Autostick or No Autostick

[MankVW]

Hey everyone,

This is my first post, and I have been referred to this site by members of TheSamba. I am looking at a super beetle semi-automatic in NY......... http://buffalo.craigslist.org/cto/1343277912.html

I have not seen the car, yet. I wanted to get the opinion of the community before hand so as to not waste the seller's time. With 43k original miles, is the price fair if the bug is clean and mechanically sound? Before purchase I will have it checked out by a mechanic who specializes in classic VWs. I am not sure if this is a 71 or what, but it has a semi-automatic. Are those trouble-some? I have heard differing opinions about ride quality, but I guess that is in the hands of the driver. My main question concerns repairs. Are semi automatics expensive to repair and are parts hard to obtain?

For example:
Transmission, gearbox, etc.

Thanks for all of the help in advance.

MankVW

[volkenstein]

Mank,
        I've seen your post on TheSamba and guys like Mike, Herc etc (who are members here) have already replied over there. I'll throw in 2 cents worth and a lyrical waxing . Car first, forget about the fact that it's autostick for a moment.

Rust? Absolutely plagues Superbeetles. Those rotten vents ("ear's" just behind the side windows) trap water which penetrates the expanding resin foam VW used to seal the engine compartment off. Strut towers, A pillars, Heater channels etc etc.

As for the Autostick system, I'd expect a car with 43K miles to have NO shifting issues whatsoever. I'd also expect a 43K mile AS to still have it's original carb and distributor and not to have been messed with electrically.

Parts availability? You do have internet resources for where to get a lot. Some things are NLA, but do pop up on E-bay and other places. A "full reco" transmission is a super rare thing these days. You will mostly get "reconditioned as much as possible". But a 43K mile car should be good for another 60K plus miles. A lot of us here have working transmissions etc that have done that without the need to open them up. At worst
you may blow the clutch servo diaphragm (they use a rubber bladder - age defeats rubber...) but at least repair kits ARE available.

As Mike already stated on TheSamba, they are a DD first and foremost. Don't buy it if you have dreams of IDA equipped monster motors. Get a manual instead.

Did I mention rust??

Definitely a fair distance test drive as you'll get a real for for it.

If it is pristine and your mech says "great car"...I'd buy it, but I'd be spending your money and may be Autostick biased


Regards
Volkenstein

[volkenstein]

Mank,
       Caught the updates on TheSamba. IIRC EVWPARTS (by the way, Joe is a great resource for Autostick owners) start at around 800 US for a rebuilt trans (mindful of what I explained). Mike got the last genuine 100% reco trans available from German Transaxle...must be four or five years ago now? You could of course just go the "fix what's broke" route and pay much less. You can also take a punt on a second hand trans off TheSamba or craiglist....whole thing for 100-150 US...

Enjoy
Volkenstein

[MankVW]

Thank you for the reply. I will certainly take it for a long test drive, as to assure that I am comfortable and satisfied with a A/S. And believe me, I do not want to make any radical changes to a beetle because I would keep it as original as possible (I love beetles for what they are, not what they can be). I'll make sure to check all of the aspects that you mentioned myself, and the whole car will be checked by the VW specialist in my area.

Thanks again for the help.

Anyone else who has two cents will be fully welcomed.

MankVW

[greenghia]

Hello, While the pennies are flying, here's my two.  I have owned 2 autostick beetles that had over 160,000 miles. Both have had multiple engines, neither had a clutch or transmission replacement. This was years ago and people didn't replace what wasn't absolutely necessary. Money was tight. The trans in a well cared for autostick will last at least 2 times the distance of a manual. It is the same gears and bearings for the most part and there is a vacuum system to keep you from dumping the clutch. Even if you found a way to(there is) to dump the clutch, the torque converter is still going to take some shock. If the car really only has 43k on it the hard parts are most likely like new as far as the autostick side goes.  Now it is a 30 something year old car and rubber rots so you will probably have to change some rubber lines and such but you would have to renew the rubber on a manual of that age too.  Don't be surprised if the local expert has never seen an autostick, they all say they have and then most prove by their actions that they have not. It's just the way it is.  I would say to take a lot of pictures of the car and post them here. There are quite a few people here who have actually worked on autosticks and know how to spot potential problems.  Good luck with your purchase and let us know how it goes!

[Bookwus]

Hiya Mank,

........Don't be surprised if the local expert has never seen an autostick, they all say they have and then most prove by their actions that they have not. It's just the way it is. 

Following up on that very good piece of advice from green.............

VW mechanics who can actually work on an AutoStick (and do it correctly) are few and far in between.  If you absolutely will never, ever pick up a 13 mm endwrench, even if it's in your best interest, then you need to seriously consider giving up the idea of an AutoStick.  Practically all of us here at VWAR do our own wrenching (or a significant portion of it) partially because  of a lack of qualified mechanics.  Compounding that situation is that you'll find mechanics out there who will tell you that they can work on AutoSticks and these guys don't know a control valve from a hole in the ground.  Unless you are willing to do some wrenching yourself (and there is a world of help and information right here for you to take advantage of) then I would say that you (eventually) will have to find an AutoStick competent mechanic.  And remember, it's easier (much easier) to find a good AutoStick than a good AutoStick mechanic.

........I would say to take a lot of pictures of the car and post them up here.

By all means!  If you decide to do the deed with this AutoStick, post up pictures here.  We can help you with all sorts of things if we can see what you are dealing with.

Best of luck Mank!

[singlecab61]

Hello there!

I don't know how the car looks or anything about the price, mostly because it does not concern me.

Take a few minutes to think about whether or not you want a 4 speed or an Auto-Stick. Either way, you will have a VW, and that is an achievement in itself. I have had and driven both. I actually prefer my A/S. I have more fun in it. I also like to modify things that don't usually get modified, like my A/S. I built a 1641cc dual port engine with a low/mid range cam, ported heads and dual Kadron carburetors. My A/S runs circles around my 1961 VW Single Cab and it has a healthy dual Weber-ed 1914cc engine and a performance 4-speed in it (that's my Single Cab as my user ID photo). I have had many thoughts of building another Single cab and converting it to Auto-Stick. 

The choice is yours, and yours alone. Once you have decided on the drivetrain, look for a car with that setup.

I have had most every A/S problem in the book, and some new never before heard of problems as well with my current A/S. I was like most VW mechanics, I knew most everything about any Aircooled VW, but never really dealt with an A/S. After all the work I have had to do to mine, I know almost all the ins and outs if the A/S breed. They are a completely different creature.

I don't want to scare you away from the A/S thought. But when everything is setup correctly, they are virtually trouble free.

As Bookwus had already mentioned, knowledgeable A/S mechanics are rare. If you do not plan on working on your own vehicle, I will have to agree with Bookwus here and now, not for you an Auto-Stick is!

Hope this helps some more with your decision.

-Evan

[MankVW]

Thanks for all of the help everyone.

I found out that the car is a 74, which is when the auto factory was going through a lot of changes and transitions, and so some of the parts are unique to that year. That is a reason for me to not purchase it. But, I will still test drive it tomorrow and see how it goes.

Thanks again for all the help.

Last question: What are some good internet sites to get parts from?

MankVW

[Bookwus]

Hiya Mank,

I don't know where you're getting your information about 74 being a transitional year insofar as AutoStick parts go.  It was not.  Practically all 1974 AutoStick parts are interchangeable with the preceeding years of production.  As a matter of fact I cannot think of anything AutoStick specific that is unique to 1974.  Possibly your informant has confused the 1974 production year with 1975, the year VW introduced fuel injection.  That change did result in redesigned AutoStick components.

A good online source for parts?  This really will depend on your definition of "good".  Are we talking quality or price?

[volkenstein]

Mank,
       The only thing I can think of autostick wise is the "Park" feature may have got upgraded?? Nothing much else.
The later style trans mounts, single temp sender and a whole swag of other things were all said and done by '74. Maybe you will wind up with the late (and best) version of the pinion bearing? It all still works the same and you'll likely never have to worry about it!
The actual car itself went through mods. You see references to 74 1/2 yr etc etc so I suspect in some cases they are parts orphans (Steering shaft IIRC..), but it isn't like there aren't '74's lying around   .
Hopefully Glenn will chime in over on TheSamba.

HTH
Volkenstein

[MankVW]

Sorry for the late status report.

I really did enjoy driving the autostick. Everything was just so simple about it. The car is in good condition for 4400.

Couple of Issues:

Two holes on the undercarriage- one is dangerously close to the heater channels, but they seemed solid.

When heat is turned on, exhaust comes through the vents. I think something is wrong with the heater box. Anyone know what this could mean.

I am not ready to spend 4400 on a beetle yet, so I am waiting to see if he still has the bug in a week or so- so as to try to knock the price a little lower.

Thanks for all the help.

MankVW

[hercdriver]

Last question: What are some good internet sites to get parts from?

Here are a few links you may find handy.
http://www.vwar.org/forum/index.php?topic=709.0

I am not ready to spend 4400 on a beetle yet, so I am waiting to see if he still has the bug in a week or so- so as to try to knock the price a little lower.

If you're hitting the top of your budget, it may be time to reconsider your purchase. Remember that this is a 30+ year old car. No matter how nice it may seem, you will need to budget for repairs.



You also mentioned an exhaust smell with the heat hot on. WARNING! If your heat exchanger has a hole in it, then you are pumping exhaust fumes into the cabin. Carbon Monoxide is nothing to play around with.  Replacing the heat exchangers are a fairly simple procedure. But they are not cheap to buy. Here's an example of what you may need for $170 (remember you'll need x2).

http://www.aircooled.net/new-bin/viewproductdetail.php?keyword2=MEB0001&cartid=

Hope that helps,
Dave

[Bookwus]

Hiya Mank,

Regarding the smell of exhaust in the heated air................

It's common for the source of this problem to be found at the point where the heat exchanger connects to the muffler.  Exhaust gasses are forced out of the joint and forwards toward the heat exchanger.  This is the point at which the outer skin of the heat exchanger meets the internal "J" pipe carrying the hot exhaust gasses to the muffler.  The expelled gasses make their way between the outer skin and the "J" pipe and into the fresh heated air.  You can check if this is the case by simply examining the rear end of the heat exchanger (near the point of its connection with the muffler) for exhaust staining from that leaky joint.  And there is a fix for this problem (new exhaust tips) that allow you to continue using your present heat exchangers.

[68autobug]

AUTOSTICK   AUTOSTICK    AUTOSTICK

LEE