Pulling my hair out!!!

Ok. The ignition system is the stock electronic unit. I removed it from the car when the project was degun, cleaned , inspected and outfitted with a new cap and rotor. The plugs are all new and so are the wires. I think I am getting closer because the engine will start but will not run at lower rpm. The timing mark has me baffled. The mark on the balancer was very deep and long from the factory. I cleaned and painted the balancer during the resto and put white paint in the factory mark.

I have checked the dist position many times and when the balancer mark is at O TDC the rotor is pointing at #1 tower, but the car will not run there. I have to rotate the dist CCW quite a ways just to get the car to start. At O degrees the car will sputter and fire will come out the carb. It looks to me that I have to retard the timing just to get it to run.

The pics show the position at which the engine is at now. It will start and run at high rpm but will not idle at all.