No Saxomats in Australia !!

[68AutoBug]

I had never heard of a Saxomat until I visited this Web Site. Were they only sold in Europe?  Did they have a Saxomat Badge on the Engine cover?  What is the diference between a Saxomat and an auto stickshift??   My 1968 stickshift auto should be on the road in about two months time. I was hoping it would be finished by NOW... But due to illness, I haven't ....  It should be painted Metallic Silver by the end of July 2003.. then the interior has to be done...
Most Auto Beetles were sold in Australia in 1968 and these were light Blue or White. Not many auto beetles were sold in other years. No Karmann Ghias after 1960. NO  411 or 412s..  Karmann or Karmann Ghia Cabrios. Type 3 Karmann Ghias are very Rare. I will send in Photos when painted.
68AutoBug

[kever1962]

Hallo, the differnce between a saxomat and a stickshift is that the saxomat shift is a fully mechanical shift, and it has a 4 speed synchroniced normal gearbox. The stickshift you know has a oil deverter, just like some new cars today. It has also a different gearbox. The saxomat is very rare and I think it is only sold in europe ( a few). The stickshift is sold worldwide and there are lotst of them (also nowadays there are numerous).
If you want to know more you can also email me at:    schroen@hetnet.nl

Have a nice day

[68AutoBug]

So Saxomats are actually a clutchless VW Beetle with 4 gears.
The Stickshift gearbox is supposed to be a normal gearbox with 1st gear removed... but it is very different to a "normal' gearbox, as You know...
Maybe the inside gears are all the same etc but the housing is different..
I had never heard of a Saxomat until I visited this website...
I have heard that ALL stick shifts are called "Saxomats" in european countries....
How did the clutch work???

Lee Noonan -
http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

/color][/b]

[kever1962]

Hallo, A saxomat isn't clutchless but is a clutch which is automatically used during shifting the gears. In the shift-handle there is a microswitch which activates a valve. This lets the engine-vacuum pass to a servomotor. The servomotor puls the clutch in. Then you can change gear (this all goes in a part of a second). After changing gear the servomotor's vacuum goes away and the clutch gets its grip back. But this isn't all!!!!!
The saxomat has also a centrifugal disc. This allowys you to stop (for a traffic light) whitout changing gear to neutral. For example you can stop in fourth gear. Or drive away in second gear (on a flat road it is possible and recommended in the factory's manual.). All this is very simple "told" by me now, but it is a littlebit more complex. These two clutches are built in a small house and has some technology in its which is nowadays still used for racing-cars clutches. These systems also were sold for marks as dkw,opel,saab,bmw,ford. I hope you can understand this a littlebit (sorry for my bad english). You can also have a look an a german internetsite from de mark DKW.  www.dkw-autos.de/verschiedenes/prospekte/saxomat.htm
There you can find a prospekt from the fichtel&sachs company who made the saxomat clutch. Maybe you can read some german. But if not you can also see a schematic from the saxomat system.
If you have more questions, you can always write me at:   schroen@hetnet.nl   (I own a 1962 beetle saxomat)

[kever1962]

Another miss understanding:

A saxomat is NOT a stickshift.

The saxomat is a automatically operated mechanical system and has a normal synchronised 4-speed gearbox. The electrical parts are 6 Volt.

The stickshift has a oil-converter (as nowadays cars) whit a 3-gear gearbox. Just like nowadays cars, but you can change to a sort of overdrive gear. I think most of these systems are 12 Volt?

It is sometimes called the same in Europe but it is not correct.

For a stickshift (German)internet site you can see on:
www.stickshift.de
There they als cal it the same but again it isnt.
For more saxomat on the internet...........I am sorry, the saxomat is to rare I suppose.

But for more info just mail to:
schroen@hetnet.nl