A was thinking the same as geert. The brake booster could have a leak.

Be of stout heart, Dan, I will be passing the 7th decade this year.
I have a half dozen old cars, not a hard top among them (except the Lada)!
The really great thing about the Fiats is their parts are smaller and lighter than the 60's vintage American Iron.

Tackle each problem one at a time and you won't get overwhelmed.
Change only one thing at a time and you won't get confused.

Thanks. It may well be the servo. I will check into it as soon as I get the steering unlocked.