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Tue Aug 17, 2004 11:15 am

I'm selling my '74 and eyeing a '69 auto stick. It seems like I'm having a hard time finding anything good about them. It seems like it would make a good classic car and hold a little value over the years. I havn't drove one and I havn't worked on one though. Any comments would be appreciated.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 11:43 am

Parts are harder to get, according to many here, to fix that tranny. But, it could always later be changed to a manual. That is probably the biggest complaint that I know of.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 11:48 am

Ex girlfriend of mine had a 69 autostick, and I drove it all the time - not bad, once you get used to the difference. It never had any problems, and drove fine for years until her next boyfriend killed the engine.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 11:56 am

Thanks for the input. I think I'll still take a look at this one and not get too worried about it being a negative. If it works out at least the wife could use it from time to time. I guess the value should be about the same depending on who you talk to....like anything else unique?

Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:13 pm

I've driven both the VW Auto-Stick AND the Porsche "Sportomatic", and both are very similar, i.e., totally reliable and well-thought out.

My '70 Ghia was an Auto-Stick, and I appreciated the following advantages of this transmission:

1) Parts are not necessarily hard to find, because the 3 forward gears are in fact the same gears as the manual VW box. (1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the AutoStick are in fact the same gear ratios as the manual trans 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

2) The torque convertor uses Dextron (General Motors) Transmission fluid.

3) Easy to drive...."1st" is technically a climbing gear, but does give a quick take-off if you don't wind it out .. In town, all you would ever need is "2nd" and "3rd" (high) , 3rd being good for anything above 35 mph.

4) If you're really lazy, you can take off from a stop sign even in 3rd ("top"), as the torque convertor is doing all the work. Slow acceleration that way, but if your hands are full with scraping your windshield on a cold midwestern morning, it's neat to just stay on the brake , leave it in gear, and hit the gas when ready without touchin' the shifter.

5) The AutoStick is also a theft-deterrent, in that the unknowing thief would not beable to start it (I think it had to be in reverse to start), and would kill himself right off the get-go by selecting "reverse" when he thought he was selecting 1st.....too funny.) Also, any graze of a hand or a knee against the shifter would automatically disengage the clutch and resemble a slipping or non-operable clutch. The perp would be puzzled.

6) Sportomatic 911's I have driven were basically the same, except that there were 4 instead of 3 forward gears. Same micro-switch in the shifter doing the engaging/disengaging, etc.

The only drawback is that you can never rest your hand on or near the shifter or even touch the shifter while underway, as it disengages the clutch and lets the engine scream. until you release it or get off the gas.

Just another special engineering feat by the Czech-Austrian, Ferdinand Porsche. People who want to speed-shift or race shouldn't drive air-cooled, anyway.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:15 pm

If I were considering buying a beetle now I wouldn't go near an autostick. I want to have fun with my car and not spend a lot of time looking for hard-to-find spare parts. Granted, I don't have experience with one but my common sense tells me it will give me more trouble than a standard shift VW.

Autosticks weren't made for a long time and so when something goes wrong it's going to be harder to fix because the parts will not be as readily available. There's electrical contacts on the gearshift, hydraulic accumulators and extra hoses and valves to actuate the automatic clutch. None of these parts are on a standard shift car.

If you relish working on unique machinery the autostick is definitely for you. As a collector's item it certainly is more rare than a standard VW. But I don't know if that makes it more valuable, at least not yet.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:23 pm

Sed, great info. Thanks for taking the time to share it with me. So on the highway I guess they would feel about the same at 65 - 70 mph (same ratio)?

Sounds like interesting stuff.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:41 pm

For me this was the thing I could never get used too..

Quote: The only drawback is that you can never rest your hand on or near the shifter or even touch the shifter while underway, as it disengages the clutch and lets the engine scream. until you release it or get off the gas.
part of driving a "stickshift" anything ( to me anyway) is holding on the the damn thing while winding it out till the next gear.

Impossible to do or get used to... :roll: for me anyway :shock: :wink:

Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:47 pm

Yes, Mojo, they feel the same on the hiway. I think my 70 Ghia top ended around 81 or 82 mph. A regular stick will beat it to 25-30 mph, but once momentum takes over and the "slippage" of the torque convertor wanes, the Auto Stick is more flexible above 35 in top... I remember reading an owner's manual on the topic, and just like the straight stick, "high" gear was for 40 and over only.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 7:24 pm

My first Ghia was a 72 auto-stick,it took me a day to get used to. It will drive you nuts if your the type who loves resting your hand on the stick...lol Also it's not for the people who like flying thru the gears and trying to get the most out of them. Mine worked great,but found myself wanting a 4 speed. All my non VW friends could not get the idea of a clutchless stick shift..or no clutch pedal I should say. A friend asked me to drive it and I agreed,I laughed my ass off for 5 minutes after he started asking where the hell is the clutch pedal...lololol

Tue Aug 17, 2004 7:33 pm

Do a search in the Gallery for my photos. There's a decrepit Ghia I sold for scrap that was an Autostick. My dad and I rebuilt the engine and all back in the 80's and drove it for many years. The vehicle must be in neutral to start (DUH), and 1st gear is used for serious hill climbing only. 1st and reverse are separated from the other two gears via a detent, which means you have to push down and over to engage either gear.

Parts are *not* difficult to find, and you can rest your hand on the gearshift if you like. One way to burn out the tranny is to start out in 3rd gear vice second. The way I understand it, the Type I autostick is not as durable as the T3 automatic; however, like many other mechanisms that are bad-mouthed, the autostick is misunderstood. Think about the carb vs. FI argument. Same thing with autostick vs manual. One thing the autostick does is enable amputees to enjoy ACVWs. We had a lady in the OKC club whose Autostick enabled her to enjoy a VW. Anyone ever consider that????

Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:33 am

Norman, must take issue with:[quoteyou can rest your hand on the gearshift if you like

First, this is definitely "verboten", in that any movement of the shifter activiates the micro-switch...it's designed to shift smoothly, and interprets ANY movement of the shifter as an "intent to shift"....in effect accomplishing the same thing as BEGINNING to depress the clutch pdal on a manual-stick auto. Just as you should never "ride the clutch" in any auto, you must not touch the shifter unless you intend to change gears.

Second, each and every VW or Porsche owner's manual I have ever perused indicates that even resting your hand on the shifter in a MANUAL Shift car is "verboten", in that it wears the bearings on which the shift mechanism rides in its travel to the rear of the auto (nosecone).

Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:39 am

I have read the same info. Bad to keep your hand on the gearshift, whether manual or auto. Auto for sure, as any contact engages the clutch. Manual, makes sense as you are putting stress on the bushing, the coupler and the linkages in the tranny unnecessarily. I have to force myself not to keep my hand on the shifter.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:56 am

An autostick is nice, when working properly. If you buy an autostick, plan on one of these options:

A) You will become an autostick guru, cause you can't find anyone who will touch it.
B) You'll convert it to manual, because you didn't become a guru, and couldn't find anyone who will touch it.

Good Luck!

Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:12 pm

Great comments...thanks. I think I may just ry to cool off on this particalr car for a while and clear the head. Good shape-Auto Stick and AC on a vert is making it hard to forget about though.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:58 pm

mojo wrote: Great comments...thanks. I think I may just ry to cool off on this particalr car for a while and clear the head. Good shape-Auto Stick and AC on a vert is making it hard to forget about though.

Then get it... and if you don't end up liking the autostick, convert it to manaul?

I gotta agree with sed0007 on the resting the hand on the autostick shifter Gary... I have never seen one that was not so "sensitive" that putting you hand on the shifter wouldn't activate the servo and kick in the clutch.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:35 pm

Wed Aug 18, 2004 5:05 pm

Norman wrote:

:shock: :-s "you talking to me?" :x :lol:

or to sed0007? :wink:

Wed Aug 18, 2004 5:25 pm

keifernet wrote: Norman wrote:

:shock: :-s "you talking to me?" :x :lol:

or to sed0007? :wink:

You know it's you, Keith! ;)

Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:03 pm

hmm....iv'e always been "leary" of the auto stick, despite the fact i've never driven one myself. i might considder autosyick if i actually get the oppertunity to DRIVE one first. like many, i've heard TONS of bad stuff about them, but then again, when i first got into VW's, i heard alot of bad stuff about aircooled too! now, 2 busses, 1 beetle, & 1 ghia later..., i won't own anything else because they're dependable, fun to drive\work on, and best of all, they're UNIQUE! i'd say do your homework before buying the auto stick, purchase it, and find out if it's for you or not! you can always convert to manual, or simply sell it off later. either way, you win, and you get to findout out first hand if you like it or not...