General brake question

sounds to me like the seals in your master are waster OR you've got a clugged line someplace.

25 years is pretty good service life out of a master, replace it and see where you're at.
I had issues once a long time ago getting fluid to the rear brakes on a car we had on the shop. I kept going up the system from the rear until I got to a brass junction block about mid ways up the frame. Get this. There was a small pebble stuck in the double flare opening of the rear line where it screwed into that brass block. Simple procedure. Just go up the system until you find pressure and you'll find the problem.