Meet Betty! My 1975 autostick super beetle

vdub11 · 01 January 2012, 13:51

Like the title says this is my new 75 sb autostick w 31k original miles. This is not my first vw by any means but it is my first autostick. I'm a welder/fabricator by trade so having the mechanical mind I do the autostick intrigues and amazes me. Ok on to the pics!

68autobug · 04 January 2012, 07:45

What a lovely original Beetle...

Congratulations.... what many autostick owners would do to get a car in that condition..
We never had that color or those huge bumpers [USA spec only] in Australia.
Those sports wheels from Germany were never on any Beetles sold in Australia either.

thanks for sharing Your EXCELLENT car...

Lee in Australia

vdub11 · 04 January 2012, 11:57

Thanks, and yeah the bumpers are massive haha! Also I'd rather the car had the steel wheels and hubcaps than the sport wheels. I'm looking for a cheap set now that I can put some white walls on. One question.. When stopped at red lights do u move the shifter to neutral or just leave in 1st? Also qhen do you ever need to use low gear? Sorry I'm brand new to autosticks

68autobug · 04 January 2012, 14:02

You can of course put the stick into neutral , which I usually do...
and You can start off in low gear and then go to D1 & then D2
but I have The habit of going from LOW to D2 when driving in traffic...
using LOW gives You a fast takeoff...
VW said Low was only to be used when parking or going up steep inclines with a full load..
but many people have found its OK to use all the time...
maybe VW didn't advertise using it as You cannot go too fast in it and You do use more fuel..
so, it would have been detrimental to advise people to use it in normal driving... [but only for those reasons]

I have read where people think autosticks are slow to drive as they only have the 3 gears..
but the gears are 2nd-3rd and 4th from the standard gearbox..
so, I don't know where they got that info, unless they were in one being driven in D2 all the time..

those wheels are rare in Australia.. as We didn't have any special editions etc..
although it was cheaper for VW to use them and save money on the hubcaps..lol
in Germany, the basic 1200 model was sold right up to the end..
with standard wheels and no hubcaps. and black painted bumpers etc..

cheers

Lee in Australia

vdub11 · 04 January 2012, 16:07

Ok good to know, but my low gear is really slow, def can't take off from a stop on a hill. D1 goes great though. I think it might gave something to do w it was changed from fuel injection to carb and I don't think the vac line to the cv is there. It also "slams" into reverse..

CarlIseminger · 04 January 2012, 18:18

I learned years ago that Low is for "mountain climbing and pulling tree stumps". My Low is great for "quick" starts at stoplights, or when pulling into heavy traffic. Normally just leave in 1, and it is still perky enough to keep up with the "big boys" at stop lights. But it isn't a tire burnner by far!

68autobug · 05 January 2012, 08:18

Quote from: vdub11 on 04 January 2012, 16:07
Ok good to know, but my low gear is really slow, def can't take off from a stop on a hill. D1 goes great though. I think it might gave something to do w it was changed from fuel injection to carb and I don't think the vac line to the cv is there. It also "slams" into reverse..

Hi
the fuel injection heads have very small valves so that may be the problem?
My beetle can spin the rear wheels on gravel including My driveway... lol
I do leave holes in My driveway at times by starting out in LOW gear
and pushing the throttle down.. The SVDA distributor also helps...
the bosch 009 distributor was terrible .. and used a lot of fuel..
compared to the SVDA with the vacuum advance working ASAP... lol

If You don't have the small vacuum hose connected to the carby , the time it takes for the clutch to engage
is a long time... 5- 6+ seconds [which IS a long time when You have just pulled into moving traffic]

but.. too much vacuum in this same hose will have the clutch engaging VERY fast..
resulting in REVERSE gear THUMPING./..... Low also did it on My car before I fixed the problem
[being the hose was connected to the wrong place on My carburetor..with too much vacuum]
I did drive My car for years like that... lol

Using LOW gear means You do need Instant acceleration.. to gain speed...
I do use it a lot driving around town... and at traffic lights etc... [only one set of traffic lights in My town...lol]

it has taken Me since DEC 2005 to fine tune My autostick beetle..
with adjustments to the bottom of the gearshifter and to the control valve and clutch servo adjuster...
and carburetor and new distributor..

so, they don't have to be perfect to enjoy.. but the enjoyment does get better.. lol

cheers

LEE

68autobug · 03 November 2012, 02:59

Quote from: vdub11 on 04 January 2012, 16:07
Ok good to know, but my low gear is really slow, def can't take off from a stop on a hill. D1 goes great though. I think it might gave something to do w it was changed from fuel injection to carb and I don't think the vac line to the cv is there. It also "slams" into reverse..

the small vacuum line tells the control valve when to engage the clutch in relation to the carburetors status at the time... vacuum..

LOW gear is recommended for parking but although its a low gear, it can easily push You into parked cars, where in Drive One You need to use the throttle more to move the car slower when You are parking... Gives You more control..
You could even park in Top gear [Drive 2] as you would really need to rev the engine to get You to move .. and very easily to control..

My thoughts

LEE in Australia