How long on the starter before you decide it isn't pumping? After my wagon has sat for over a month it takes 20-25 seconds before it kicks in. Full choke essential for me but you can push it in a bit more or less straight away. Just started mine a couple of weeks ago with temps close to zero after sitting since last October. Battery has been running the clock since then but was happy to do its duty. Did take a fully charged one up as a backup but not needed.
The fuel pump lever has a very small stroke so doesn't pump very hard. If you leave the pipes attached and just remove the 2 pump bolts you'll usually find that the pump works fine when you work the lever by hand but it may not work enough on the car especially if you park nose uphill. Even driving up a steep hill can leave it gasping. Modern fuel is also good at killing off rubber and diaphragms so even a known normally good replacement can fail. I'm sure that Eric picks a good supplier but even those probably don't like being left to dry out regularly.
The old B16 glass top pumps had a priming lever. Hard to find but perhaps worth looking for. They have screw on hose fittings so you would need to use adaptors or different hoses.
Electric pump? Can be done but not really needed.