Yeah, Kevin... and now we're in 'lets make a deal' territory with the 'make an offer' button!! Be interesting to see what it eventually transacts for.
Chris.

Hi Wjames,

Doesn't hurt to ask here, but for better exposure and possible sources, suggest you post this in the 'Packard Parts & Misc. For Sale, Wanted, Trade' forum. (Go to 'Packard Forums', scroll down to bottom forum and select)
Chris.

Tim, the problem with this is 'hindsight', as, a lot of the time when I am searching for something I know little or nothing about, or haven't purchased before, I am kind of flying blind. When it came to the profile to seal/cushion the hood/cowl joint, I didn't even know what went there, never mind what it was called. I did post here and somebody mentioned they'd picked it up from M.M and that is wasn't THAT expensive, so I kind of let my guard down and just ordered it from them. Normally I DO investigate more than one source and TRY and come up with, maybe not just the lowest price, but the best value. In this instance, I got stung, and I will 'know better next time'; problem is, like so many things, I will probably never buy cowl lacing again in my lifetime! LOL Irrespective, Caveat Emptor rings loud, true and clear here!! Chris.

I noticed that too Don; I figured you'd pick up on that!!! You old VIN-meister, you!! LOL
Chris.

Sounds like they're scammin' & jammin' pretty thick and heavy to me.

Steve, I hear you loud and clear! And the lacing I was referring to, was about $25 direct from Amazon and how much could the attaching fasteners be?!?!? And Don, other than the Max Marritt labels being applied to the 2 bags, how much more cost is incurred by Amazon fulfilling the order FOR M.M. vs. them packaging it and sending direct?? Same product, process and packaging, right?? I get it that these companies are in it to make a buck, but when does it go from capitalist retail to scalping?? The TV news showed a guy the other day that had gone out and purchased a bunch of hand sanitizer and toilet paper and was going door to door selling it for double the price. The station absolutely vilified the guy as being a monster and a carpetbagger. My reaction was: Walmart does that on some items every day of the week and they don't even put them in their car and bring them to your door!! What's the big deal here?? Nobody HAD to buy the stuff from him, and why is it only scalping when HE does it?!?!? There are so many companies out there that are making OBSCENE profit on retail items...

Steve, I hear you loud and clear! And the lacing I was referring to, was about $25 direct from Amazon and how much could the attaching fasteners be?!?!? And Don, other than the Max Marritt labels being applied to the 2 bags, how much more cost is incurred by Amazon fulfilling the order FOR M.M. vs. them packaging it and sending direct?? Same product, process and packaging, right?? I get it that these companies are in it to make a buck, but when does it go from capitalist retail to scalping?? The TV news showed a guy the other day that had gone out and purchased a bunch of hand sanitizer and toilet paper and was going door to door selling it for double the price. The station absolutely vilified the guy as being a monster and a carpetbagger. My reaction was: Walmart does that on some items every day of the week and they don't even put them in their car and bring them to your door!! What's the big deal here?? Nobody HAD to buy the stuff from him, and why is it only scalping when HE does it?!?!? There are so many companies out there that are making OBSCENE profit on retail items...

Interesting info guys.... isn't it funny how prices can be all over the board on a given item? Not to 'talk out of school' but I just purchased cowl lacing from M.M., and the bill, all in, for the profile and the attaching 'nails' was very close to $100. Oddly enough, the shipment showed as coming from Amazon!! I looked up 'cowl lacing' on their site and there are 2 or 3 choices, of which one looked identical to what I received. Their cost was WAY lower and, although I didn't pursue the attaching fasteners on Amazon, my take was that M.M. was just brokering the sale through them and stepping heavily on the price. They must have some kind of a contractual arrangement with them as the product came in Max Merritt bags, but my takeaway was that, had I known what I was looking for, I could have bought direct at somewhere around half price. Now, before anybody slams me for supplier disloyalty, etc., I am the first guy in line to realize and appreciate the outlets that are in business out there to keep the supply lines open for us on these old cars, but 'just sayin', sometimes one has to watch and perform due diligence when winnowing through the choices. Some deals are definitely better than others!! Chris

Roger, if the unit is an OEM edition, it SHOULD have the oil level marked. Usually an arrow pressed into the metal with the word 'oil' or 'fill to here' marks the level to which it should be filled. Like Dave says (Owen_Dyneto) you will only have to empty, clean and refill the thing once every 2 or 3 years providing you are not on dusty roads all the time. I looked into switching out my unit for a paper element, but it involved dismantling part of the inner guts of it and I decided against it. Chris

Thanks for the replies and info guys. If you knew how much I've learned in the last 4 years since I bought this car, and how little I still know, you'd realize what a neophyte mechanic I am!!! My knowledge and skill-set allows me to perform the basic 'monkey-see; monkey-do' stuff, but when it comes to dwell and vacuum curves, etc., I admit to being a little challenged. Not stupid, just ignorant! I will TRY and apply what has been suggested here and report my findings/results. Luckily, there is P.I. to assist and bounce ideas off, and for that I am most grateful.
I found a site that lists all the tune-up components for the '39 Six (https://hagensautoparts.com/packard/41-electrical/13607) and they show a replacement vacuum pot for $60 and I think I'll get a hold of them and confirm they are 'fresh' units, not NOS and just buy one. If I also buy a vacuum gauge and confirm the inhg's, I SHOULD be getting close. The distributor is NOS so is not worn and the engine a fresh rebuild, so I should be able to get pretty close to 100%. New points, condensor, plugs, wires and coil should all contribute to healthy performance, along with the foregoing suggestions.
Don: the above link shows the 2 Auto-Lite units I listed previously and confirm (I think) that they are the correct models for the '39-245 CID. The one I bought from you (IGS-4201) is identical to the unit that was in my car when I bought it (with the plate missing) so if it was original, I am fairly confident I have the 'right stuff'. Again, appreciate the time and input taken to respond. Stay safe, everybody! Chris.