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Early 80's Shift Knob question.
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Square73
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 6:38 am    Post subject: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

Wish I had a picture, but I'm at work. Anyway, I was pulling some parts off an early 80's Rabbit. 4 speed manual. After getting the big stuff, I started pulling some smalls that were easy to get. When I got to the shift knob, it has R - 1 - 2 - 3 - E as the pattern. I'm assuming the E is for "Economy", but I've never seen an E on a shift knob before. None of the pics I've pulled up online have an E, always a 4. I doubt this is an aftermarket piece, as the Rabbit was bone stock all around.

Ideas ? Or have I led a sheltered life to have never run across one before ?

Thanks
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ps2375
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 6:57 am    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

That was prolly an 81 or later 4 spd. It has a wide ratio 4spd. 1st is the same as all the other trannies, but the rest are spaced out and 4th is about the same ratio as 5th in the "normal" ratio 5spds.
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Square73
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 10:49 am    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

ps2375,

Makes sense to me. Anyone have the "official" word on what the "E" stands for ? I'm only guessing that it's "Economy"
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

That's it, remember, this is at the end of the first "Gas Crisis".
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mk13nb
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

My 82 truck came with a 4+E shift knob. Some of the paperwork I have with the truck covers it. There is a brochure in the archives area under Formula E that covers it.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/82forumulae.php
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Square73
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

Thanks everyone.

I assumed it had to do with the gas crisis, the documentation seals it. Even though it's a five speed, I think I'll put the "E" shift knob on my 82 Diesel.
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ach60 Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:43 am    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

I had a '82 Gas Rabbit with a 3+E.
The car had a shift light that's kind of a Pavlov's dog deal.
Unless you were at full throttle,
the shift light would light up telling you to shift to the next higher gear.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Early 80's Shift Knob question. Reply with quote

ach60 wrote:
I had a '82 Gas Rabbit with a 3+E.
The car had a shift light that's kind of a Pavlov's dog deal.
Unless you were at full throttle,
the shift light would light up telling you to shift to the next higher gear.


Shift light existed through the 1987 model year and was for optimum fuel economy (basically, get to the highest gear as soon as possible). From '88 onward, economy shifting was up to you.

The base Rabbits in '84 had 4+E ("overdrive ratio"), while the GTI and convertible had 5 ("close-ratio"). By the '85 model year, 4+E was finally out the window.
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