Clutch problems

I drove my new cabriolet for the first time yesterday, to and from an MOT appointment it failed. i need to get a change of tyres, some work on the breaks, and a new break light bulb. HOWEVER. more worryingly, on the way home i noticed it was having real trouble getting any kind of power up, really struggling to go up hills. the clutch is very loose, and it all feels a bit wrong to drive. 1st feels like 2nd, 2nd feels like 3rd. this car should go like the clappers, so im eager to know any advice as to what might be going on with it? please help! desperate to get this beauty healthy and on the road…

Maybe the brakes are binding when heated up? I am not sure what you mean by the clutch being loose? Does the engine race faster than it should under load, which would suggest a slipping clutch?

If you haven't adjusted the clutch cable the cable may be binding internally or mal-adjusted.

Clutch slippage can be caused by the pressure plate, clutch plate, oil seepage on the plate.  How many Kilometers do you have on the car / clutch as it could need to be changed.

If you haven't replaced the Linkages and bushings you may want to do that there are 2 styles 4 and 5 speed, get the right ones

Also if your motor mounts and rear transmission mounts are bad you can get a shifter bind.

Cabby-info.com has some good information on the linkage adjustments, and mount removals.

Brakes not breaks

Brake are the 3 most safety Item on the car, you don't want to make new friends by accident.

Number 1, is the Driver, and number 2 is the seat/shoulder belt.

From the symptoms you describe, it sounds like a gear shifter issue where perhaps you are selecting 3rd gear instead of first gear…..

It's not uncommon for the shifters linkages to fail, but I suspect perhaps it's just a poorly running engine which is down on power.

I would ask you to confirm you are able to change through all the gears correctly first off, and that being the case it's a question of why is the engine down on power ….

So this could be a hundred different things, likely either a fuel Supply issue or an ignition issue, we need more information