1965 Dart Gas Pedal and linkage

Your description of the current setup sounds like my 64 Valiant slant, which has a long rod in the engine bay which rotates to turn the throttle on the carb. The top of the pedal has a rod that pulls down on a lever arm on the pivot.

My 65 Dart 273 is totally different, with the pedal acting on a lever which swings toward the firewall, like the brake pedal. On the other side of the "see-saw" pivot it pulls a cable which passes thru the firewall. This is in a special plate that bolts to the firewall where the rod pivot would attach in the 64. I kind of recall reading that 65 slants had a similar pedal setup as in 64. I don't know if they kept the long rod or added a cable. I also kind of recall that all V-8's had a cable, even in 64.