I have a 39 120 with the radio head, but not the floor portion. The controls had cables like a speedometer running to the floor unit to control tuning and volume. I've attached some photos. Let me know if you'd like to sell your unit. or I'd be ok with selling the head. It needs knobs (available from the Radioguy) thanks.

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thanks - but I think redoing a gauge is slightly less difficult than restoring a Caribbean! I'm still kicking myself over missing a chance to buy a 53 Caribbean in 1974 for $3000 because the carb needed work....Oh well

my 39 120 water temp gauge was not working. I saw an article on how to repair the mechanical gauges on the internet - just google that phrase. Basically you buy a donor gauge from Napa, O'Reily, who ever. Cut the wire off the old gauge, about 2-3 inches from the unit. You will have to smooth out the cut, as the only way I could cut it was with a side cutter. Take a very fine awl and open up the hole in the tubing that you just crushed by cutting it. Clean it and tin it with a small soldering iron (not the propane torch), making sure that you tin it about a 1/4" or so from the end. You don't want solder in the hole. Next take the donor gauge and put the sensor bulb in a container of water and freeze it solid. Take a small lenght of copper tubing, with an interior diameter of 1/16" or so. I had to buy a oil pressure sending tube set and cut of a piece about a 3/4" long to make a splice. I couldn't find any small diameter tubing,so I used the gauge kit. The tubing is just a bit too small - I drilled out the interior with a 5/64" bit which is one size up from 1/16". After the donor sensor was frozen solid, I cut the protective wire off sufficient to expose about an inch of the tube. Make sure to give yourself plenty of tubing to fit your car! I tined it, and joined the two tubes with the copper splice tubing. After checking the joint visually about four times, I put the ice bound bulb in a pan of water and heated it on the stove. Suprise it actually works! Total amount of funds $34, plus some time and touch up paint for the needle on the old gauge. I now have a nice looking gauge that works. Try it!

Napa still carries wire core spark plug wire in bulk, plus the end connectors, so you can make them exactly the lenght you want. This is the way I used to do it when my Packard was just a 10 year old used car, as well as the way I did it last month.

For what's is worth, there is a body for the Godness of Speed for sale on Ebay. It is missing the wing, and has been cut at the end of the wing support. Saw it last night
(Jan 29th)

NAPA sells spark plug wire by the foot, and you can cut them to length. They also sell the brass fittings. The wire is not correct in that it's not fabric wrapped, but it works well. You can also buy their 7.5 gauge kit for a 68 or so Plymouth 318 V8. The lengths work well. Once again, not stock but easy to get and it works great.

I have a 51 200 with a 288 engine that is running, but a bit tired. I recently bought a 327 5 main bearing engine and just finished tearing it down to vat and magnaflux. It looks like there is a small crack in the water jacket, just above the oil dipstick hole. There doesn't appear to be a crack in the cylinder wall. If the block is cracked, can I take the 327 crank and/or rods and put them in my 288 block to make a 327? Also, any recommendations on using the hydraulic lifters versus the solid lifters? The 327 has been sitting since 1962, and it was a lot of fun getting the old valves out. The engine has been overhauled at least once, and has .30 oversized pistons.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
David Grubbs - Billings MT