Well... I have been very lucky and never had a problem with my car since I bought it 4 years ago. My luck hath runith outith.

86 GT with Getrag 5 Speed 120k miles, all stock:
Drove to work fine yesterday No problems at all. Parked car all day. Went to leave work and noticed a little ticking noise from under the car when I had the clutch pressed. I assumed it was always there and I just noticed it because I was parked right next to a wall. I went to put the car in gear and it would not go into 1st! After a little convincing it went but shifted hard after that. I drove the 14 or so miles of highway towards home and upon pressing the clutch on the off ramp the noise (ticking, aweful rubbing/grinding noise) was CONSIDERABLY louder. At this point the car would not go into gear at all! I shut it off, put it in gear and started it in gear just to limp it home. (was able to rpm match the gears and not need the clutch to shift the rest of the way) Get home and the noise is worse (again like a rubbing, grinding, ticking) and the car still will not go in gear.

With the clutch out, there is no noise and everything sounds and drives fine. With the clutch depressed, and in gear, the car will creep like its not fully disengaging? Also slight smell of burnt clutch in the garage.

Any ideas? I really don't think its the clutch. And why would it just start all of a sudden? Clutch fluid is full and petal is as firm as it ever has been.

sounds to me like one of the hub springs has fallen out of the clutch disk or the throw out bearing came apart.. what you describe definitely sounds clutch related to me..

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--Mark--
Yellow 88 GT 3400 5speed

Need headers? click here!

Sounds like it may be the infamous Input Bearing Sleeve. I don't want to be all 'gloom and doom' on you and your car, but the problem is the only way to find out is to open up the clutch....which sounds like you will need to do that anyway.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/117117.html

Likely a throwout bearing problem, but could be a pressure plate failure (not as likely) You have to take it out. Larry

Thanks guys. All good suggestions and I know that's the area I'm looking at.
Going to have to be a winter project for me as my car gets parked inside for the winter.

Can the problem be diagnosed with out pulling the motor/trans combo? I have always been under the assumption that any clutch area work on these cars had to be done after pulling the motor trans assembly out of the car.