has anybody seen this on a bus, type 3, or thing?
I do not remember where, but I did see a post that showed someone stuffed an auto stick into a VW Thing. But I seem to remember that it had taken some fabrication to make it work. He was disabled and this would allow him to drive the "thing".
HI
Well there are about 10 type 181 [vw things] and probably 4 type 182 VW trekker [UK RHD market] in Australia... maybe not that many??
so seeing one with an autostick gearbox would be quite rare here in Australia.
I don't know what modifications would be needed apart from the front gearbox mount and the IRS rear axles etc... I don't know if the VW things had IRS or were swing axles??? if they had IRS then the length of the axles may have been a slight problem... There are some people out there that can do virtually impossible modifications very easily... [fabricating and welding skills]...
I have heard of two beetles being fitted with the fully automatic transmission from a type 3, and they didn't think the modifications were too difficult... but... the type 3 auto gearbox doesn't fit between the rear chassis horns.... Now to Me that is a HUGE modification.... but it is probably easier than fitting a V8 engine into the front etc..... and a few of those have been done here in Australia....
Lee in Australia --- still wintery weather over here... good beetle driving weather....
After reading about "VW THINGS" type 181 & type 182 [RHD] and the TREKKER plus the other names it was called in other Countries, I don't believe any left their German factory with an autostick.
They were originally made for the German and Austrian Army and most were actually made in NON German Countries like Mexico and Indonesia where obtaining an autostick gearbox etc would have been very difficult... impossible..
AS these vehicles were never sold in Australia and I have seen about 4 or 5 [both RHD and LHD] in the past few years and they were all manuals...
There was an Australian made and designed vehicle called the COUNTRY BUGGY which was made in 1968-69 when Volkswagen Australasia was closing down.
All these were manuals too.. and now VERY RARE....
LEE in Australia