[AllHailKingVolvo]

A quick update-the new clutch has solved the juddering issue entirely, the car is smooth as silk now.

Oddly enough, it didn't cure the grinding/cracking noise in reverse, however...I had resigned myself to the gearbox being on the way out when I decided to have a peek under the car myself, and saw that the lip of the cat body was very close to a bracket (the driveshaft CSB bracket if memory serves), and when reverse was engaged the change in torque loading was making it make contact, causing an unholy amount of vibration and racket.

I remade the cat/centrebox joint to pull the cat into proper alignment, then bent the cat body lip down a little using a pair of water pump pliers...not the most elegant of methods, but solved the issue completely.

I also swapped out the broken central locking servo on the OS rear door for a replacement from a breaker whilst I was at it, so the car is-for now at least-all sorted! I can relax a little...as much as a man using a 26yr old car as his daily transport can, anyway!!