<VV> Broken clutch cable problem

[richard shank]

Several days ago my wife took our 110 4 speed '68 convertible (that we bought new) to the mall to shop.  A few minutes later I get a call that when she went to shift gears in the mall parking lot, the clutch went bang, to the floor.  Oh-oh, that sounds like a clutch cable to me so I drove to the mall in our '66 thinking I would start the '68 in gear and drive the short distance home for repairs.  Good idea but it didn't work.  It would act like it was going to start on the first couple of revolutions but then it wouldn't fire further.  It would start easily when the transmission was in neutral but not in gear.  Rather than run the battery down, we towed it home to put in a new cable.  Now the question, it has Pertronics ignition, is it possible that trying to start the motor while in gear caused the voltage to drop enough to prevent it starting?  I have read many messages on VV about making sure to get the proper voltage to the distributor.  If this is the case, anyone
 running a stick shift with Pertronics ignition should be forewarned, I guess, that starting your car in gear may be difficult to do.
Incidentally, it was the original clutch cable so 38 years on a cable isn't too bad!!  It didn't break at the ball however, but at the pulley down under.  Now I have a nice piece of cable with a good ball on the end to put in my toolbox for the next roadside repair, if--- it breaks at the ball!!! - - - -Dick Shank