"....I'd rewire the whole car as I suspect the wiring in the '49 leaves a lot to be desired and the last thing you want to do is burn it down because of a cobbled up wiring harness....."


Could not agree more. Personally, I'd take a carefull look around to find one that will work best. As has been mentioned some boxes are actually 2 pieces, with the back half serving as the bulk head connector for the underhood wiring, often requiring an odd shaped hole in the fire wall to fit.