Initial timing question??

Initial timing is where you set it by the distributor being turned clockwise or counter clockwise while seeing the mark on the balancer to verify base timing

mechanical timing is what’s in the distributor this does not included the v can.

so say you have 14initial base timing and 18 in the distributor that’s a total of 32 degrees.

Without a timing light an easy way is to rotate the distributor when you hear the engine vacuum rising engines idle, keep going until she starts to lose vaccum and the idle lowers. Then go ahead drive the car once your hear it ping retarded the timing until you stop hearing it. That’s pretty much were you wanna be.

you can master it by different springs in the distributor taking out more timing in the distributor etc but it sounds like your not that far off.