Congrats, DC, looks like you have a good goal--as close to original as practical, but not an AR restoration.
As Gary says, you'll get the best overall performance with the OE air box in place. Vacuum carbs use the difference between low pressure above the slide diaphragm and atmospheric pressure below the diaphragm to lift the slides. The still air box is there to keep the pressure difference stable, and also to keep the filter elements dry (if you've never tried to ride with waterlogged Uni filters you just don't know what fun is, and fabric filters like K&Ns are almost as bad unless rain covers are used). I get plenty of well informed disagreement on this, but IMO pods are for carbs with mechanically lifted slides. .