Gas gauge repair

[Ken Lauderback]

Got in my '31 pickup this morning for the first time since last fall some time. The gas gauge was nearly on the "0" reading. I thought "I had more gas in here than that..." but decided I had been mistaken. So, off to the gas station to fill up. Only took 6 gallons, and the gauge is still on "O" so I assume the float has become soaked and sunk. When I "rebuilt" the gas gauge a couple of years ago, I think I coated the float with shellac. So, guessing the alcohol in the fuel has dissolved the coating. The reason I cleaned up the original gauge and reused it was that the so called "rebuild kit" I bought from Sacramento Vintage Ford at that time was so cheap looking and cheesy that I couldn't bring myself to put it in the tank. Are there different kits out there? If so, who makes the best one? Or, is there a good replacement for the original float? I'm probably not going to change it right now, but will need to do so some time this summer. Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks