Nice '64. In fact, all are nice but man, you must have a lot of time on your hands....LOL!
On the start-up, many times the reason a car is parked is that something did go wrong. I've seen many a old muscle car, not sitting quite as long as yours, have any number of minor/major engine issues....which is why it got parked. Hopefully, that's not the case here. A compression test and/or leakdown test if it readily spins over is a good way to judge at least part of the engine's condition.
On popping the valve covers, the FE's design, unlike most engines, allows one to squirt oil down into the lifter/cam area with a long nozzle squirt can to prevent a dry start on those surfaces. One can bet after 40 years, even with pre-oiling using the dummy ditzy trick and a drill, those lifters must be bone dry. Just a thought.