Thanks just have to put a vent damper on fire box grind a couple things and make a damper for the exhaust stack and lite the coals and throw some wood in!
There's certainly nothing wrong with free. I can't tell the size from the picture but make sure the holes are large enough for the ash to fall through or it can choke out your fire.
Some have tried but remember it is really hard to accurately regulate or duplicate airflow with a swinging door. Every time you add fuel, you will need to re-regulate the airflow. I think you will be much happier with a slide/damper.
I spray everything inside the CC with a thin coat of cooking oil(PAM or equivalent), heat it up to 300-325 degrees for a little while and then back it down to 225-250 degrees and throw some fatty meat on there. Don't go real heavy with the spray or it can get messy and use what ever type of wood you're going to cook with.