318 LA rebuild after losing a valve seat

This is long...

So, pardon my ignorance, but I know very little about transmissions and shift linkages. I'm trying though. The part in the last photo wasn't connected to anything of any function, just fixed to the frame on one end and swiveling in a bushing on the bellhousing. It did nothing. I suspect it was a leftover part from when the car was a column shift, and they just didn't remove it?

The boys at the parts store I frequent also suggested the park pawls were engaged, and especially agreed when I said the car is on a slight incline. However, I then mentioned another piece to the puzzle. The bellhouse was twisted a bit counterclockwise and pointed towards the passenger side a little. It was held up by a ratchet strap to keep the angle correct for the drive shaft, so that when I moved it the universal joint wouldn't rub against the body. Anyway, I noticed that when I pulled on the strap in an effort to straighten the bellhousing, the car would move forward. I figured out that if I moved the car forward, the bellhousing would right itself. I pushed the car forward about 4 inches and sure as ****, it corrected itself. But it's still angled towards the passenger side.

So now I'm left with the shifter problem. I tried manipulating the linkage under the car, and at first it would go through all gears. So I went back and tried the shifter again, same problem. Went back underneath and now the linkage at the transmission will only click once in each direction. The shifter will engage random stops, but never really at any of the correct locations. If I hold the button down and starting in park, I feel slight resistance until I get towards the end, then feel multiple clicks like it's going through all gears.

One more thing, I do remember that ever since buying the car, it never would go into 1st gear. Park, reverse, neutral, drive, second, not first. After engaging in neutral, the shifter wouldn't quite line up with the indexes on the console. Hope that makes sense.