Timing Issues HELP Please

[Imacarguytoo]

OK heres a run down of whats going on. Its an early 70,s 350 witha stock timing cover from that year. I have set the distributor in at tdc with rotor button at #1 wire on the cap. The motor is at 0 degrees. I set the timing at 8 degrees. I have takin it for a drive and it still pings. Its got great power. But it also starts hard.
Anyone got any ideas of whats going on. This motor has less than 3000 miles. It had the points dist in it and ran great with no pinging. I changed it over to Hei and swapped out 3 hei's. But still the pinging and hard starting. Its my daily driver...todays my day off to fix it. Im really tired of messing with it. But its GOT TO RUN. The internals are stock.