I was talking to a VW mechanic in Farnborough, Hampshire called Andrew
Glaser I think, and he had done this job ie converting an automatic bus to
a manual. He said it was about half a week's work. So it is possible.
Before I bought my automatic I phoned an auto gearbox place to ask about
prices just to get an idea if the gearbox blew up. Answer was that it was
do-able for a few hundred pounds.

Having said that, I don't see why an auto should not last a long time as
long as it has not been abused or run dry. My 1984 Caravelle is on 183k
miles and the original automatic gearbox is 100% OK (the gearbox has
outlived the original engine). In fact there seems to be less to go wrong
when you look at all the posts about a month back concerning juddering
clutches, cables, hydraulics, warped plates, etc. Also the problem of
manuals popping out of 1st gear which I am told is common with very worn
manual gearboxes.

IMHO VW have done well with the automatic gearbox. No VW mechanic nor owner
that I have talked to has spoken badly about them. The main objection is
from people who prefer a manual because they like to change gear
themselves.

How much is the van? �200 for a spare gearbox may be worthwhile insurance
against paranoia - on the other hand you may never need it and you might be
able to find another one if you ever did.

Lionel Tun
lionel@ark.prestel.co.uk