looking for autostick "expert" for magazine article

[volkaholic1]

i am looking for autostick "expert" for a national magazine article. i have done the basic research on what it is, basics on how it works, how many made, etc

looking for input on
when buying, what to watch for
when owning, what to watch for
when driving, what to watch for, how best to enjoy

funny or interesting real stories are always great to!
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Volkaholic

[Tom K.]

Our resident experts include:

sb001
volkenstein
Heimlich
Johnrich55

Hopefully they will each show up to this thread soon with info. Or you can send personal messages through Samba.

I would keep checking this thread for info as various people weigh in.

Basic conclusion: autosticks are great!
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[sb001]

[Tom K.]

Ok. I'll start.

When buying: factor in that the autostick reduces market value by about 10% relative to a standard of similar age and condition. You might hear that autostick parts are difficult to find, which is simply not true. Yes, the big parts dealers don't carry too many autostick parts, but true VW hobbyists know that finding used original VW parts is far superior to the after market stuff. And the samba classifieds are full of such parts. In fact, there is an ad on Samba now where someone is giving away their autostick stuff for free after converting their autostick to a manual. Such finds are not uncommon. Keep in mind that most of the autostick tech is solid state and generally indestructible. The necessary consumables are widely available. That said, I would recommend stocking up on a few parts for the future such as an extra control valve solenoid, a clutch disc, a few tranny sump plate gaskets, and maybe a front tranny mount.

When driving: some people miss the action of a stick shift. That's understandable. Common mistakes include resting your hand on the shifter - a big no-no because that slightest hand pressure activates the clutch. So you need to find something else to do with your right hand. Second, if you park in gear, then the autostick will not start. A WTF moment until you realize that you need to put the car in neutral to get ignition. Third, fitting an autostick with a cheap 009 distributor is worse than fitting that same distributor on a manual. You will experience sluggish acceleration. So do your best to use a dizzy designed for the autostick to sustain pep when driving. The autostick is also nice in traffic jams as you can let the torque convertor inch you along.

When owning: autostick tech allows for many folks with knee problems to still enjoy driving these old vws. New teenagers too. The autostick is a nice addition to anyone's VW fleet.
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[volkenstein]

Tom,
I'd add carby checking. A brosol 30/31 Pict is a second retrograde step behind the 009 fitment.


Regards
Volkenstein
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71 RHD AS Super - "Klaus"...
Wisdom of youth, energy of old age...

[sb001]

Things I have figured out about owning an autostick over the years (and to reiterate some of what has been said above):

1. Many VW fanatics for myriad of reasons seem to hate the autostick (as Tom mentioned, it will not command as much because of its perception.) Here is an article I came across that doesn't exactly sing its praises:

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-...fer-kafer/

"But unlike most of VW’s major mechanical changes, the automatic stickshift wasn’t bulletproof. It could be very reliable…if it was properly maintained. And therein lies the problem: It wasn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” system. While it didn’t tarnish the VW rep big-time, it didn’t live up to the standards set by previous transmissions, nor was it as forgiving of poor maintenance–and it certainly didn’t enhance the performance of the slug-bug."

Over the years I personally have become convinced that it is simply more misunderstood than anything else- especially when you have decades of VW "mechanics" shops that never bothered to learn how to diagnose one that is having trouble and therefore just told everyone to swap it. VW marketing ploys, such as these ads:

Probably didn't sit too well with certain people either. Oh well, at least it's not this:

It's not that complicated to understand how one works. There are a few essential components:

1. Autostick shifter:
There are two electrical contacts (upper and lower) in the base of an autostick shifter. The bottom contact is connected to a wire that runs to the back of the car, through the floor pan, across a "neutral safety switch" mounted on the transmission, and then to a control valve solenoid in the engine bay.
Whenever the shifter is moved in a longitudinal fashion (i.e. putting it in a gear) those contacts touch each other, grounding the circuit and sending an electrical signal back to the control valve, activating the solenoid.

2. Control valve:
The control valve is a cylindrical contraption mounted to the left side of the engine bay. It has a largish hose connected to it that supplies vacuum from a port on an autostick intake manifold, as well as a smaller hose from a port on the rear of an autostick-modified carburetor that supplies an additional smaller vacuum signal for adjusting the speed at which the valve opens and closes (adjusted by a screw on the top of the control valve body.)
In the "closed" (i.e. inactive) position, the control valve allows intake manifold vacuum through another hose to a vacuum tank mounted underneath the left rear fender. When the solenoid is activated (i.e. shifting gears), the internal valve moves to a position to allow vacuum through yet another hose to a servo that operates the clutch.

3. Clutch servo:
The clutch servo is a sealed canister with an internal rubber diaphragm, that has a short adjustable "arm" connected to it. This arm in turn is connected via a pivoting pin to another arm coming out of the transmission that operates the clutch. Whenever the control valve in the engine bay is activated and vacuum flows through to the clutch servo, the diaphragm inside the servo pulls the clutch arm which operates the release bearing and decouples the clutch allowing the transmission to be shifted.
It sounds crazy, but all of this happens within a fraction of a second!!

Additional features:
Torque converter: The autostick is sort of a hybrid of a conventional manual transmission with a torque converter added to it. In fact, the autostick's three forward gears (Low, Drive 1, and Drive 2) are the exact same gear ratios as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th is the 4 speed. Instead of a flywheel, autostick engines use a "drive plate" that the torque converter bolts to, just like a conventional automatic transmission. The torque converter (obviously) is a fluid coupling between engine and transmission drive shaft that allows the autsotick to remain in gear while stopped, as well as taking over the responsibility of a "1st gear" that a manual would have when accelerating from a stop.

ATF tank and hybrid oil/ ATF pump: There is a an ATF tank mounted under the right rear fender of an autostick, with a filler neck that protrudes up through the right side of the engine bay. The tank is connected via hose and metal piping to a dual-chamber oil/ ATF pump connected to the camshaft of the engine. The front chamber pumps engine oil as a normal oil pump would, while the rear chamber pumps ATF fluid from the ATF tank up through another set of pipes and hoses to the torque converter housing inside the autostick transmission's bell housing.

I guess typing this out now, I can see why some VW mechanics would rather avoid the autostick since there are several components to it. BUT, I will say (in stark disagreement to the article I linked above) that my car's original autostick lasted 40 YEARS before the clutch wore down to the point where it would not stay in gear. That the clutch of an autostick should last that long alone should have people rethinking its merits instead of unfairly maligning it. Yes there are several more components that can go wrong but it has been my experience that probably 90% of the time or more, these are vacuum-related components such as the clutch servo or the vacuum hoses themselves that wear out, NOT anything in the transmission itself, and are easily replaceable.
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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

[heimlich]

[TDCTDI]

[heimlich]

[sb001]

[Glenn]

[volkaholic1]

yes, although it does seem like an autostick would be worth more due to the relative scarcity, however, too many folks dis the autostick, and too many rip it out and put in a normal transmission. good to mention in an article about autostick, so it will come up.

but in an attempt to stay on topic,,,,

what do you LIKE about autostick?
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Volkaholic

[Glenn]

[Tom K.]

To the OP, the history behind the autostick tech is pretty cool too. Fichtel and Sachs invented it in the early 50s. Mercedes, I think, initially outbid VW for the tech and for about 10 years it only appeared on Mercedes cars (not sure what models). Then when Mercedes was ready to move along to fully automatic transmissions in the mid 1960s, VW remained interested and finally secured permission to use the Fichtel and Sachs tech. Those of your readers interested in quirky auto tech will surely enjoy learning about it. As an autostick owner, I love having this tech on board, and it has been pure joy to learn how to optimize it's performance using patience and basic hand tools.

It might be worth contacting VWOA. VW had built a long tradition of training it's dealers on how to maintain their cars. Maybe this practice fell away a little in the late 1960s for the autostick? Because it certainly appears that many seasoned VW mechanics lack basic diagnostic knowledge. Maybe VW has something to add about this possibility?
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[heimlich]

[heimlich]

[heimlich]

[Glenn]

[baldessariclan]

A car’s value / selling price is largely determined by the law of “supply and demand”. I think that the autostick Beetles are a bit interesting in this regard, because while the supply of these is fairly low & rare (especially in good shape and working order), the overall demand for & interest in them seems to be significantly lower than average as well.

I mean, don’t get me wrong — there are definitely true autostick enthusiasts & aficionados out there. And also folks who really want to drive a Beetle, but don’t want, and/or physically can’t manage, a manual transmission car. But these seem to be somewhat in the minority overall, at least as based on expressed opinions, historical car sales, transmission swaps, and etc.

So my guess would be that autostick Beetles generally end up selling in about the same price range, on average, as manual transmission Beetles (in similar shape and working order) usually go for. I.e. since there is a far greater supply of these manual Beetles, but also a higher overall rate of demand for them as well.

Once again, it’s an interesting case of rare cars with lower demand on one hand, vs. common cars with higher demand on the other...
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver

baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...

[vwfreek61]