The owner’s manual for my '87 Toyota pickup instructs drivers to pump the accelerator 3 times before trying a cold start. If I drive every few days, it starts up without my foot on the gas. I drive only every few months anymore. It often takes a few tens of seconds to start (old starter?) and I want to make sure I don’t miss the short window between the engine catching and the battery discharging so I have my foot on the gas.
I’ve replaced the fuel pump and re-built the carburetor, but only after they performed so poorly I couldn’t put it off any longer. While I was putting off repairs until they were obvious, starting could be challenging.
I used to drive up mountain roads to remote trailheads, go hiking for a few days or weeks. It would have been a huge drag to have it not start when I got back.