[Rachelsdad]

Remember: Penetrating oil is your friend, and your friend wants to help you. Multiple applications over several days (or weeks) in conjunction with some gentle persuasion with the torch should tell you whether your efforts will pay off (frozen is frozen, and you should know soon enough). A little wiggle is a good sign.

Congrats on the battery hold down install (luckily, both of my '56's have their original clamps bolted to the fender).

Preloading fuel line: I wouldn't. You'll need to prime the carb to get started, and if the fuel pump is in good shape (rebuilt or new), you should have no problem pulling from the tank as long as the lines are clear (or new). By the time you run through what you've poured into the bowl, you should be pumping to the carb. If not, give her another prime and try again. It shouldn't be a protracted affair; once or twice through (ether - also marketed as "starting fluid" is also good for this).

Tank coating: Generally, the tank should be fine either uncoated or just schpritzed with undercoating to match the rest of the underside of the car (I happen to like the uniform flat black of the undercoating contrasted with the galvanized straps and SS exhaust I have, but that's probably just me). The factory did not put any kind of special coating on the tank, just undercoating IME. It's more the inside of the tank which is the concern, but even there, I've always been hesitant to coat an otherwise solid tank.