Reply to "No fuel at carb, beginner home mechanic question."

The fuel does not draw out directly from the bottom of the tank like a motorcycle (gravity feed). The fuel feed line starts at the bottom of the tank, but runs straight up to the top of the tank where it exits and then is run down again to the fuel pump. You will not get excessive drainage if you remove this line...just what is in the portion of line from the fuel pump to the top of the tank.
If you want to check fuel flow you will need a section of rubber hose that you can fit over the end of the fuel line, run out the bottom of the car, and over to a fuel can. Then you can do the suck and spit until you siphon some flow.
You probably need a new fuel pump. If your engine is stock or mildly warmed over, you do not need a fancy pump. You sure don't need the expense and noise of an electric pump. A stock replacement will do. Don't buy a Holley mechanical pump. I had one that lasted about 5000 miles before it gave up. Opened it up to see if I could fix something and discovered that the center push rod had broken away from the activating rod. I got on the internet to a couple of performance Ford bulletin boards and found that Holly mechanical pumps are total pieces of junk with an embarassing failure rate. Not work buying or repairing.
Stock replacements can be a bitch too. The one I bought to replace the Holley blew oil out the overflow hole...directly onto the header!!! The engine bay was engulfed in smoke...I looked like a dirty gray comet with a billowing black tail hurtling down the highway. All I could figure is the internal oil seal was installed backwards, or not at all. I'm going for backwards because it took about 30 miles for it to start. Anyway, the next fuel pump (identical to the screwed up one) worked fine and is still working.
George suggested a fuel pump at the time mine went south. I needed the car for a planned trip, so I didn't have time to order one in, but you might check past posts around July of this past year for his recommendation.
If you decide to replace yours, the top bolt can be a real bear to get to. It's tempting to try and remove it from under the car, but take the time to remove the firewall bulkhead inside the car. You still have limited access to the top bolt, but it is visable, close at hand, and makes things a lot easier in the long run.
You're on the right track...keep eliminating things one step at a time and you'll get there.
Mooso