Tried this morning, going to try ordering up a new rotor arm & cap! ��

Excellent, thank you!

Hi, I don't know a lot about this specific car, but if it were me I would see it like this.

Whatever else may be wrong. One thing at a time.

If when turning over you have a regular spark at the coil, but not at the plugs, then until that is fixed the car will not start (whatever else is wrong...one thing at a time).

Test each link in the chain to the plugs down stream from here. i.e.,

Why can't the spark get from here to the distrubtor inlet? If it can...
Why can't the spark get from here to the rotor arm delivery points? If it can...
Why can't the spark reach each plug? If it can...
Why is each plug not sparking? If they do...
Why will this not fire...

I know it sounds easy from a distance, but whatever else is wrong, if it is sparking at the coil the basic link between coil and spark in chamber should be present for it to start at all.

(Speaking as someone who in his younger days has probably taken apart a whole car that only needed a condenser replacing costing £2.00 and taking 5mins)

Why?

Have you binned the original ones, that were working? Test with those first

I did try to be systematic with the testing, hence why everything is getting replaced.

I think this model seems to be throwing a spanner in the works, the code on the engine: 026103373H /51 / H

But like someone else as mentioned a DZ engine, maybe I am missing something else.

Ordered some parts from Germany, I think incorrect eBay parts as caused this issue in the first place.

Fingers crossed & thank you everyone for getting involved ��

Fingers crossed.

That 026 103 373 H is the casting part number for a bare cylinder head so you won't find it in any parts lookup sites.

A quick google shows it's the same as a Golf GTi which also used the DZ engine

Sorry, I don’t understand.
Do you have the original parts? Refit then and see if that fixes it.
Zero point buying anything else until you get it running on the old
Parts again.

Amazing, that would explain my confusion!

I didn't think about asking Google :idea:

My new rotor arm & distributor cap arrived, I ordered a couple of options. Eventually I got a BERU VK355 & a BOSCH rotor arm to work, I got a back fire & then discovered my firing order was slightly out of wack. Then I just had to get the firing order correct, which after a quick Google was 1342

1 is bottom left
3 is top left
4 is top right
2 is bottom right

Thank you all, now I can move the car back into the garage & crack on with a few more jobs.

Really pleased you have this starting now...one less thing to worry about...savour the joy!