help with cold start

hello i just bought a 1983 celica st and i cant get it to start cold without spraying starting fluid in the carb. if i try it without starting fluid it just keeps trying untill the battery dies . iam not sure if the carb needs to be rebuilt but i would like to avoid that cost . ive used the sea foam treatment due to the fact that the person i bought it from said that car was sitting for a wile that seemed to work a little ....also ive heard that the 22r has a normal "ticking sound" is this true ? any feed back would be helpfull! thanks