Investigate the easy stuff first like what Ralphy said, engine mount. Then you go thru a process of elimination.

When you buy a modified car, this is what happens. You can spend alot of time trying to work out problems, sometimes to the point you wish you started with a virgin car.

I for one would never put a new clutch pressure plate in a car without balancing it.

I Couldn't physically see anything wrong with the engine mounts could it be the rubber stoppers and the gearbox bracket?

upon further fiddling I've come to realise the sound is there even sitting stationary slightly revving the car all through the rev range .. high revs and low revs, the vibration / grinding sound gets worse and more noticeable the higher the revs get, its also more audible when I put my head near the gear stick inside the car , and when I pop of the plastic gear stick surround its even more audible. There's also a large gap, cant remember if my old T was like this ? maybe its just audible due sound deadening material missing?

If you're brave I have a brand new Technico engine mount you can have...also have another one that needs to be rebuilt after my own exhaust leak killed it. Rebuild cost is low but you need to post it away.

They work great when the rubber bush in them is not dead but I still have an exhaust leak and needed it on the road so I went for a stock mount third time around.

Ralph, how did yours go?

That would be awesome if you can spare it, any money saved is a plus. What if I just use the one mount to replace the driver side one that might be worn?

Ive done some research into changing it myself without a hoist etc. Is it possible to jack the car up a little with one jack as mine is on SSSL springs , then once I have access underneath, can I use another jack to jack up the engine from the sump with a wood board? will this method work? is it safe trusting a trolley jack to hold a block up? (obviously I will take saftey precautions and put something to prevent it dropping)

The mount site of over the cross member. You can jack the car up for access and remove the crossmember bolts, then lower the car and lift the engine to remove the mounts with an engine crane.

so really the only one way is engine crane? :S

You can try with a couple of blocks of wood and a jacket, but I wouldn't be comfortable point loading the sump like that.

I Couldn't physically see anything wrong with the engine mounts could it be the rubber stoppers and the gearbox bracket?

upon further fiddling I've come to realise the sound is there even sitting stationary slightly revving the car all through the rev range .. high revs and low revs, the vibration / grinding sound gets worse and more noticeable the higher the revs get, its also more audible when I put my head near the gear stick inside the car , and when I pop of the plastic gear stick surround its even more audible. There's also a large gap, cant remember if my old T was like this ? maybe its just audible due sound deadening material missing?

Could it be the clutch throw out bearing?

Does it change when you press the clutch pedal?