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Larry --

Gee, you ask a lotta questions! Is the clutchless car the rustless car?

1. When a clutch slips, you notice it first in the highest gear -- in your case in overdrive. That's because in the highest gear it's called upon to transmit the most torque, whereas in first or second gears the transmission multiplies torque so the clutch must transmit less torque.
2. The fact that your new cable broke, followed by the pedal assembly, suggests too much force was required to release the clutch. I've never heard of a pedal breaking before.
3. Some cars have a clutch spring, others don't -- and I don't know the rationale for this. My '82 245 has a spring, but my '82 245 turbo does not (both 4spd-O/D, both blue). I'll install a spring someday.

• It could even be something like a mismatch of disc to pressure plate.
• Too much pressure could mean a an incorrect or defective pressure plate, or mis-installed fork or throwout bearing (although it's really hard to do it wrong).
• Clutch not disengaging could be a defective clutch disc, incorrect disc, or worn or binding splines on the input shaft.
• Clutch not disengaging could be because every time you stepped on the clutch, you stretched the cable so it never exerted full range -- and eventually snapped from the excessive stress.
• Don't worry about the spring -- get one and snap it in.

BTW, in a pinch you can drive your car without a clutch cable or pedal. I broke the cable on my '75 245 in Cambridge and drove home down the expressway, an hour south (circa '85).