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Before I hit submit I hit ctrl + A. Then ctrl + C. This copies all the text I wrote. If it messes up when I hit submit then I can just start over and hit ctrl + V to paste all the text back in and hit submit again.

Or you can type it in something like MS Word, and copy and paste after selecting (REPLY).
Wes

I was about to suggest that too but use only a plain text editor like Notepad and never paste anything from a word processor like MS Word into a Web-based form! It may look okay but Word uses "styles" and non-standard characters that often do not view properly.

I appreciate the suggestions but I'm afraid I still don't get it. One of the reasons I like working on old cars is you can actually see and feel what you are doing and some times get positive results from using a hammer on the offending part, which is what I wanted to do with the computer but couldn't afford the expense. So instead of a long comprehensive report I am going to go step by step in short discrete posts. I hope it works and isn't too frustrating for those who choose to follow along. Thanks

Issue #1- car doesn't roll, four flats and the parking brake has been on since 1970. Amazingly all the tubes still hold air and the tires inflate without exploding. Disconnected the ebrake cables, backed off the adjusters and with a little persuasion the wheels are free but the shifter is frozen in gear. Took the rods off the column shift arms and put the trans in neutral and now its a roller. I am wondering if there is a bolt on brake upgrade thats worthwhile like putting Stude V-8 brakes on a champion or Hudson Hornet brakes on a Wasp- since all the brakes will have to be done from scratch anyway?

I think you'll find that the 1939 Packard hydraulic brakes will stop the car very well and parts are easy to find. Unless you're building a hotrod, no need for that kind of modification as it's more difficult and costly than a simple rebuild of existing hardware.

I think Kanter makes bolt on kits that provide brake upgrades.

My interest in brakes is because I live on top of a mountain and its 6 miles to the bottom with 2 exceptionally long steep grades. At the least I will want to use a dual circuit master cylinder. I think I saw a disc brake conversion somewhere, maybe Kanter, but I don't necessarily want to go that far if bigger brakes off a 120 or something post war bolt on and would be less likely to fade.

#2 With the trans in neutral I am greatly relieved to find that the motor now turns by hand, so I pull the pan and clean it and the pickup. Everything looks good and there is less sludge than I would have expected. Also pulled the starter for a quick service on the bench and it seems to be in good shape. Also pulled the oil filter and plugged the outlets on the block. Put it back together with fresh Rotella and pumped up 30psi oil pressure on the gauge with the starter. I was also getting pretty pumped up myself until I checked compression with zeros on 1 thru 5 and 40 psi on 6. Pulled the inner fender and tappet covers to find 5 stuck exhaust valves. From my reading it seems these engines were prone to this even when new sitting on the lot waiting to be sold. So thats where things sit for now. Any magic trick in Packard world to unstick the valves or is pulling the head and doing a full valve job inevitable? With only 39K on the clock I was really hoping to get lucky with the engine. Also curious if its common practice to change the oil filter to a cartridge type (I have a couple extra Fram units)and do people relocate them so you don't have to R&R the generator at each oil change? Thanks

In 1939 the mountain was there and so were people living up there with mechanical braked Model A's. Your Packard was a well engineered economy model of the well revered Packard Motor Car Company. They provided brakes commensurate with the weight of the car but not for modern tailgating freeway driving.

Drive down your mountain at a moderate speed and don't carry too many cinder blocks in the back seat. Rebuild the brakes with a good quality lining and check your fluid every 2000 miles or 90 days. Perhaps a St.Christopher's medal on the dash will provide that extra margin of safety.
We sell a single master front disc conversion which you might need if you put in a Chevy 350 and drive like a 17 year old. I have a friend with a 27 Pierce with mechanical brakes, never had an accident.