Sorry for the delay, forgot to check today while I was working on it.
So I said a few mm bc I couldn't remember what hpi said when I installed it and timed it like a month ago. It was 2mm, I used a ruler. I used a piston stop to find tdc, then removed the stop from the head and measured. Screwed it out 2mm more and screwed the entire unit back into the head, thus giving me my timing
It is a derbi head! - which was one of my issues I sorted today! I was using a hobbit plug, which was a short head. Swapped over to a ngk br7es today!
A/f is 1.5 turns out
I got it running but playing with timing a little I've advanced it and she seems to be better. Will run for a few seconds then die
Took out (raining nonstop today in maryland) and push started, putted along about 50' or so and then died out. I barely cracked the throttle but she stayed running
I feel like I sorted it now - most was the short head plug, and I just need a dry day to test n tune
New plug, side hpi shot and another "rad fairing" pic with a peep of my skylines headlight in da pix, yo