You need to see if you are getting a spark from the coil. Pull the coil wire(big center wire) from the distributor, but leave the other end plugged into the coil. Crank the engine while holding the wire about 1/4 inch away from the block itself. Hold the wire with insulated pliers, or you will get a jolt. You should see a spark jumping between the wire and the engine. You can crank the engine from under the hood by using a long screwdriver to press the button on the starter down. Please be sure it's out of gear before trying to crank it from under the hood.