I am trying to replace the distributor on my '39 Six. I have looked and cannot find any numbers to identify make OR model. There are a couple of rivet heads where an ident. tag USED to be. As far as I can gather, the two choices are Autolite or Delco-Remy, with different models of each being used. I have tried ordering points, rotor and condenser via the crossover guide on this site from my local NAPA store, but what arrives doesn't look even remotely close to what I am trying to replace. Does anyone know a sure-fire way to ascertain brand and model?? I can post pictures if that would help. Thanks to any who have info and are willing to share.

One other thing....... the previous owner had a custom stainless steel tank made for the car, so I am not thinking crap in the fuel tank to be an issue. And people are referring to a heat shield for the fuel pump - I don't have one. There IS what appears to be a heat shield under the carb and I reinstalled it with the new carb.

Well, if I've learned anything from this whole exercise, it's that one problem leads to another, and EVERYTHING is linked to 'the next step in the process of restoration'. It now appears that the 'just quitting' issue is linked to overheating. Even with the electric fuel pump, the motor is still stalling and I think the gas/carb is just getting too hot and vapour locking. Which leads me to the next question: How to cool the engine down?? The grill louvres are opening fully, coolant level is fine, heat gauge is showing just over half, and I have removed the thermostat. I see the cooling issue in two parts: circulation, and cooling ability. Are the rads in these cars a chronic problem? I am thinking a re-core may be needed. A reverse flush of the block and maybe even a new water pump; do they lose circulating ability with age?? (it's not leaking). Has anyone experimented with additional heat-dispersing 6 volt fans?? I tried driving on a back road with the exhaust side of the hood up (not too fast, obviously) and the gauge stayed at half - a little better.
I believe if I could cool things down, the vapour lock issue may disappear; any thoughts???

Thank you to all who replied; great suggestions, info and guidance. A friend gave me some hands-on help with this and we put a small length of clear fuel hose and a clear fuel filter right before the 'new' carb. When the engine died we could see it was a fuel delivery problem. We also checked the fuel pressure output of the pump and found when the engine was cold, it delivered about 4-5 PSI, but when the engine warmed up, the gauge fluttered and the pressure became erratic and diminished. (down to 1 1/2 - 2 PSI.) It ran fine at an idle but as soon as high-gear fuel demand required more gas, it starved and quit. I do not know anything about these vacuum assisted pumps, but for now, to be able to drive the car, we installed a 6 volt electric pump and that appears to solve the stalling problem. The car seems to be running a little hot to me, (we shot it with a heat gauge gun and it is getting pretty close to 200 deg's F on the head) and that is a whole new can of worms, but at least it RUNS, and I can look into the next set of problems/solutions. Thanks again for all the help.

I am hard over on a '39 Six resto and have been trying to solve a somewhat mysterious condition with engine operation. The car starts, idles and runs quite well (no smoke, no knocks, decent idle, etc.) but when driving, it just quits when idling up to a stop sign. I added a new (rebuilt) carb and, although it runs better (smoother idle, running and more power) the stalling issue continues. The fuel pump looks 'recent' with shiny new screws, so I am wondering if anyone out there has ever run into this, or if it smacks of anything 'predictable'?? I am not a mechanic (obviously!) and would like to eliminate the fuel pump. Is there a sure-fire way to 'test' it??? Any suggestions?

I have a '39 Six and am going through a plethora of problems trying to get the engine to run properly. A newly rebuilt carb improved things a bit, but also led to some distributor issues. Can anybody give me some cross-over numbers on points, condenser and rotor for this engine? I realize I can find tune-up kits online and, if that is the only route open, I'll go with it, but I am in a very rural location and am hoping to be able to cross some numbers over and find something at my local NAPA outlet.

I have posted a few questions and find the willingness of others to help is extraordinary on this site. many thanks. As my 'handle' denotes, I am new at this - it is my first collectible car ever and I am on a very steep learning curve. I am, however progressing... now at the 'windshield wiper stage' on my '39 Six and simply - they don't work. I have read in the FAQ's that it is a vacuum motor and it looks like electric wires leading from the dash switch. Can anyone give me a starting point here? Are there any obvious 'probables' to check?? I understand there is a repair guy out there for the vacuum units; how can one check to see if that is the issue? Any help much appreciated.

Just to follow up and advise anyone interested, I did find the center horn button for my '39 Six, which ended up being one of the last orders to go in to Yesterday's Radio before they cease operations at the end of this month. The horn ring itself is virtually extinct as most of them ended up broken like mine. I will try scouring some junkyards and auto-wreckers and see if I can find a like-ring-profile with the same radius and possibly look at welding the broken piece back in and then chroming the result. Still, if any new readers can help point me in a better direction, it would be hugely appreciated.

My '39 Six was purchased from a body shop by the previous owner. They had stripped the car to do the body & paint and much of the exterior trim and accessories were not put back on. There are two holes in the driver's door for a swan neck style peep mirror, but in all my scouring, I cannot come up with a side-view mirror appropriate for a '39. Max Merritt and Kanter both say the mounting body for that year are specific and the hole spacing is 2 5/16" as best as I can measure. Can anybody steer me here? I don't want to drill any more holes in the door if I don't have to and I would like to get a year-appropriate unit if I could. Any help that 'those who have gone before' could offer would be very much appreciated. Many thanks.

I have checked out the 'usual suspects' online, in trying to come up with a hub cover and horn ring for my '39 Six with no luck. Does anyone out there know where I could find either the parts or even a replacement wheel would be an option. I have to stay true to the '39 banjo style, so realize I am dealing with limited options.

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