Coil - must never be wired directly to ground/earth. The earth is switched by the distributor points or the electronic module

This is also why the coil may not show a voltage when the engine is not running. The way to check for voltage feed is Voltmeter from Coil + to Battery -

btw, Ballast Resistor has nothing to do with Alternator. Ballast Resistor use depends on the coil (some coils require a resistor, others are designed to be used without a resistor)