All of a sudden it what seems overnight, I can't get the car into reverse and 1st, or 4th and 5th. Does this sound like a linkage issue? Clutch?

start with both cone screws and the bushings.

Happened to me about a month ago... The cone screw behind the firewall was pretty loose, tightened it right up and problem fixed.

What they said.. firewall bushing was what killed me.

Side shift or tail shift ?

The key word is overnight. Clutches will warn you, decaying bushings will not.

I’d put my money on the cone screw. If not, knuckle bushing. Got them cheap if you need em.

U joint or cone screw. You lost authority over the left and right, but not completely over fore and aft (rotational at the joints). Not internal, so there is some relief for you.

If you have never replaced the shift linkage bushings, that could be your problem. When the bushings in my shift rod coupling gave up, as in disintegrated, I could not find any gears. Early nineties, pre internet for me, no 914World or 914Club websites, I didn't know what shift linkage bushings were. Replaced all of them and the shifting felt like new.

I 'lost' 4th gear about 2 weeks ago. While troubling shooting, I found the shifter rod firewall bushing had broken. The two cone screws were still tight (Loctite works well).

With three new shift rod bushings installed (firewall, trans mount and ball cup) and 4th gear was back.

The shifter feel really 'tightened up'
It is amazing how sloppy the shifting had become over the years, without me noticing.
I had last replaced all these bushing back in the late '80s, ~240K miles ago.

One more thing. If it is bushings replacing one may wear out the others. Inspect and possibly replace all of them.

Hopefully it is just a loose screw though!

Happened to me last weekend but I just lost 4th and 5th. It was the cone screw that is on the very end of the shift rod at the transmission. It is located inside the black plastic cover on the side of the transmission. It was loose but once I tightened it up the problem was fixed. I do have a side shifting transmission.

Jeff B

Thanks all, I'll try to get under there this weekend. I just had the bushings done about 500 miles ago. Hoping it's this easy fix.

It's a tailshifter if that plays into it.

Yep!! Beware of the two bushings in the shift rod knuckle at the firewall. They crystallize after a while and then Disintegrate.

Don’t exist in tail shifter. Now you have to look at bushing under the shifter in cabin, and ball pivot at fire wall.