When you start a carbureted engine when it's "cold," you must press the gas pedal once. This "loads" the choke. The choke plate is the top-most plate in the throat of the carburetor. After you press the pedal, the choke plate should be closed.

A manual choke would not have been factory. The above procedure is for an automatic choke. A manual choke must be closed...well, manually.

Don't worry about the rebuild kit until we actually know if there's a problem or not. Don't waste money on parts you don't even know you need.