I've heard of guys installing a small electric pre start fuel pump so you don't have to crank the engine so much. Just run it briefly to fill the bowls. You could just manually fill the bowls too. It all sounds like a pia though.
I've been putting other peoples cars on the road all summer (a friend's '54 F100, my nephews POS 2015 Charger, and then Bazza's VG), and it wasn't until this past weekend that I was finally able to start-up one of my own rides (my '68 F250). Of course the float bowls were dry (Yup, a Holley 4150), and I had a helluva time getting it started at first. Once it warms up it pops right off, but I know from past experience if I let it sit for a day or three the damn bowls will be dry again. New fuel pump, and I have a 1" phenolic resin insulator/isolator under the carb, but those FE Fords- they hold the heat, baby!
Going to give this a try next spring. Why wait, you ask? The master cyclinder went to hell and now it's leaking fluid into the power booster, and all over my new carpet as well.
So I drained out the old gas and put her back into storage.
Probably drove it all of 10 miles. Made for a really short "summer" for me.