Car putting, gets hot, wont shift into 1st gear

[GIB]

DSMers!,
Hello, I have a problem here, I thought this might be a head gasket problem but I have parked my 99 GST due to it having a problem shifting into 1st gear, i had to drive it home by shifting into 2nd gear to make it back and during this the cars temp gauge spiked up and started to putter down the road until I made it home, now the car wont drive longer than a mile without puttering and getting very hot, everytime I take off in the 2nd gear the car will sputter very badly over 30mph. I have no clue whats going on here?! and I have found no DSM mechanics in the Springfield area that can diagnose this problem, any clues to this problem???

 

[as3958]

Other than 1st gear not working does it run ok when its cold. Does your check engine light come on?

 

[GIB]

it runs the same when it is cold, and the check engine light does not come on

 

[as3958]

My first instinct was a warped/cracked head but those usually throw out a lot of CEL codes. I no longer know anyone in springfield but I would post something in the repair forum to see if anyone has an idea. It may be that head gasket thats doing this but I cant help the way other people in that forum can. A CEL can really narrow the possibilities