Triumph Repair: Spitfire distributer, crank shaft, tdc mark

Question
Howard,
  I have a 1978 Spitfire 1500. It's been in pieces since 1999. I bought a new distributer and would like to know if there's a sure fire way to get the wiring right. I've manually rotated the engine and stopped the crank at what I think is TDC. The mark is right at zero but from photos I've seen of other spitfires it doesn't look right. It always lines up between the one and two o'clock position. None of the electrical system is connected yet. Thanks for any help, Mack

Answer
Hi Mack,
You need to ID real TDC by removing #1 spark plug and insert a rod (like a piece of coat hangar) down into the cylinder and feel the top of the piston and then move the crank shaft back and forth past the TDC mark you have to confirm that it is true TDC.

As far as the wiring you need to refer to a wiring diagram. If you don't have one let me know and I will put one up on my web site for you to copy.
Let me know,
Howard