no idea where the timing is.

I thought I just did. Wrench/ bump the engine around so that the timing marks are WHERE YOU WANT the timing to be. That is, if you want the intial timing to be at 10 BTC, then bump/ wrench the engine until the timing marks are at 10 BTC, or a little more maybe 12. On my car it's more like 16-18 BTC

Look at your cap, find no1 wire, remove it for reference, and carfully mark the dist. housing under the center of the no1 wire tower so you know "where it it" with the cap off. I ALWAYS scribe my distributor housing on the top rim under the no1 tower.

Now RETARD the distributor. This is to "get the slack out" of the advance mechanism, etc. On a small block, rotate the dist. CW

Now slowly rotate the dist. back ADVANCED (CCW on a small block) until...................

The points just open if you have points.

-----------------If breakerless, until the tip of the reluctor wheel is right in the center of the core of the pickup coil.

If you do this right, it should fire right up and run just like you parked it last night. It should be close enough that you won't have to "screw" with it until you get a light.