Please, someone could explain me how are the Automatic Beetles?
I live in Brazil and here, besides we make Beetles until 1996, we never had Automatics here.
How many gears they have? Are good to drive? And what about maintenance. It' s expensive?
Thanks a lot
Preichardt

the stickshift autos, aka semi auto are 3 speed. L, 1 & 2. The first gear, L is tall and equivalent to a 2nd gear of a manual bug transmission. From my experience when i still had mine this wasn't a concern, because the torque convertor compensated for any loss in torque due to the tall gearing. Just the torque wasn't applied hastily (gentle application), thats all. so burn outs weren't applicable from stand still with foot on the brake. but none the less can get the tyres spinning if somethings stoppin the car and allowed a split second to rev up a little (stall speed for the autos i guess).

(Typical setup in an auto anyways because of the convertor). Not much maintenance once u get running right, all you got to be concerned with is the clutch adjustment (the rate at which it slips when you put it from neutral to gear), the transmission fluid (check your dipstick and top up reservoir) and adjusting the contacts in the gearstick that trigger the 'clutch release'. Its a spring loaded setup in the lever, put your hand on the stick, contacts touch, current flows, opens a solenoid that allows a vacuum to pull a lever that disengages the clutch.

That, along with your now and then check of vacuum lines from your carby, manifold and vacuum canister, along with checking the hoses for the transmission fluid are not cracked and leakin, and your set.

They still have a clutch in em, but last a very long time (clutch that is). Fluid torque transfer is also more gentle on entire drive train compared to a solid clutch. But really, 1500cc/1600cc shouldn't be able to rip up anything like that...

IT ISN"T A BAD SYSTEM! and its not complicated. if someone had an auto bug and walked ya around it, in 10 mins u could get the jist easily.

the only issue, is finding parts. hard, limited but not rare. semi auto parts go cheaper too, despite the limited nature compared to manual, simply cause there isn't a great market out there for em. Took me a while to sell my stick shift gearbox, was working fine, 100% like brand new, ended up selling for $50 on egay, cause no one else had a poke when it was posted up for $80 for a couple months.

what chris said

they never sold in big numbers here, still plenty in the US though
its a good system when it works but when they start playing up they're a nightmare and tracking down good used parts is no easy task

ive had reasonably limited exposure to them, my best mate had 2 1500s and a customer of the garage i used to work at had a 72 superbeetle auto

compared to a manual beetle accelaration is incredibally slow and they use heaps more fuel as theyre geared lower and the engine has to work harder to get the car moving

pft slow acceleration

I love my semi-auto's

lol, you can clutch dump em!

Guys, Thanks for the answers.
For us in Brazil, Automatic Beetles are totally unknown.
I found a site with maybe, the only two that arrived here.
Sorry, in Portuguese :-(
http://blogdoguilhon-car.blogspot.com/2007/10/fusca-automtico-voc-j-ouviu-fal...

Hmm. A journalist (not the blogger) who is a collector owns them. A '70 and a '71 Superbeetle. If I'm reading the blog correctly () they were special order imports or some such. I would say those two are spectacularly rare in Brazil!

Not to worry....now where's a place to get Weber Brazil carburettor parts ?.

Just fooling with you...

Regards
Ctefeh

I found here: Used Weber carburettors R$1000 or about AU$ 600,00


http://goiania.olx.com.br/carburadores-weber-40-e-44-novos-e-usados-iid-18908143 

Preichardt,
Sorry, I should have explained better.
Weber ("W" code stamped on a plate on the fuel bowl, maybe Webcarbras?) carburettor that was a direct replacement for the Solex 30 Pict or 34 Pict series. Single Barrell. Can't remember the exact fitment. I'll post a picture for you later...

Regards
Ctefeh