Originally Posted by pimpernell

Sorry to hear your problem. I had the same thing happen an a 1960 Ford Falcon clunker I used to go to work in. Went to shift from neutral to any gear, and all it did was grind. I worked off hours, so traffic was not an issue. Started the car in first gear, and just jammed the tranny into second and third. Drove non-stop the 30 miles to my house. Once I pulled the tranny, and got to the pressure plate, the fingers were actually wrapped around the clutch in a "death grip". Replaced clutch, throwout bearing, and pressure plate, and all was well. Other causes could be the slave cylinder as you mentioned, or worn synchronizers in the tranny. Good luck!!