Date:         Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:40:44 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Auto tranny from an Audi, possible 5 cyl. engine donor?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I was poking around in a yard here Friday and I noticed an '88 Audi 5000 S Custom. It has the 5 cyl. inline in it, which was basically what I was looking at.... After looking into it a bit, it occurred to me that this might be one of the Audis that shares the auto tranny with the Vanagon. I looked around on the net a bit but I couldn't find much about the tranny itself from that car, but in looking up part numbers they all seem to be the same.

Am I right in thinking that the Audi 3-speed auto out of that car is the same as the Vanagon 3-speed auto? I was thinking about getting a spare for rebuild. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the engine and electronics out if it as well for a possible conversion. It didn't occur to me at the time to check the mileage or the wheels, but I'll go back and look at it again. There's a Vanagon in another yard here that has the early '80s diesel setup (not only the mounting but the whole drive train...) hmm.

There were also two Vanagons with the metal engine lids, which I was also thinking about picking up (the lids, not the vans).

Any thoughts? Anything else I should consider getting out of the Audi?

Thanks,
Robert