Automatic Beetle's

I have searched for this answer, but cannot find the exact answer to my question.


Did any Beetle's ever come out as a proper, full automatic?

I understand there was the semi auto cars, but was there a normal auto model?

I spotted today on the highway a Beetle with AUTOMATIC across the back, where some Beetle's have 1300 inscribed on them.

I was wondering if this might have been a proper auto car?


thank you

our semi auto has the same badge ,and a s far as i know ,no there wasn't a full auto beetle... people have put type 3 full auto`s in ,but that is a lot of modification to do it😁

Ok thanks!

must have been a semi auto I spotted, looked nice.

nope no fully autos
ive seen a few have been retro fitted with type3 automatics tho but its a big job from what i hear

semi autos still had the VWautomatic badges tho

Sorry, but what is a semi automatic and how does it differ from full auto?

OzSpeedway wrote:Sorry, but what is a semi automatic and how does it differ from full auto?

you still have to change gears like an manual, but no clutch pedal, you also need to take your foot off the gas to change gears, otherwise I am told it flares when changing up.

OzSpeedway wrote:Sorry, but what is a semi automatic and how does it differ from full auto?

you change the gears as it has a vacuum operated clutch mechanism controlled by a micro switch built into the gearshift

semi autos still had a manual gear shift, 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears and reverse in a "H" pattern gearshift.
there was no clutch pedal in the pedal cluster but used a combination of a clutch mechanism and torque converter - like a conventional auto box.
there was a clutch system operated by the gear lever - when you put any force on the gearstick (like you wanted to change gears) a switch was earthed out through the bottom of the gearstick and this operated the clutch... you changed into the gear you wanted... let go of the gearstick and the switch would open and the clutch disengage.. then you accelerate as per normal.
take off from a standstill the car behaved like a normal auto till you needed to change gears.

I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but can a semi auto be roll started like a manual?

I'm guessing not, but just thought I would ask,

thank you.

Thanks everyone for the lesson on semi autos, I had a suspicion that what they were. Apologies to the OP for hijacking his thread.

Cheers

no you can roll start a semi auto

Vintage Vee Dub in Sydney have converted a few to full Auto using the Type 3 box they drive nice

desh wrote:I'm sorry to ask so many questions, but can a semi auto be roll started like a manual?

I'm guessing not, but just thought I would ask,

thank you.

Nope i have tried trust me 😉

Hi

They actually do away with 1st gear, so you take off in 2nd gear, the torque converter slips to get you going and torque converter also allows the car idle after coming to a stop.

Steve

you can roll start a semi auto, its easy, just put it in low and keep pressure on the stick so the clutch is disengaged, and when u get to about 15 milles let ur hand off and it will start! its pretty cool!

Notch65s wrote:you can roll start a semi auto, its easy, just put it in low and keep pressure on the stick so the clutch is disengaged, and when u get to about 15 milles let ur hand off and it will start! its pretty cool!

Being a proud owner of a semi-auto bug this advice is good to know - I hope i never have to put this into practise. and yes, my car just has the 'VW_automatic' badge on the decklid. check out the avatar pics

Where are you 68AutoBug? He would know 😉

jedidan wrote:Being a proud owner of a semi-auto bug this advice is good to know - I hope i never have to put this into practise. and yes, my car just has the 'VW_automatic' badge on the decklid. check out the avatar pics

I think it's a good idea to test it, when I buy a manual car I check it, just to see how far it takes to roll start.

My Beetle only needs about twice it's own length to roll start.

I have heard that it is a good indication of engine compression, that the car should roll start easily.



Would have been nice if they left the crank start option on the Beetle's

Hiya desh,

I spotted today on the highway a Beetle with AUTOMATIC across the back, where some Beetle's have 1300 inscribed on them.

You might be interested to know that when (1968) the AutoStick was introduced in the USA that year's production of AutoStick equipped cars sported this rear decklid badge...........



Subsequent to the 1968 production year VW had their dealers install this decal............



...........for about the next three or four years. The decal was the outward way of telling an AutoStick equipped car from a regular stick.

As far as I know neither the metal badge or the decal (except for one AutoStick driver in Canberra) ever made to Oz. From what I've been able to determine, the metal "AUTOMATIC" or the more common "VOLKSWAGEN" was installed on AutoSticks throughout the world. Except, of course, for the US of A.

Notch65s wrote:you can roll start a semi auto, its easy, just put it in low and keep pressure on the stick so the clutch is disengaged, and when u get to about 15 milles let ur hand off and it will start! its pretty cool!

not calling you a liar but have you tried this? and more than once?

ive only had exposure to a couple of semi autos that a mate owned and one was a paddock basher we played around with which was having problems starting later traced to the old AM valve radio being turned on with no speaker attached

we tried rolling starting it a few times and the flaw with your idea is the engine has to be already running to create vacuum to pull the clutch diaphram in

so u would more than likely cause damage trying to roll start it

Bookwus wrote:

I got me one of those on my 68...somewhere..

Mine's safely tucked away in the "C" class spares cabinet. Decal is on the car though🙅.

Pity there's no big downslopes around here..I'd give the roll-start a try...but yeah, my vac system had best be in good nick!

Ctefeh

Hiya Joel,

....we tried rolling starting it a few times and the flaw with your idea is the engine has to be already running to create vacuum to pull the clutch diaphram in

That's a good point, except...............The AutoStick system has a vacuum reserve tank which is probably good for at least a couple of shifts with the engine off. Certainly there is enough vacuum reserve to actuate the clutch servo on a compression start. But if the vacuum reserve has been tinkered with, all bets are off.

But actually the crux of this question comes down to the battery. You have to have enough electrical power to actuate the control valve solenoid. If your battery is dead, so are your chances of compression starting the engine.

Joel wrote:

Notch65s wrote:you can roll start a semi auto, its easy, just put it in low and keep pressure on the stick so the clutch is disengaged, and when u get to about 15 milles let ur hand off and it will start! its pretty cool!

not calling you a liar but have you tried this? and more than once?

ive only had exposure to a couple of semi autos that a mate owned and one was a paddock basher we played around with which was having problems starting later traced to the old AM valve radio being turned on with no speaker attached

we tried rolling starting it a few times and the flaw with your idea is the engine has to be already running to create vacuum to pull the clutch diaphram in

so u would more than likely cause damage trying to roll start it

Joel, i live on a hill and i used to roll my car out the drive and start it down the hill on the cold mornings most days, never had any problems doing it at all, u have to be doing at least 15mph before it wil start tho, u can't just push start it! well unless there were 5 big blokes pushing it