This is a decent starter set.

Bottom-line pricing on FJC KIT6 at ToolTopia.com

It isn't two stage but it does have the additional fitting which allows you to pull vacuum from both ports at the same time. It's not as fast as the true two-stager but it gets the job done.

You will need adapters for the existing R12 fittings.

It has a much higher quality set of gauges with real seals, not the hard plastic pieces of crap HF uses.

If you decide to use the HF manifold, the FIRST thing you need to do is to replace ALL the seals on the manifold.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now