Three Speed Manual Transmission?

[79SuperVert]

I'm not a bus person so bear with me. A friend of ours who grew up in Austria told us that as a young man he drove a VW bus with a three speed manual transmission. I disputed that but he swore by his statement, so I asked him to try to find some evidence of that.

Then I thought I'd look around myself and found the following after an internet search:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/shifters/volkswagen-bus/c3730d14404j1s21.jcwx

In case the link doesn't work, it's a JCWhitney website catalog page for a "Mr. Gasket" 3 Speed Manual Shifter for a 1962 VW Classic bus. Does anyone have experience with that and how it worked? I'd love to tell our friend about it.
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[mandraks]

interesting statement.

there is no way this can be a split bus with a 3 speed manual.

Now, what would make somebody say this...

There are automatic busses (Bays) which are 3 speed
There are 3 speed auto sticks of all VWs except the bus.
_________________
regards

Uli

----------------------------------------
'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[79SuperVert]

[mandraks]

[quartermilecamel]

Unless 1st gear didnt work and the other 3 forward gears did, maybe its possable. If your friendship was hinged on the fact that you disagreed with him, lol then maybe it wasnt strong enough in the first place. Could also have been converted to something else too.
_________________
Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[EverettB]

My first thought was 4th gear was gone.

Ask him what the gear shift positions were for gears 1, 2, 3, and reverse.
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[79SuperVert]

So what about that JCWhitney link I posted at the beginning? Is that just a mistake in their catalog?
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[quartermilecamel]

Well for one, its not a stock part. Its also possable it fits other vehicles too. You know how a manufacture says a part will fit a much wider year range than it really does or maybe another listing goof. Could be that too. For one, picture this....if there really was a super rare 3 speed transaxle coupled to the stock engine with rgbs, imagine the total lack of available gear ratio needed to obtain speeds from zero to 60. Lets see, 4th gear missing, then 45 to 50 is your top speed. 1st gear missing, then burnt clutches and issues from stand still to moving especially up a hill till you get to about 15 or 20. If there ever was somehow a 3 speed trans, coupled to the stock engine then you must have the worlds first clutch disc made from material commonly found on mars that cannot be destroyed because you will be clutch slipping it between gears like your trying to do burnouts with 2000 pounds extra payload.
This guy you talk about is either real insecure, or is pulling your leg. I will happily eat my words when a 3 speed splitwindow bus with stock engine is produced, that can go from zero to 60 with a stock clutch. Not a clutch out of an 18 wheeler. Oh yeah and I forgot to add with out major clutch burnt stink smell
_________________
Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[quartermilecamel]

Its also possable that the shifter wasnt adjusted correctly. Many threads on I cant get 4th or what ever gear. If he didnt know how to properly adjust the shifter then its possable he had no 1st if he had adjustment issues. Especially if he had small nut gearing, which I cant remember when i shifted out of 1st with big nut super rare mountain rgb gears.
_________________
Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[thewalkingdude]

replaced my three speed transmissioni last year with a four speed. First gear completely ground down.
_________________
the other Joe

[79SuperVert]

Thanks for the replies. Confirms what I thought. I'll wait to see what he says the next time we see him.
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[BarryL]

[Wayland]

Not too likely, but maybe it was a Corvair van, not a Vw. They came stock w/ a 3 speed trans.

[79SuperVert]

I suggested to him that maybe he was driving a "look-alike" van in Austria, of which there were some that looked a lot like split window buses, but he said it had the circular VW emblem on the front.
_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[quartermilecamel]

Now with the corvair engine, it could be possable that the corvair drivetrain was swapped in. It was somewhat of a comon swap. My dad did that to a 69 bus.
_________________
Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[mandraks]