fall off of the metal part it was glued to.
The lesson I learned - inspect the brakes visually, maybe once a year,
depending on your usage.
David
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