Date:         Thu, 20 Feb 2003 06:39:20 -0600
Reply-To:     Chuck Mathis <cmathis@HOUSTON.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chuck Mathis <cmathis@HOUSTON.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: Of Crotchety Knees and Autotranny Conversions
In-Reply-To:  <200302200505.h1K5556S028663@flmx03.mgw.rr.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Andrew,

I disagree that most automatic owners would rather have a manual.

If the 60 mph top end and 16-18 mpg you describe are symptoms of your van, I
think something is wrong with your van.

My '85 Wolfsburg Westy with the original 1.9l and 205/70 14 tires does much
better than 60 mph on the highway -- even in hilly country.  I have cruised
at 70 mph for days on end and once got a speeding ticket doing 75 mph (there
was a slight hill involved).  Your gas mileage is about the same as mine if
you are talking about around town, in traffic but, I have managed 21 mpg on
the highway -- a little worse than most manual Westies and certainly worse
than a diesel but way better than equal sized SUVs.

The auotmatic doesn't give you the fun of revving the engine and stirring
the stick but you don't have to worry about bleeding and adjusting a clutch
or when that 3-4 slider is going to fail.  If the auto has been well cared
for you just slip it in gear and go -- and it goes quite well.

John, an auto should slip right in provided you get all the stuff.  Stan
posted a good list but add to that the throttle linkage -- there is no
difference in the throttle body but the linkage is different.  Check Ken
Wilfords collant hose page and make sure you get the necessary hoses to hook
up the tranny cooler.  Also take a close look at how the hydraulics for the
clutch are blocked off on an auto -- I'm not sure if the master cylinder and
resivoir are the same with a plug of some sort or if they are different.
And you will want the block off plate for the clutch pedal hold.

When I first looked at my '85 I thought an auto in one of these was bizarre
but after five years it has grown on me to the point I wouldn't have it any
other way -- unless somebody can come up with a 5-speed manual with a
genuine overdrive real cheap.

Chuck
'85 Wolfsburg Westy - 'Roland the Road Buffalo'

on 2/19/03 11:01 PM, Automatic digest processor at
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM wrote:

> Date:    Wed, 19 Feb 2003 18:12:34 -0700
> From:    Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Of Crotchety Knees and Autotranny Conversions
>
> John,
>
> Why not just trade your van with someone that has an automatic.  Most
> owners with automatics would rather have a manual so you could probably
> get a van that's a little nicer than yours and call it a fair trade.
> Probably save you and someone else that wants an auto tranny a lot of
> work.  Also realize that top speed in an auto tranny vanagon is around 60
> mph, unless you have big tires or feel comfortable running it over 4000
> RPM.  Top speeds on hilly freeways are about half that.  Not very
> practical if you ask me, especially considering that gas mileage is less
> than with a manual tranny (16-18 mpg).
>
> Andrew Fox
> 86 Westy with auto tranny (for sale)
> Ft. Collins, CO