Automatic Anyone ?

I am considering a daily driver MK1 Jetta but it's a 1500cc automatic. Not being too familiar with them myself I wondered what you fellow golfers thought of your automatic MK1's. What are the pros and cons ? How easy would it be to swap to a manual set up ?

BTW….. it's a left hand drive too  :mrgreen:

well it aint been thrashed
trying to do a proper left hand drive to right now and its turning out to be a right ballache mate…..   would you be happy with it in left hand drive form? im guessing bodies good… they normally are… :dontknow:

When I bought my mk1 1.5auto I thought that it went quite well,It is not to difficult to convert it to a manual if you want to once you have sorsed all of the parts.Mine has now got a 1.9tdi in it with a 5speed box goes alot better and also much better on fuel.The automatics in general seem to be fairly well looked after in there life time,Weather it is because they are mainly used by oldies to pop down the shops and back and lower mileage who knows.
Whats the bodywork like on the jetta?That is the biggest thing these days finding a car with a good body to start with aspecialy since the newest tin tops are nearly 25 years old.
Have fun with the Jetta project and keep us all informed.
                 Baller

I'm okay with it being a left hooker. My first mk1 was LHD so it doesn't phase me so I'd keep the wheel on that side but whether I can live with an automatic I'm not so sure. Hence the conversion to manual thought.

baller said

Whats the bodywork like on the jetta?That is the biggest thing these days finding a car with a good body to start with aspecialy since the newest tin tops are nearly 25 years old.
Have fun with the Jetta project and keep us all informed.
                 Baller

I think it spent it's life in wrinkly hands  

The bodywork is absolutely mint and the interior is untouched too. I'm seriously tempted

baller said

When I bought my mk1 1.5auto I thought that it went quite well,It is not to difficult to convert it to a manual if you want to once you have sorsed all of the parts.Mine has now got a 1.9tdi in it with a 5speed box goes alot better and also much better on fuel.                 Baller

Was it straight forward to do this. Same mounts / New pedal box ?

im only guessing but, pedal box, column, linkage, interior, starter, box ( :mrgreen: ), think the carb might be different :dontknow:. if its cheap mate get it bought, will never have been above 2500 rpm

tomo320 said

im only guessing but, pedal box, column, linkage, interior, starter, box ( :mrgreen: ), think the carb might be different :dontknow:. if its cheap mate get it bought, will never have been above 2500 rpm

I think the autos are great. The only issue is, because its only 3 speed, top gear is low geared.

So it will have spent a lot of time at high revs, if driven on the motorway.

ahh right, nice one.

aye, you always see them mk1 jetta autos flying past you in the fast lane…..  :dontknow:

You're all forgetting the most important thing-you can keep one hand on your pie when you drive. :y:

Had an early mk2 auto recently (now belongs to my sister) Which had about 48k on the clock and it was spot on, it was a coffin dodger's runaround for the first 10 year's of it's life and was really nice.

Oh and as for the gearing thing, on a long (2hr) run I got 30 mpg ish. But as I spent the vast majority of it on private roads  :angel:  at about 90mph I wasn't complaining.

Get some pics up!!!??

I drive a LHD mk1 at the moment with no problems!!

And at least the brakes will be good??? :wink:

Yes, I've got 31 pics  

You need that many when you can't see the car in the flesh. I keep looking at them and the condition is drawing me in to the point where I'm trying to ignore that it's not a two door manual  :?

She looks an apsolute peach,You've got to go for it mate.Where are you going to find a mk1 anywhere better than this one,although I know I'm only going by your pics.It looks class.
Hope it goes to a good home no matter what.
                              Baller

I have a 1.6 auto mk1 and i have no probs with it at all , car looks crackin

autocab said

I have a 1.6 auto mk1 and i have no probs with it at all , car looks crackin

Not boring / uninvolving then ?

Not boring / uninvolving then ?

That's just how I'd describe an automatic Personal taste I suppose, but my mk2 1.8 auto isn't that exciting - good cruiser maybe. The 3 speed box ratios mean lack of overtaking grunt 60-70mph and high revs at motorway speeds. However, that Jetta does look very good, almost good enough to ignore the lhd and autobox.

markwon said

Not boring / uninvolving then ?

 However, that Jetta does look very good, almost good enough to ignore the lhd and autobox.

LHD & autobox ???  DRAT !!! I'd forgotten about them until you brought up the subject !!!  :evil:  :evil: