getting her to run

Hi friends. I spent some time after work yesterday trying to see what needs to be done to get my 39 engine started. It spins over good, but no fire at the plugs. I'm thinking I need to remove and thoroughly clean all the ignition parts. Coil, wire connectors, maybe even the distributor. It has been upgraded to a modern Mallory distributor. The cap is a crab type. The switch does not provide 12 volts, but a clip lead does. The rust and crud is working against me. I suspect a poor ground. It does use a positive ground. My first experience with that. It seems strange.
Lots of really cool comments on my first post here. It got me thinking. How rare is a 39 Deluxe sedan convertible? 3,561 were made in 1939. I guess there is no way to tell how many still exist. I see pictures of some beautifully restored. I have a long way to go, and fully intend to have fun with it!
 
Any idea why a 12 volt system is using a positive ground? Not that common. Is the Mallory distributor a points distributor? Is it possible someone just stuck a 12v battery in a 6 volt system? Are the bulbs converted to 12v?

Think I would start by tracking down the wiring from the battery on and see what is really going on.
 
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