autostick vs clutch

[Tybonater]

are there pros and cons is one better then the other . im thinking about switching my 68 to auto stick maybe

[sb001]

depends on what you are looking for from your driving experience. Why are you looking at swapping the 4 speed for the autostick? The 4 speed is a couple seconds quicker, and easier to find parts for. The autostick uses more parts, and is slower off the line, but there's nothing wrong with it either. If you have a bum left leg or someone is going to be driving the car that doesn't know how to drive a stick it's a very reasonable alternative.

NOTE: just saw you said 68. In the US the 68 autostick models used an IRS suspension, the 4 speeds were still swing axle. Everything changed over to IRS in 69.
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I'm the humblest guy on this board.

1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor

[Zundfolge1432]

[Tim Donahoe]

I gave up spinning tires on loose gravel, back when Cotton was king.

Actually, I never thought of any bug as the kind of car that I wanted to use to peel out. Still, I assume the point made was that the autos are gutless. But if I can get it to hold a steady 65 mph on the freeway, it wouldn't make driving the car any less fun for me.

When I owned one in 1978, it was just another bug.

Tim

[Joel]

Just sell yours and buy an autostick if you want one that badly.

Its a conversion that makes no sense like converting 12 volt to 6 volt or disc brakes to drums.

The only reason you would do it is if you had a stick shift car with a stuffed body that you raid all the parts you need as there are so many small fiddly bits you need and only if your car is IRS to start with which being a 68 it probably isnt as SB001 mentioned.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle

[sb001]

[talljordan]

The only reason I would ever switch to an autostick is if I lost a leg (which I have come close to). Even then I would consider rigging up a manual so that I could operate the throttle by hand and use my remaining leg for the brake and clutch.

I suppose if you live in an area with BRUTAL stop and go traffic and you have a weak left leg and you insist on using a bug as your DD the autostick would be nice.

The clutch is 90% of the fun of driving for me, does the same apply to you?
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1972 Super Beetle, Parked until adequate restoration funding is acquired in restoration!

Wanted: Male computer diagnostic plug end

[sb001]

[talljordan]

[gargamel]

If it's not broken, don't fix it.
I did a conversation on a bug I got cheap and not running. In hindsight, I would have just bought a running stick. Too much uneeded hassle and money. If it does not have the clutch cable(and I do not believe they had them that early on stick chassis) it will be more trouble than its worth. I got lucky since my 73 had it. Looking back, I wish it was even luckier by having that missing so I could have cut my loses and walked away.

[morymob]

Not a easy swap, consider another with the a.s.& consider the opinions of the many who own & like theirs NOT the few haters u usually fine everywhere, my 2cs, & I've owned & liked'em.

[Busdriver79]

I have the body and chassis on my 71 separated for replacing the heater channels and floorpans...I'm adding a clutch pedal/cable to actuate my AutoStick clutch instead of all the vacuum hoses....it should work just fine...I have stick shifts in all my other VWs, so I'm just modifying the AutoStick to suit me...because I can....Plus it will clean up the engine room a bit....All the AutoStick is, is a three speed manual gearbox with a torque converter between the engine and the clutch....nothing mysterious....I prefer to actuate the clutch manually instead of automatically....Sure, it's not as quick as a fully manual 4speed box, but if I was in a hurry I wouldn't be driving a 43 year old VW.

[CWAVE]

My perspective is that I've been on both sides of the fence. I've had an autostick and gone through the conversion.

Being someone who likes driving a manual VW, I do have to say the autostick was fun in it's own right. It's really about what you want out of your VW driving experience. If it's a manual-or-bust kinda thing, I'm with the rest of the crew responding here. Go get yourself another car, or at least a register-able manual pan (if the body is really that great and worth saving). I wouldn't go through the conversion again. Just too expensive.

That having been said, it can be done (anything can be if you throw enough money at it), but for most of us, that's not an option worthy of consideration.

Buy a manual, or enjoy the uniqueness of the autostick. Both have their charm.
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My 1973 Sports Bug Body off Restoration:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=666556

[SBD]

I think some of the responders maybe need to go back and reread the OP's post. I know he asked about the pros & cons of the two types of transmissions but he's thinking about changing a manual trans car to an auto-stick, not the other way around.

I kinda' like Busdriver 79's solution of having a normal clutch setup on an auto-stick. Sounds like it would be the easiest way of doing things. But like sb001 mentioned at the beginning, your car is a '68 model and that makes it a swingaxle. All autos stick cars were IRS & I doubt that a swingaxle could be converted. So, along with the transaxle swap you'll also have to do an IRS conversion. Might be easier to swap pans or, better yet, buy a different car. But I guess anything can be done if you want to bad enough.
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"Just $99 down and $64 a month for 36 months buys you a brand new Volkswagen Beetle!"

[gargamel]

You are right SBD, most usually convert over to stick. I am guilty of scanning too quickly and thought it was another auto to stick. It is rare to find this question asked. True, on his 68 being swing axle and it may pose an issue to convert unless he swapped pans...which seems much easier to just get a auto up and running.

[Tybonater]

Just looking for opinions on both. Just keeping all my options open cuz while I have the body off makes everything a lot easier:)

[demon1018]

my first bug was an auto stick. i use to hold it down in 1st or reverse and rev the crap out of the engine and let go of the shifter.. it would smoke the hell out of the tires.... that being said , i remember wishing it was a regular stick shift back then . not really sure why i didnt like it though. kinda cool if you think about it

[Aussiebug]

[Cusser]

Aussie - I have a 40-year old service book from UK which describes a centrifugal "automatic" clutch option, which apparently would engage like at 1000 rpm. Did Australia have that or the same semi-automatic transmission available in the USA?
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[Q-Dog]

His chassis was built for a swing axle, so converting to IRS would be a very involved process.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle