OK, I bought my 59 in the middle of an engine swap.

The source of the 283 bolted into, but not running, is unknown.

A discussion of whether or not the front damper is really a damper is here: https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/358072#Post358072

At any rate, I fabbed a crank-turner that bolts up to whatever it is on the front of the crank. It is quarter inch plate, drilled for three 3/8" fine thread bolts, with a Mazda axle nut welded to it. Here is a pic:

Turner

I've had the motor sitting for several days with all kinds of wonderful penetrating oils sprayed in the cylinders. Tonight I hooked up my crank turner, pulled the plugs, put my breaker bar on it, and it turned over easy as pie.

So I may try to start it. My question is, how do you wire up an HEI distributor? Here is a pic of the one that was in the floorboard of the truck:

HEI distributor

I see two terminals. Is one ground and one battery voltage? Also, is that a coil on top of the distributor? Also, is putting the HEI in the same as a points distributor?

I am hoping I just have to run a ground wire, a hot wire when the switch is on, then spark plug wires and vacuum hose to the intake manifold. Could it be that simple??

I am excited the motor will turn over. It sat for a number of years, as far as I could tell, then I've had it for 11 months and didn't try to turn it over until tonight.

I plan to do a compression test before going much further. Every dollar I spend on this unkown motor is taking away from a 350 crate.

Any help on how the distributor would go is appreciated. By the way, I know almost nothing about smallblocks so please be patient with what may seem simple or even silly questions.