This is exactly the same problem I am having.
I have tried all of the above soloutions but nothing seems to work.
The picture you supplied is the exact same dizzy I bought. I sent mine back and got another (though it looks like the same one) which I am assuming simonbbc tested. However, is it possible this isnt the correct distributor?
Please let me know if you solve your problem as I am desperate to get mine fitted as i can see the benefits to having electronic ignition. Though there doesn't seem to be any benefits at the moment.
As you say, when it is timed up correctly, the car turns over as though the battery is flat. Soemtimes it gets going, but I have also had it where the starter then just clicks and I can't get it going without a push start.
When I turn the dizzy anticlockwise, the engine spins freely but won't fire. Eventually I turn it clockwise and it does fire and runs quite nicely. The problem comes when I stop the engine and try to start it again... Back to not turning over.
Kernow Cooper has been helping me but I am really puzzled.
I thought it might be the mixture being all over the place, then why would the pointed dizzy fire up?
My engine is meant to be a 998, the engine code matches to that but I am led to believe it has some kind of metro head or bits on it and it has been bored out to 1275/1293. Could the compression of the engine be preventing the ignition from working? That sounds ridiculous as the points system has to be weaker than the elctronic unit...doesn't it?