Your 93 year old father lived through the depression. My parents went through the great depression and this was the way they reasoned. Fortunately, my dad did have a trusted mechanic keep his automobile in good repair so he would never tape up a brake line. However, my dad did have a lawnmower that if it stopped when the engine was hot, it would have to cool down for about an hour before it would restart. I thought about fixing it for him, but my mother said not to do it. My dad was in his late 80s and she said that when the mower stopped, this gave him a break.
At any rate, if I were in your position, I would just take the car out and have the brake line fixed.