Old car reliability

[Richard Funnell <rfunnell@pobox.com>]

What do listers do to keep old cars reliable?  This question comes from losing a brake flex hose on my urQ driving in the mountains of Lake Tahoe.

I plan to keep driving this car as a daily driver; it suits my perverse style.  However, I would like to think I'm not putting my passengers in danger when they accept a ride.  My driving style may do that, but at least that's something they can judge for themselves.  Brake lines about to give up the ghost aren't so obvious.

The only solution I can think of is to identify those components capable of calamitous failure, and replace them on a conservative schedule before they fail.  If that's the answer, what are those components?  Brake flex hoses and all hydraulics come to mind.  So do headlight harnesses and switches, which I'd hate to lose on a fast corner at night.  Other candidates?  Any pilots want to add an opinion here?  TIA

Richard