I hate to bump such an old thread, but I am going through the same thing that pattywak has gone through. And after reading everything, I have a few questions:
1. Is everything regarding this problem still doing well?
2. Did you have to replace your clutch?
3. THIS IS A QUESTION FOR F23A1AT - What did you mean by, "For future reference I believe the rule of thumb is that if you can start the car from a dead stop in third gear that is when the clutch has gone bad." I thought that if you can get your car moving in a higher gear, and your car eventually stalls, that means your clutch is still good/strong.
Thanks for all the help guys. I really mean it when I say that I do not know where my 6th gen would be if it weren't for this forum!