Im not here to argue whether or not you need to hook the vacuum advance up or not. I think your timing choice should work fine, youll get it figure out the optimum for you once you figure this coil fo-pa out.

I really think you have a bad hook up at the coil or somewhere to the coil.

try this coil test like someone was explaining it simple and quick.

Your motor should at least try to fire even if the damn thing was retard, it would just run very sour with bad timing numbers. I know you had spark to the coil when you were testing but something was amiss with the coil hook up.