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As far a the fuel gauge, the wires inside are stupid thin. So I can imagine if something fail or fried it probably internal with one of those wires.

I would pull the gauge and test it using the 6v battery on your 54. Then you can keep everything the same per the tests.

But you absolutely need ground the case of gauge.

Polarity doesn't matter. As long as ground is opposite of the feed polarity on the gauge feed.

Took the Super 8 to a local cruise night with some of our kids. Overall it ran okay, with the same issues I've noted before. It died when coming to a stop at a stoplight again. Just falls flat on it's face sometimes.

I noted that I actually do have dash lights, but they are super dim. Barely even noticable when it is pitch black outside. I'll pull some bulbs and see what they are.

There were about 25 cars that gathered on the main strip of town. Lots of people super interested in the '38

Fall is in full swing here, so I took the opportunity to get some pictures by some beautiful maples.









As nice as it looks, it still runs like crap. It died every time I came in for a stop on my 20 minutes drive. And I would describe it as lacking power. The shaking when putting the engine under load is more pronounced. Today in 3rd gear with the pedal to the floor (trying to get up to speed) the whole car was shaking, not just the shift lever.

I think I'll be removing the distributor and sending it off to Parkers Packards for a rebuild. I may end up sending the carb as well. I rebuilt the carb, but something is obviously not right. Maybe these are just more finicky than the post-war carbs? At this point I rarely drive this car because I can't trust it. I have no idea when or where it will leave me stranded.

-Kevin

Wow, great Autumn colours! Or for those in the US - great Fall colors!

I sounds like you definitely have some driveability issues. A number of things could cause the symptoms you're having, and most are NOT difficult to diagnose and remedy. The engine should behave well under all conditions, and it should have adequate power for all normal driving situations, with some to spare. Job One is to determine the CAUSE of the problem(s). The problem could be as simple as a frayed wire, or a leaking vacuum hose, or a bad coil or plug wire(s). A problem with the distributor rotor, for instance, could produce all the symptoms you describe. Diagnosis comes first.

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That's my problem though...I've worked through everything that I know how to and have not been able to get the problem resolved.

-Vacuum leak - rebuilt the fuel pump and vacuum pump. Rebuilt the missing vacuum line from the manifold to the vacuum pump. Sprayed carb cleaner on all potential leak points while engine was running with no change noted.
-Coil - brand new, previous one consistently failed when it got hot.
-Rotor - new
-Cap - new
-Points - new, gap rechecked several times since install
-Ignition wire to coil - new, armored cable failed and shorted out
-Plug wires - new, none are touching each other
-Plugs - new, correct gap on all
-Carb - rebuilt, should be correct specs. Idle mixture screws set with a vacuum gauge
-Timing - set as best as I could. Seems like the marks jump around a bit with the timing light, which makes me wonder about the distributor
-Valves - adjusted cold when the engine was rebuilt with a little extra space on the exhaust. Have not adjusted while running, will need to remove the fender for that
-Timing chain - nothing noted during rebuild
-Compression - Tested cold, 130-135 across all cylinders, no leak down tested

My two major problems:
1.) Engine dies when coming out of gear....doesn't recover from the initial drop in RPM's
2.) Definite miss. Can hear it at idle, and very noticeable when driving

My theories
1.) Carb is out of adjustment causing poor running and inability to maintain running when coming out of gear
2.) Distributor bushing or shaft is worn, causing wobbling and erratic firing

Am I totally off base here?

-Kevin

A badly worn distributor shaft/bushing could cause erratic timing. A problem with the mechanical advance mechanism could also cause it. A badly worn carburetor throttle shaft or a loose throttle plate will cause problems. A crack or gasket leak at the intake manifold could cause erratic operation. **There have been instances of intake manifolds rusting or cracking through into the exhaust heat jacket around the intake plenum under the carburetor. This can happen with no external problem being evident. It can cause very erratic engine performance with no evident cause.** Ignition switch problems can cause issues. The small flex wires inside the distributor can chafe and cause intermittent shorts when the breaker plate moves. Once in a while, a distributor may not have a good ground to the engine block. This usually affects Delco units that move in the block when the vacuum advance operates. Many distributors have a small, flexible ground wire from the breaker plate to the distributor body. If it is missing or broken, it can cause erratic operation.
PS: On 37 120 models, the inner fender panel can be removed to access the valve covers and lower radiator hoses. It's much easier than removing the entire fender, and much less likely to result in paint damage. I think the 38s are the same.