[77 TRASHCAN]

The deciding factor on one where # one cyl is on the dist, is where the timing gears were timed.

The easiest way to explain how to install the old (or new) dist w/ wires on pass side, is to think of pulling all the wires straight up and rotating dist 180 degrees (you will likely need to remove it to do this). Where the dist is sitting currently in the engine, the old # 6 on the cap will now be # 1, and the old # 1 will be # 6. The wires will be in the same order and location, you're just moving the whole distributor.

Before I started this, as stated above, I'd roll the engine to TDC #1. Then I'd take a straight edge, lay it across the centers of terminals # 1 and #6 on the cap/ coil assy. I'd mark on the valve cover, fire wall, where ever, a mark (w/ a sharpie) both ends of the straight edge for reference. Mark the wires w/ the before cyl #'s (knowing they will be 180 degrees out when done). Then move the dist.
As I said before, the hardest part (sometimes) can be getting the dist and oil pump shaft to mesh. It's not anything impossible though, just a little time...You might get lucky, you are pulling the dist, and installing 180 degreeso out, it might slide back in easy...