Distributor install confustion

I am installing a new distributer and have a suspision that the distributer currently installed in the car is not timed right. I'm pretty sure its wrong but just want to do a sanity check.

So I used the "finger over the spark plug hole" method to locate when the number 1 piston is on its compression stroke. No problem. So my question is: Should the distributor rotor be pointing at the #1 cylinder at 30 degrees (BTDC) or at 0 degress (TDC) on the compression stroke? The distributer in the car now has the rotor pointing towards the #1 cylinder at BTDC.

Yes, but should the timing pointer be at 0 degrees TDC or 30 degrees BTDC when the distibutor is in the position you described?

Come on now this one should be and easy one for you guys.

jrichker said:

O degrees, then set base timing with a timing light. Be sure to remove the SPOUT when settting timing and re-install it when you finish.

Click to expand...

Thats what I thought, thanks. I'm ready to see how this baby runs with the distributor installed correctly

I don't see how the car was running and was able to be timed correctly the way it is now with the rotor pointing at the #1 cylinder and the timing pointer at 30 degrees BTDC. The car did run and was fast at WOT but didn't cruise very well. Any thoughts?