Broken shifter cable 96 VR6?

clutch issues.

Not a shifter cable. It's a series of shafts and small ball joint sockets. It's not uncommon for it to wear out. You can probably get the car back running again by popping the ball socket back onto it's ball. Then order a shifter rebuild kit, probably a complete one to save you from having to do this again for a while.

Clutch would affect the warming up aspect, but not the loose shifter play, correct? And there'd also be shifter fork concerns, no?

Yep. On my '95 2.0l there was a ball that's about 40mm (1.5 inches) across that had worn down to about 12mm (0.5 inches). Getting into first, and even second took some shifter wiggling. Put in the kit from germanautoparts.com and it was an AMAZING transformation. Found a couple bushings that I didn't expect to be bad. Since they were in the kit, no big! The parts look EXACTLY like the same stuff I pulled off, except it wasn't worn out ;)

Get some lube for the bushings too. I used synthetic moly brake caliper pin grease I just had around. Hopefully that doesn't eat 'em!

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

That warming up issue sounds like fluid to me, but the expert in this group is Lost In Space. ;-)

The VR6 might have cables operating the transmission linkage and I have usually found a broken component on the trans itself. This is usually different than the 2.0s

The VR6 mk3 *is* cable shifted. The shafts and ball joint sockets are on

On my 95 GTI VR6 a plastic part in the shift mechanism on top of the transmission broke twice (i.e., replaced 2 times) in the cars 11 year life. The shift lever felt "weird" just before it went completely limp (it was fully broken when it felt completely limp). Look at the shift mechanism area on top of the transmission--if the same part is broken on yours it should be obvious--it's not very difficult to change if the bolts/nuts are not completely rusted away.

Frnk

Then I stand corrected. Thanks!