727 Kickdown Linkage Adjustment - HELP!

I bought this 68 Cuda used and didn't drive it enough to remember if it ever had 1st gear. It had a trans leak when I bought it, and so I had a shop repair the leak. The shop said they fixed the leak (it still leaks but now from the pan) but that's another story. The shop said it is missing the kickdown linkage, so they couldn't road test the car much. I took the car back and installed a linkage. I adjusted it the way the FSM says, but the procedure is a bit vague. I think everyone agrees at WOT, the trans lever should be all the way back. But, at throttle warm idle, where should the trans lever be? I do NOT believe it should be at the full forward position. I believe it should be at a mid-way position where it first meets "some resistance" (as you start from the full forward position and start moving it backward slowly until you feel resistance). I get this from reading the FSM about 100x. I set mine up this way, and test drove the car. It seems to start out (from a stop) in Second gear! I hear only one shift, and the car lacks acceleration. It won't peel rubber. If I drive 25 mph and floor the gas, it feels like it's shifting from 3 to 2 and the acceleration is really weak (I know the trans KD lever is fully pushed back at WOT). If I put the shifter to "L", I don't think the trans is really in "L". I adjusted the shifter link (not K/D link) so that the trans just enters "D" as I move the shifter from "N" to "D" at idle. That should put the trans in true "D" and it should start out in 1st gear. Drove it and again it feels like it's starting out in 2nd. Any ideas why?