I think you mean it has a cable operated choke. The choke is an additional throttle butterfly blade that closes to reduce the air going in when the engine is cold and effectively richen the mixture. There are a couple types of choke - auto and manual. Auto chokes operate automatically. The electric type is the simplest. Hook it to a ignition fed power wire and it works. Very simple. The choke has no effect once the engine is warmed up. Close choke to start, let warm up, let choke out rest of time. The choke on my 79 Camaro was deleted years ago and hasn't affected how it runs. It sounds like your carb needs cleaning/tuning. Carburetors are a nuisance, but once sorted work just fine. Fuel injection is the best solution, but very involved. Lot of cost and effort to install. Would be simpler to sort the carb and enjoy the vehicle.

 

 

 

That is weird. Can you post up some pics of the carburetor with the air cleaner off of it?

 

I googled it. Never heard of a throttle mounted on the dash. Turns out it is common enough in the rock crawling world. Basically an additional throttle lever to be operated by hand, independent of the gas pedal. Would still like to see some pics of the carb and the dash too.

The jeep should function normally with the hand throttle inactive. If you have issues starting it and keeping it running, then you have carb problems. A good rebuild of the carb should make a world of difference. Carburetors are a HEADACHE. But they are wicked simple, once you wrap your mind around how they work. If the jeep is a weekend toy, I wouldn't bother with EFI.

 

hmmm... Maybe something like a Hyundai Verna or Ford C-Max? The cars are inexpensive and hardy. As for the first car, it will be a great choice. I've been riding one myself.