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.

Don, the two Auto-lite distributors that I can find referenced for the '39 Six are the IGS-4013 and the IGS-4201. Both have vacuum pots. They use different points and when I got my car the ident plate was missing from the distributor. I was able to narrow it down by identifying the points and confirm it was a 4201. That is the unit you had as NOS, and which I purchased from you a couple of years back (actually it was February of 2017!!) Chris.

Alright David, thanks. I will forge 'onward through the fog'!!! LOL Chris.

Yes, last time I checked, death is a vital statistic in the US (and Canada) and human remains are sent to a morgue for sanitary and dignified resolution by family members or the state. Imagine how that statement would bounce off you if your Mom or Dad had just passed from this pandemic? My Dad always used to say 'load brain before firing mouth' to me when I said inappropriate things. Perhaps 're-read and evaluate before pressing send' might be appropriate here. Sensitive times and sensitive issues here, Tim.

That is interesting stuff, David Packard; thanks for posting. Not knowing all the intricacies of how a vacuum advance does what it does, I'm not sure I follow all that you're saying. I have an Autolite distributor (I think a 4201) that I got as NOS from Packard Don and it was like new inside, obviously not used. Like I say, I checked that the advance pot was working by sucking on the advance line and the distributor definitely advanced and when I let off, it snapped back briskly, so I was comfortable that it was at least doing SOMETHING. The issue would be an old diaphragm not being as elastomeric as when new (no fault of the unit, given it's age) and thus the travel diminished. It is beyond me how I would test and measure the pot's travel and, at the end of the day, if I could just buy a new (and I mean recently manufactured, not NOS) vacuum pot, that was CORRECT, I would just buy it and be done with the testing. I think I will invest in a vacuum gauge so I can at least check the vacuum AMOUNT in inches and make sure I am at least to-spec, and go from there. Anybody know of a pot that can be had, that would be CORRECT for the Auotlite distributor? And is there any advice on one type or brand of vacuum gauge being any better than another?? Appreciate any input or advice - Thanks. Chris.

Thanks, Pat. I THINK I have a somewhat better understanding of what it's all about and I shall try and implement what has been suggested. As previously stated, I got my hands on my newly rebuilt carb yesterday and I will be reinstalling that and doing a little mini-tuneup for spring with some new plugs, etc. I will throw the timing light on it at that time and see what I can see. In the meantime, I am over on Vancouver Island dealing with my boat, which just happened to need hauled out to have the bottom redone this year PLUS a 5-year appraiser's survey for the insurance company came due this year as well, so I am dealing with all THAT in the confines of Covid 19 distancing and isolation rules. Not an easy task. We had to take the ferry over from the mainland and that involved having to stay in your vehicle in the hold of the ship for the entire two-hour crossing. I only say this here as everyone is involved in the 'new normal' of this pandemic, and things that were simple and commonplace before become a big deal. I know it's obvious, but that this site is safe from any risk, is of some comfort in light of ALL the other things that we're all doing to try and stay safe. I just received an email from a close friend in Spain and he said somebody is dying from this every 2 minutes there and the relatively small country has 15 X's the number of cases that the entire country of Canada is dealing with. Yet there are still folks out there who are not taking this seriously. Not sure what it will take to wake them up, but all I can say is PLEASE stay safe out there!! Chris.

Thank you for that tutelage, John. How do I check to see if the vacuum advance is actually ADVANCING?? I notice a slight increase in RPM's when I hook the vacuum back up after engine timing so I THINK it's working. Also, have sucked on the vacuum line with the distributor cap off and I can see the cage move. I guess the question is: how much?? Is it enough vacuum? and how to measure that? (I do not have a vacuum gauge, although it is something I have contemplated buying)
Chris

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replies, always appreciate all of Packard Info community's input and advice.
I picked up the carb today on my way to the coast. The carb guy had a little plastic vial with a significant amount of what looked like metal filings that he had extracted from the unit. He also had several pictures on his phone of the internals of of the WA-1 and there were 2 or 3 of different parts of the carb that looked pretty crusty. He said they were never even taken out of the carb when it was supposedly rebuilt and his 'after' pictures showed everything all cleaned up and shiny. I am not a mechanic OR a carb guy, so I have limited knowledge on what all he was showing me and do not have the pics to post here, but it SOUNDS like I received a very shoddy rebuild from 'those guys' in El Monte, CA. (for $350 a pop)

Pat re your comments, I have to admit, I have no idea what 'total timing' is, nor do I know what 'all in' is, at least not in reference to engine timing. Sorry. When I time an engine, I simply make sure the idle is to spec, disconnect AND PLUG the vacuum line and put the timing light on it and adjust the distributor to spec timing and figure I'm done!??!!? What do I know??? Obviously, not much!!! LOL Chris

No, thanks for jumping in Dave, that's why I moved this to a stand-alone post so I wasn't hijacking Packwagon's thread. If what you are saying is correct, then I would be at 6-7 degrees on the light and that is awful close to spec timing!!, right??
My carb was leaking, which it did when I bought it right out of the box, so I gave it to a carb specialist up here and he has rebuilt it for me. I pick it up tomorrow, I will then reassemble everything and recheck the timing and post my findings. As one would expect, the rebuild guy had all kinds of negatives to report on how the carb was 'supposedly' rebuilt by the last guys, blah, blah, blah... and all I really care about is the damn thing works and doesn't leak gas all over the place- we'll see>?!?!? I initially replaced the carb that was on the car when I bought it with a rebuild and with all the trouble I was having getting the car to run properly, bought a second rebuild (thinking maybe the first one was bad) and now have had THAT one rebuilt, so now well over a thousand dollars in carbs, maybe, just maybe, this one will work!!! Chris

So John, to get to the pinging stage would I retard it from there?? As it is now, it starts good cold (doesn't 'fight'the starter) and has excellent power and only once when I was going up a pretty steep hill, laying on it in 3rd gear, did I hear the hint of a ping. Then when it is warm and I go to start it, there is that slow turn and it's like it just has to get one turn in and it's running. FWIW, I have the timing set at about 7-8 degrees as far as what it shows on the flywheel.... Chris.