There is no syncro in these transaxles for 1st, or reverse, there are syncros for 2nd and 3rd. This is quite common for 3 speeds of that vintage. You need to learn to double clutch when going from 2nd to first if you want to shift it while the car is still rolling. Many people have no idea what double clutching is, but it's matching the unsynchronized gears to the speed of the engine, and the car, to get them to mesh. It's a required skill that needs practice to master it.
If you go on Youtube there are more than a few videos on the theory, and showing someone practicing double clutching a non synchro transmission.
Here's one video example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOO9fZAHyE4