Horrible noise - any thoughts?

Universal joint, perhaps? Or input/output bearing on the transmission? If it happens in third it's likely not associated with the main cluster, although those needle bearings are notorious for going south. Either way, I envision a driveline disassembly in your future.
 
I cannot open the link because the site wants me to join Google.

The first thing to do is to jack up one rear wheel and, with the transmission in gear, move the wheel forward and backward quickly and listen for noises. There should be no clicking noises. If there are noises try and locate the source: The rear end or the universal joint.

The next thing to do is to take the cover off the transmission and peek in there. Drain the oil to get a good look and to look for pieces of metal in the oil. Run a magnet through the oil to look for metal pieces.

Do not run the engine with the transmission cover off.
 
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Sorry, I was basically wasting your time because of my initial frustration at it breaking so soon after getting it back on the road. Truth is, I have to get it in the shop, drain the oil and check for shrapnel. I've never rebuilt a gearbox, our local parts vendor does a rebuild kit.
 
BEFORE you take it apart try this.

Remove the speedometer cable and drive around again at the speed (AND temperature if possible) where it made the noise.

If it does not make the noise then it is likely that the bushing in the speedometer is lacking lubrication and is the problem. This problem shows up more often the first thing in the morning when parts are cold. It will go away in afternoon when parts are warmer.

The noise can be VERY LOUD.

Also when it makes the noise you will notice the speedometer bouncing around as the cable stops for a short time then releases.

Temporary fix is to remove speedometer and put a drop or two of thin oil like "three in one oil" around the bushing where the cable goes into the speedo. Let it soak in 1/2 hour.

Too much oil will get inside and damage numbers on the "number wheels" inside.

The real fix is a rebuilt speedometer that is properly lubricated.
 
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Before you dig into the transmission, jack up one rear wheel and, with the transmission in gear, quickly move the wheel back and forth to see if the noise is coming from the rear end or U joint. By moving the wheel quickly you will put some momentum in play to generate any noise. Also try Benson's speedometer check.

Since the noise is happening in second and third and at higher speeds, it could be the U joint.
 
A video of the problem with sound would be more helpful than anything at this point.

The problems mentioned above sound very different, so hearing sounds will help more than just guessing.
 
Thanks,lots of great suggestions. I can't get it into the shop for a couple of days, I will report back when I have tried all of the above.
 
THANK YOU BENSON! Disconnected Speedo and it runs quiet ( if an A can be quiet). Saved me a lot of fooling around with what I believed were good transmission parts. I'll pull the Speedo and try the light lube trick, and go shopping for another Speedo too. Great to have such a fund of experience on hand
 
I hoped I could save you some trouble!

When it happened to me in 1964 I was driving the Coupe 5 days a week 60 miles a day.

I asked most of the experts and old timers in Denver. They listened and probed around with stephoscopes and rode along to listen.

Everybody thought that it was in tranmission or rearend. It slowly got worse.

Four times I spent the weekend looking for problem. Took apart everything from the clutch on back. Each time I got it done in time for Monday morning trip to work!

On the last weekend, that Monday morning it did it again! The noise was louder than ever before. I was POed so I took it up to 60 and held it there, instead of stopping and calling for a tow with the VW Bus.

After 5 minutes at 60 MPH the speedometer went down to Zero and back up to around 80 several times. That was the clue as to what was wrong.
 
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