83 12a
I have had this car since 85. It runs good right now. Idles smooth at 750. I just replaced the leading ignitor and figured I would check the timing for the first time since I got the car. I am using an inductive timing light and following the instructions in the Haynes manual. I cannot see the timing marks on L1 or T1. When I put the timing light on L2 and T2, the timing marks line up with the pin. Why is this?

 

have you done any work to it? such as removed pulley or something? it might be possible to have reinstalled the pulley and it'd be off by 90 or 180 degrees

 

I have never had the pulley off or removed the distributer. It is possible that something could have been done before I bought it. It was two years old and had around 35000 on it when I got it. Should it run as good as it does if their was really something wrong?

 

You've had this car for 23 years and never timed it? Amazing. In the archives, there's a post by Wacky Racer on how to find TDC, it's a pictoral 'How To' and shows how simple it is to find TDC. Set your engine to TDC via the how to, then check the timing marks. If the marks are off, then you'll need to loosen the belts, remove the 4 bolts that hold on the timing pulley and rotate it until the marks are as close as they can be to the pin and still be able to insert the 4 bolts.

This may be a stupid question, but the front rotor is the #1 rotor, correct?

 

^^^ yes it is.