Is it possible to switch a VW Beetle (Old) from manual to automatic? How much would it cost?

I want to buy a VW Beetle, one of the ones from the late 60s and early 70s but I am a little worried about driving an automatic car. If it is possible I still don't think I would be able to pay a fortune to have it switched. Thanks|||Tehnically, it is possible...so you could...but it would require enough custom work that Bill Gates would have to work out a payment play.|||You should drop this idea as quickly as possible





1) VW's made an auto stick from about 1968 on but it still required shifting.. the only difference to the driver was that it had no clutch and only three forward gears instead of four.





2) It sucked. The tranny required extra power to run (less for the road) and worse economy.





3) If you drove a stick, more then once you would mash the oversized brake pedal with your left foot out of muscle memory and habit. THAT was a fun experience.





4) They did not have the indestructable reputation of the regular beetle and repairs were more frequent and expensive.





5) That was then.. this is now. Repairs are REALLY expensive assuming you can find the parts which are not made in the quantity that beetle parts are. Even the clutch plate is different, expensive and hard to find.





Flip side..





THey exist.. no need to convert your car.. just buy one.


THey are rare because of their quantity. That gives them a bit of value but not much.





Bottom line.. buy the 4 speed stick.. cheaper, more fun.. better car.. and easier to deal with in terms of maint.





..|||I would never switch it to an automatic. It is probably the easiest stick to learn on. It is like riding a bicycle or chewing gum and breathing at the same time. You can do that, correct? Unless you are missing your left leg( and I have seen 1 legged people who could drive standard shift), you are making up an excuse to suit yourself.


Go find someone who has an automatic old VW Beetle or stationwagen-they are plainly marked as autostickshift on the back. That is the automatic. Drive it. You will still have to shift.|||If you can even find an autostick trans for the Beetle, great.





Problem is...they weren't made in great numbers, if they even went in Beetles back thn. Maybe they did, but it's been 10 years since I had any old VW manuals, so I forget...|||If you want a manual, they already have them. You can't swap them.|||no, not possible. there was never an old bug made in an automatic, therefore you won't ever find an automatic transmission for one. you could always swap the motor for a new bug motor, but that'd be expensive