I had someone from the Internet ask me to help with some brake lines. Simon is restoring a 330 GTC and wanted to replace the bridge pipes at the calipers, but didn’t have the tools to put the proper flare ends on the lines. I told him if he sent me the complete lines, I could bend up a new set.

The job is pretty straight forward, but there are always little details to fix and address. A couple if the lines were rusted in the fittings, so they had to be drilled out, and although the flats on the fittings looked good, the ends needed to be dressed. If you look carefully, the end of the fitting where the flare would go is slightly flared out. This deformation comes from tightening the fitting to the brakes. If this part is deformed too much, getting the fitting to screw back in can be troublesome. I chucked these fittings in the lathe and filed back the end just a little bit. When it’s too deformed, new fittings can be purchased.

Brake lines on a Vintage Ferrari have two different finishes. The long lines on the car have a copper plate over mild steel lines, but the small bridge pipes were made in un-plated steel. I tried my best to match the length of the original lines I was sent, but without the car or the calipers in hand, I did what I could. Job done. Next!