When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I’ve got a 2004 Z with 46k miles. It has progressively gotten harder to go into reverse as it grinds unless shifting 1st/2nd before going to reverse.
Also when the car is in gear rolling down the street, clutch pressed in.. if you rev the engine fairly hard the transmission is grabbing trying to take off even though the clutch is depressed.
Sounds like a slave cylinder issue to me, which seems to be unfortunately common on these cars. You could try refreshing the clutch fluid and see if that helps (suck the fluid out of the reservoir with a turkey baster or syringe, refill with clean DOT3/4, pump the clutch a couple dozen times, and repeat the whole process until it starts feeling better).
Check to make sure you have enough fluid in the reservoir. If no, you have a leak somewhere. Check under the car and in the driver's footwell. Master cylinders can leak into the cabin. If the fluid is at the proper level, you likely have an issue with the master cylinder. I would start with the master cylinder since it is less invasive.
If you aren't losing fluid, try going to a parking lot and hold the clutch pedal down and brake on while in 1st gear. Does the clutch start engaging as you sit there? That would indicate your master cylinder had an internal leak.
I have a 101,000 mile 2002 C5 that I bought A year ago. Spent the better half of 2017 doing HPDE with NASA. Second gear on the down shifts started to go crunch.. All fluids were changed, trans and clutch. Well neither helped so I just purchased a Freshly rebuilt Tremec C5Z spec from Rockland Standard Gear here in NY. Some upgrades with 1 year warranty. PM me for further info.