Ideas on unknown engine startup

For this '66 289 Coupe, we have a newly-acquired mid-70's 302 with an unknown history. Turns over OK with a wrench but otherwise unstarted. Currently mated to a C4 but to be remated to the original 66 manual tranny currently on the floor. Wondering your ideas on a couple of things if we just want to start the engine up now before we rebuild the clutch/etc. and mount the tranny. Trying to save a little wasted effort if we really ought to rebuild the engine first!

1. Can we run the engine with the torque converter/tranny empty of fluid? Just to start the engine? Reason - no cooler lines connected/no yoke/driveshaft either. Since the tranny goes, no reason to take much care of it, but no reason to smoke it either. Will this work?

2. How about exhaust? We don't have the full exhaust system for this guy, just the "H" pipes. To start/run the engine for a few minutes how much of the exhaust system needs to be intact? Are the "H" pipes enough? What are pros/cons of running it with no pipes, just the stock manifolds?

Thanks!

ok, do I need to loop the cooler lines in-to-out for this and put a yoke in at the rear of the tranny? or just be sure there's a little more fluid than none in the torque converter?

or, I could just drop the tranny now and run it "naked" so to speak?

ok, we got the automatic tranny out just fine. The engine's sitting on the two motor mounts ... is it OK to run it like that? Once we mount the housing/starter it will hang a little lower to the rear ... should we put a stand under the rear or something, to keep the motor mounts from tearing out?