It probably is, back before I knew how to get cars running properly I had put distributors in a tooth off and tried driving them, backfiring, popping, all that stuff. Its easy to put in a tooth off and a bit harder to put in correctly but it is by no means a challenge. Check the firing order before you do anything with the distributor. Could be as simple as a wire out of place. Once you have assured the wires are in a their correct location move on to adjusting the timing. If you cannot find a position for the distributor where the car will run right then it may have to be pulled out and reset back in there. Again not a challenge pretty simple.