Can a throw out bearing cause a gearbox not go into 1st or 2nd gear?
Your throw out bearing is mainly for your clutch plate, if you transmission will not go into 1st or 2nd then that is most likely one of the smaller shafts inside the trans has issues or the shift fork is not engaging the gears. My guess is a rebuild. You did not mention the mileage on the trans, I would guess by the age it might have high mileage and has a lot of wear and tear on the gears.