To just crank the motor up and get it running, I would just leave the original generator in position, but not hook it up. Just run off the 12 v. battery. The distributor will work just fine with a 12 v. coil. Unhook your gauges and don't worry about them now. Get fuel to the carb any way you can. Get a Speedway catalog for your water pumps and other stuff. I have an overflow tank on my truck, but nothing ever gets into it. I run the water in the radiator just above the core, leaving about 3" of space at the top of the tank. Coolant just doesn't expand that high in my case. When you get your head gaskets, you can re-use the head bolts...just put thread sealer on them, since some go into the water jackets. I would use a mechanical fuel pump for now, since you are staying with the stock intake manifold and carb.