Thud, why don't you just plug off all the uneccessary vacuum lines, yes they are an insane bitch.
However, the carb does not need them to run healthily....
Sdub, you can do a few mods the the stock carb, but for the price of getting it race prepped, you could invest in a nice Weber carb.
For cheap mods, you can make a cover that goes over just the inner part of your intake air filter.
Just get a peice of aluminum and cut it to size (free if you have some spare aluminum)
Take out all the uneccessary vacuum lines.
I noticed you are a member at RPR forums as well, just do a search on that Forum for Vacuum Hoses, or check this out. (This may help you too Thud)
Questions On Carbs
De-Vacuum Lined Carb