First day of ownership, first problem.

[mk14dr]

Right, I only picked this beauty up yesterday, it travelled the 90miles back faultlessly then less than an hour later, when pulling away from a set of lights I inexplicably lost all gears. Side of the road, engine off, and I could select all gears, felt like the clutch cable adjustment had slipped.
Limped it to a sidestreet and had a tinker. I adjusted the cable to both extremities and still Im not getting gears.
Its just about driveable, if I start the car in first and take it very gently there-after.

Its an '91 8v GTi, with a 2lt Corrado bottom end and gearbox. It had a clutch kit (CK9036) in July last year with a new cable at the same time.

Now, Ive been reading up, as you do, and Ive heard mention of the release plates cracking which can give similar symptoms? 

Im at a loss as all the pipes and wires under the bonnet ain't what Im used to.

All help/encouragement/derision appreciated

[rob.043]

it is a 'rod change' gearbox? i.e. rods connecting the gear lever to the box, rather than the more modern cables? As if the linkages are loose or slip, you can lose ability to get some or maybe all gears. So it could be a simple/cheap fix. I dont know about the clutch side of things, which does sound more likely from what you say...

welcome to mk2 ownership though, they are fun when they work, and generally easy to fix when they dont!

[mk14dr]

Yeah, its a rod change box.
Before this happened, I had said that I was going to get a selector rebuild kit as I know it to be a weak spot.
No, this is something else entirely, I can get all the ratios, its just that that clutch (or lack thereof) is not operating correctly. Neither fully engaging, nor disengaging.