Brake Noob

Wash, yes the whole engine bay and undercarriage needs a good wash
Not what I'm talking about. When you take the drums off, or when when working on disks, you'll find much dust gnerated that has stuck around.
Don't blow it, wash it.
I don't understand the NOS and Abestos portion lol.
New Old Stock. Traditionally referred to original factory parts, but now often refers to any unused (new) old stock. In other words, older parts store replacements.
Asbestos is a mineral product that is an excellent insulator. In ref to brake linings, it was frequently used in the compounds but generally fell out of use by the end of the 1980s. When the fibers are loose and floating around in the air they can get into people lungs - and then cause major problems. hence my first advice about washing down with brake cleaner - and not to blow it with air. That's true no matter what type of lining you're dealing with. Dont want to breathe any of it.
I'm thinking I'm going to do Disc fronts and redo the drums in the rear until I swap in my new front end and 8 3/4 rear with a 489 rear.
I think you should learn to replace the linings and hardware first. Also learn to bleed the system. No reason to make the learning curve steeper than it is.
Get the right parts, follow the books, do it, learn as you go. The 10" brakes will perform fine when they're working right. Road racing, hauling a trailer, or long down hills is where the ability of the disks to disapate the heat comes into play.