re: Looking for an old school car mechanic

I don't think a 20 yr old auto is "old" or a piece of shite, I have 3 that fit that category. They all run great.

With something that old, there's a lot of resources online for things. 95% of it is knowledge= you mention handbrakes. I have a Miata, I had to fix and replace mine. Find a forum, figure out how it works and what breaks, and how to fix it.
A handbrake is a set of cables that engage your calipers. If you don't have the right tension, it doesn't work. But it's steel cables, simple mechanical device. No magic.

Leak; it's a seal or a gasket. Or maybe a hose. Things like that get brittle over a decade. The steel and aluminum don't. So you replace the seals, gaskets, hoses.

There are specialty shops that rebuild things, instead of you having to go buy a rebuilt one from Autozone. I had an alternator in the Miata go out. Had trouble getting the right one, found a shop (in Baker) where the guy rebuilds the one you have. I think it's J&J; he does starters, alternators, generators, and other electrical parts. Because you have the core (a hunk of metal), and the coil, diodes, brushes etc. And they all work in the same way. So if yours is shot, he can quickly diagnose why is isn't working, replace the part needed, and it works again. Mine needed a diode, he got it in and I was running in a day. Gave me a year's warranty on it. It was cheaper than ordering something online, which I had done only to find it wasn't the correct part.

I'm pretty sure O'Reilly, on their website, has a listing of recommended shops locally.- they do
LINK

Put your local zip code in, see what they list.