Classic/Antique Car Repair: 54 chevy, engine cranks, stroke engine

Question
i have a all original 54 chevy thats been sitting in my garage . the car is in real good condition minimal rust

recently iv tried to get the car running but i just cann ot figure it out
the spark plugs do not get and spark
engine cranks over but wont start
also i removed distributor and cannot figure out how to put back with engine at top dead center are there stamped timing marks on the engine?
i need to figure out how the whole wiring should be for the primary and secondary ignition system
any help ap[preciated,
i am atqa loss here.
thank you,jim

Answer
As you are standing alongside passenger side of the car, looking down at the distributor, look lower and toward the back of the engine. Bolted to the back of the engine is the flywheel housing, and in that housing there is a hole for you to look into to see the timing mark on the flywheel as it rotates past the open hole.  You will need a flashlight to see into the hole, and you have to turn the engine slowly until you spot the little bb sized ball pressed into the visible face of the flywheel.  The reason you have to go through the process I dictated before is because that mark comes by twice per revolution of the distributor, and if you chose the wrong time it comes by, the engine won't run.  This is because your engine is a 4 stroke engine, meaning it only fires once every other time it comes up on Top Dead Center.

As for the wiring, let's proceed with that, after you have done all the previous steps.

Notice that the small coil terminals are marked with a "+" and a "-".  The - terminal is wired to the terminal on the side of the distributor.  The + terminal goes to a source of 6 volts, which can be anything with 6 volts on it, but originally this was connected to the "I" terminal on your ignition switch.

Once you have done all of the above, take the large wire out of the center of the distributor cap, but leave it plugged into the top of the coil. Place the loose end of this wire within 1/4 inch of the engine block and hold it there with some non-conducting item like a stick of wood.  Have a helper crank the engine with the key on (so there will be 6 volts on the + terminal of the coil).  If the distributor is assembled correctly, and the points are properly gapped at 0.016 inches, there should be a rapidly firing spark from the tip of that wire.  The spark should be snapping fire and keep sparking as long as the engine is cranking. If it does that, the engine should start up and run when you plug the wire back into the top of the distributor, as long as there is fuel in the carburetor.

If you see no spark at the end of the wire, there is a problem in the distributor or in the wiring to it.  First, verify that there is 6 volts on the + terminal of the coil.  If there is, now check the voltage at the - terminal of the  coil.  If there is 6 volts there too, the points may be open.  Take the distributor cap off and slowly turn the engine until you see the points close. Now check for voltage at the - terminal of the coil.  If there is still 6 volts there, the wire from the coil to the side of the distributor may be bad, or the points may be dirty, or there may be a broken wire inside the distributor.  

There are so many possibilities from this point forward that I am going to stop typing now and let you do the above, then get back to me with your results - we'll stay with this until we fix it, or know what's wrong!

Dick