Bought the car a couple weeks ago. Runs like an absolute champ, 60k miles. Has had the cold early morning clutch judders and goes away after a short while of driving. My questions are: What would be the best option to fix this once the clutch goes out in the future? Upgrade to a stronger clutch with better pressure plate? Is replacing the flywheel absolutely necessary to fix this problem? And this is a long shot but.... Would the dealer replace this for less than the cost of buying an aftermarket clutch?

I used the search button like a mad man, but never found any definite answers. Thanks guys

 

I don't have the definitive answer for you but I believe that the dealer fix involved a replacement clutch and replacement flywheel that had a different surface finish than OEM. I think the shudder or 'judder' problem was a result of improper break-in of the flywheel surface. Much like brake pads and brake rotors, the flywheel must retain a thin, even deposit of disc material for optimal clutch operation.

You might be able to get away with re-surfacing the OEM flywheel by a competent machine shop. I've used resurfaced flywheels for other cars successfully in the past.

What you look for is a shop that has Blanchard grinding or similar equipment that is capable of putting a fine crosshatch pattern on the flywheel, while also maintaining a close tolerance flat surface measured parallel to the crankshaft mating surface. It needs to be perfectly flat for smooth clutch engagement.

You will have to contact local dealers and shops for estimates on clutch/flywheel replacement and installation costs. You can find vendor threads for this type of work in the vendor Classifieds on this board but most are for the S.F. Bay Area where this type of job is very competitive.

You don't necessarily need a stronger clutch, just a new one of OEM or decent quality. Stiffer clutches gets old in a daily driver unless you really need the additional torque holding capacity of a highly modified engine.

 

This is a great answer. Thanks Wingless