Well the timing marks on the crank pulley read from left to right when standing facing the pulley are -5 -- 0 -- 5 -- 10 -- 15 -- 20. So TBC on cylinder 1 will be the second mark from the left, usually coloured yellow, however this has usually come off on older cars.
Standard ignition timing is 15deg + or - 2deg. So with your strobe connected up the pointer should be hovering above the second to last notch on the pulley. Setting it by hand isn't that hard since the engine isn't under load, so the chances of you doing damage are extremely slim. You should be able to set this with the TPS connector unplugged, as explained in the Haynes Manual. Allow the engine to reach temperature and check the timing again. Failing that, just post up again and we'll do our best to help you through it.
Sorry if the above sounds patronising................just trying to cover everything in one post 
Good luck
