My fiesta 2003 1600 ghia has a pronounced whine from the gearbox clutch area when moving in 1st and to a lesser degree 2nd gear when starting from cold - especially if the air temp is low; after it warms up this drops down to just audible. Is this normal or suggest a possible problem?

Lay shaft bearing most likely.

Most likely a gearbox on the bench situation.

I'm assuming the noise only comes up when the clutch is engaged and gets louder the faster the car goes?

Hi Stoney871, thanks for the response, yes that's correct

I stand by my diagnosis then.

I'm no expert but whining gear boxes are definitely a symptom of lay shaft bearing wear.

If anyone else has any ideas I'm sure they will be appreciated here.

I would strongly advise professional diagnosis though and get more than one quote.

In the long run a guaranteed overhauled box will be far more cost effective than a new one but fitting will still sting a bit I'm afraid.