I always used two pumps of the pedal to start a cold engine...
I had a 318 with a holley 600 vacuum secondary as a daily driver for years and once you get the choke hooked up to a proper 12 volt source and adjust it properly, you should be able to pump the pedal twice and crank it until it starts, then as soon as the oil pressure is up, put it in gear and drive away without any hiccups or stalling... Even in cold weather 20° or colder it would still work nice...
I drove it in winter in Detroit and Chicago, so your California weather should not be a problem... No need for fuel injection, make sure the choke is properly hooked up and adjusted...
