I am having problems getting a 454 Mag to start on stand. Do I need to put 12V to the positive side of the coil, and thats it? It is a thunderbolt IV ignition. "88" version.

12v to the hot side of the coil and crank.. To make sure you got it right, a 12V testlight with one end on the (-) side of the coil and the other side to a ground, the light should flash while the engine is cranking, if the light is not flashing, check to make sure the white / green wire from the shift interrupt (if equipped with an alpha) is not grounded.
Make sure you can easilly pull the 12V lead off the coil to shut down in case of something crazy..

Thank you for the information, I've got spark but not starting, but other unrelated problems with the starter not engaging into flywheel correctly, broken piece of block. Thanks again.