Hi Guys,
I just picked up a 69 auto squareback (last of the early type but with IRS and disk brakes) and I want to convert it to auto. Can this be done by salvaging the pedal box, engine and gearbox from another IRS type 3, or is there more involved (cutting and welding). While I'd prefer not to butcher the car, I am considering a subaru engine conversion anyway so I'm not totally against butchery!
If anyone in or near Melbourne has a rusted out but mechanically good IRS manual type 3 for sale, I'd certainly be interested if the above procedure will work.
Many thanks,
Steve
Why don't you just sell the auto to me, and go find a nice Manual?
Tell me more...
If you could find me an equivalent manual early squareback I'd be happy to do a trade! I hate converting a good squareback, but this baby has no rust and I doubt I'm gonna find another one this good unfortunately. And the 2000 odd kms between us might be a problem!
Ah, everyone should be willing to travel for the right ride!
Did you get this one off autotrader? I saw one there.
How much did you pay? It was like around $2000 from memory???
Unfortunately, I haven't been looking for manuals, but there were a few nice squares on the forum recently?!?
Hi Steve,
Seagull in Western Australia has done an Auto conversion to a type 3..
Not sure what model....
Maybe it doesn't matter....
Send Neill an Email.. He may be able to help..
I did See a Fully Automatic Beetle on ebay a few months ago... fellow said it was an easy conversion, so doing it to a another type 3 has to be easier...
cheers & best of Luck... on finding Your donor car...
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
You're not helping Lee! Tell him it's complicated!!! And to sell the car to me for next to nothing!!!!!!
This is the adapter I made , I use the stock flex plate and a drive hub I machined up .
O the holes for the auto box I drilled and taped later .
[Edited on 9-9-2004 by seagull]
Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake
So what you're saying is - you want him to keep and butcher the car, rather than sell it and buy a nice original manual? C'mon - little help guys!!!?
:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry:beer
flex plate & hub
holes to be drilled
Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake
My cunning plan is coming apart at the seams. Save the Auto! Save the Auto! Send it to Queensland for some hot lovin'!
Sorry guys...a typo in my first message made everything sound confusing. I currently have an auto and want to make it manual. I have sourced a manual fastback with IRS, and basically want to know if transferring the mechanicals over is fairly straightforward. The subaru converison idea may come later or may not happen at all...but for now I just want the manual!
Thanks to everyone for the info on the suby conversions too, but that may come later.
And vwombat, something tells me you'd like to buy my squareback!, or am I missing something!
Actually, I have been chasing an early squareback for a while now, and really wanted something to restore such as this. There's basically no rust but has tired paint, and is really what I was looking for except for the auto factor. If you can find me a manual early squareback with no rust, I'd be happy to trade for my auto wagon but I cant afford to buy something for 5-6 grand like the others on this forum (even though they look great and I'm sure they're worth every penny). And I'm not about to sell this for next to nothing either sorry!
Anyway, if someone can let me know if the auto to manual conversion is fairly simple with a donor car that would be great. The donor I have sourced is a fastback. Are the gear linkages different lengths between fasty's and squary's or are they the same.
Thanks again,
Steve
Sound's like a tough call - finding a clean square manual to swap. What did you pay for the Auto? You may end up spending much more on the conversion than you would with a manual project anyway?!? I can start looking up here, drive down and do a swap, but it sounds complicated!
You will have to swap over your whole rear subframe, 'box and probably engine, unless you want to get a manual flywheel and clutch then get your engine re-balanced. The pedal ass'... I'm not too sure on, if it's anything like the semi auto bugs you'll need to weld in a clutch tube for your clutch cable.
At the end of the day it would beaiser just getting a good rolling late model manual 'pan, or just getting a good manual car.
My advice would be to do the swap, if someone is offering a good manual car as a swap, it will save you SOOOOOOO much time effort and money.
It's not the year you want, but:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=35227&item=2489202303&rd=1
You could call it the Kremlin or some really cool Russian name - cause it's a Red Square. Sorry, that was p a t h e t i c now wasn't it children?
From what I know, converting is alot of work, even with a donor car. What year is your donor fasty? If the pans are compatible, it will probably be less work to do a pan swap than pieces out of the donor and install them in your wagon.
The clutch cable tube will have to be cut out of the donor and welded into the tunnel in the right spot. I think the cut out in the tunnel for the shifter assembly is different, but I'll have to check. I think the the pedal assy will just swap over as they are basically the same, just with one pedal more or less.
It would be nice if you could find a 69 with MT in comparable condition to your AT in your price range. Since this is not always possible, the AT to MT conversion may be your only choice. It is not easy and will take alot of fabrication work. If you can do it yourself, then it's feasible. If you will need to pay somebody to cut and weld for you, it may work out cheaper to spend the extra cash and buy a 69 MT car. Depending on how much structural modification is required, you may need an engineers certificate as well.
Ain't nothin' like the wind in your hair.
Thanks everyone for their input.
The donor fastback I have in mind is a 1971. Are the pans the same for the fastback/nothchback/squareback? If so, I would certainly consider lifting the body off and transferring it across if this is easier than doing it the other way around. The suspension quite possibly might be better on the fasty anyway.
The alternative is to sell the auto and splash out for a more expensive manual squareback anyway, but I'm not against a bit of hard work.
So does anyone know about interchanging different bodies between type 3's?
Thanks again,
Steve
The adapter plate I made is for auto or , manual just the fly wheel change or drive hub required.
Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake
I found it easier to remove the body and change the floor pans.
Check out the answers on vwtype3.org
http://www.vwtype3.org/listarchive/threads.html#09413
There are also some photos of a similar transplant.
http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/sanderson/Personal/Revival/Revival.html
Unless the pans can be swapped it looks like there is a lot of work involved. If you do go ahead with it, I would be interested in buying the AT box off you, plus a few other things off the fasty shell if you're interested.
Ain't nothin' like the wind in your hair.
Thanks again to everyone...especially PurpleT3 for posting the question on another forum on my behalf. So it really seems like too much hard work (except for the idea of swapping pans over).
But I'm still not sure whether the squareback body will bolt straight onto the fastback pan. If this can work, this could be the option for me. Can anyone clarify whether the squareback body can bolt straight onto the fastback pan. If so, this would be perfect as I would tke the opportunity to paint everything while stripped.
Thanks again,
Steve
i have been told that the squareback pans are different from the others as there is more weight involved in the WHOLE car but i am not 100% clear this is right
i do have a squareback pan though........🙂
to convert u will need to install the right peddle assembly (weld), weld in a clutch tube. Then cut a BIG DIRTY HOLE in the tunnel to weld in the manual shiifter bit and weld the other end of the clutch tube. install clutch cable and it wont fit right maybe............cut and re-weld tube......... 🙂
i am sure there is shit i missed 🙂
have fun !
Skewy
