Hard cold starts and pretty low vacuum???????

[rps13drift]

So i finaly got my sr20 runnig after like a year and a half rebuild. It took a few weeks to figure all the little bugs out to get it to idle and everything but it seems to start and run pretty good now every time.
There is 2 problems that i am having and I would appreciate some advice from my fellow 240 owners.

1- The car is pretty hard to get started when the motor is cold. it takes quite some cranking to get it to fire then i have to rev it some to keep it alive or else it will die.

2 low funky vacuum? I have been having a hard time with my low vacuum readings. I recently did the boost leak test thing and realized that all my swivel fittings that came with my topspeed manifold were pouring air through them. I couldnt find any BSPT replacement fittings so i brazed them at work to seal them and they dont leak at all any more. When the car is idleing my vacuum gauge literally is going bizerk from 4inhg to 8inhg? It never stays still at a reading! The needle is constantly moving. Im starting to think that i might need a new boost gauge for this one has been dropped a few times from trying to diagnose the motor.

So if any one has any helpful info please feeel free to share!
thanks
-mike-