i love the automatics.. my '85 doka is an automatic.  (it  was ordered like
that, it was originally a parts dept truck at a VW dealer in  Alberta)
suprises the hell out of most people with the 16" wheels i have  on there and
the fact that 99.9% of the trucks came with manual trannys so it  leaves them
scratching their heads.... it looks like a syncro..  i love it  :)

chris
'84 sunroof wolfsburg (automatic)
'85 Doublecab (automatic)
'89 Westy (automatic)

In a message dated 1/22/2014 7:03:23 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
dhanson928@GMAIL.COM writes:

I, too,  find that I wouldn't have an automatic transmission, most
especially in a  vehicle that ventures off the Interstates and city
streets.  Just  yesterday I self-started my 84 5sp by pushing it by the door
post and  hopping in to pop the clutch.  A minor delay as opposed to a
major
production getting AAA to come (nearest AAA is over 50 miles away) I  also
like being able to modulate the way it gets going by how I release  the
clutch, and to choose a proper gear, to anticipate a driving situation  I
can see, but some automatic shifter would mess up....like an un-asked  for
shift when cornering on slick roads, or trying to rock out of a  semi-stuck
situation.
So far I don't find shifting my own gears is too  much work, the better
functionality certainly is worthwhile, in my  world....if I commuted in LA
daily, then I might consider an  automatic...