My current '90 westy vanagon is an automatic,
and I really enjoy it.
Previously I always had manual busses, and
1 stick-shift  '81 aircooled westy.
I enjoy the control and feel that a manual tranny gives you,
but I found the clutch on the '81 vanagon to be very hard
to push, even after replacing all bushings and clutch, etc.
Actually it took 36 lbs to push that clutch down.
For a short 2 mile stint, from where I live to town,
I would have to push that clutch 48 times.
I got so sick of the clutch, that I even called VWoA
and asked them why they don't install
power-assisted clutches (just like the brakes).
They give you electric windows, power-steering, power-assist
brakes, power mirrors,etc., but no power-assist clutch.
Anyways, I think the auto vanagon is great and reliable too.
Also, I was reading on another list, that after the police dept.
in Germany switched to automatic vanagons, they had a lot
fewer problems with mechanical failures.
Harald
'90 westy

> In a message dated 11/11/99 8:48:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> lindgre@ONLINE.NO writes:
>
> << Why shift manually? Heck, that's easy! Because its BORING to drive an
>  automatic!!! The Autotranny was invented for people too lazy to shift
for
>  themselves, or those that cant shift for themselves, but that's a
> whole'nother
>  matter.

Ken wrote:
> I used to say the exact same thing until I got my automatic Carat Vanagon
> after driving my '85 manual Vanagon.  My opinion is that the manual
Vanagon
> is no fun to shift but actually a chore that can be very annoying and
even
> exhausting in heavy traffic (just sit in Philly traffic for two hours
with a
> manual anything and you will be praying for an automatic).