I am an amputee, I just purchased a 1972 914 and I need to convert it to an automatic. What is the best automatic and share how it can be done and where. I live in Indy.

Thread by a member who had a 914 with an Audi auto trans:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=101948

A Vanagon trans might work well. They initially had Type 4 engines. Or late Bay Window bus...

Thanks for the quick reply

If it were me, I would put in a sportomatic instead. It gives you all the fun of shifiting without the clutch. And there are only a few sportomatic cars out there.


Clay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123851590716?chn=p...9xoCrwsQAvD_BwE

No doubt... Sportomatic.

Sportomatic would be very cool.

Many Sporto cars were converted to stick so there ar parts out there to be
found.
Most of the parts are interchangeable to the 914 install.....the rear cover however is
914 only .....but there are NOS ones if you do a WTB
Good luck.

I just found this on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-914-914-6-...31743062?_ul=IN

While a /4 sporto would be cool there's lots to consider. A sporto box would likely be sourced from a 911 and would need the ring gear flipped. You also need to find a vacuum tank and servo, the special shifter with the electrical contacts and maybe a fluid reservoir since the /6 used the engine oil tank. You'd need to figure out how to circulate oil for the convertor. The /6 used a pump driven off the end of the camshaft but a pump was never developed for a 914/4. You may be able to use something like the double pump from a VW autostick but will likely run into clearance problems with the engine support bar like you do with a dry sump pump. A few of the reasons why I don't think we've ever seen a /4 converted to sportomatic. A full auto from an inline engine front wheel drive VW/Audi is much easier since everything is in the box.

Paging @dr914@autoatlanta.com

1.8T from an A4 automatic...
Paging Andrew Dalen...

@Andyrew

I hate raining on someones parade, but this does not seem to be well thought out. Yes, there were 914/6 Sportomatic cars; but they are very rare and not cheap. So why buy a 914/4 before having a complete plan in place? The 914/4 has to be the worst Porsche to convert excepting the 356.

Wouldn't a Subaru transmission work?

Just an idea, but perhaps an EV conversion kit would be worthwhile. Automatic style driving with a huge increase in torque.?

https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info...fb73e197a2db4a5

On second thought....
I completly overlooked that the OP was asking about converting a four cylinder car.
DOH !
The Audi auto seems the most doable....afterall... the engine IS in front of the trans.
There was one documented here, no ?

No no no. Sorry, but why even bother?

Amputee.

Got it. Thanks. I didn't see the earlier post.

Hahaha, I knew you would.

You'd have to find a 2WD Subaru trans (pre-1996) or convert an AWD. Then you'd need an adapter plate or convert the engine to Subaru. The 4EAT is pretty big and heavy as well. Late Bus/early Vanagon had type 4 engines. That's the easiest way to go.

If you want to go backwards. The case design is not conducive to flipping the ring gear.

Electric conversion?

It would be a relatively easy conversion to any VAG engine.

Nothing bolts up to the stock 1.7, so you are looking at an engine/trans swap to likely the Passat/A4, or EV conversion, or...

...rig a hand lever to the stock clutch pedal.

...or if you are adventurous, rig a solenoid or hydraulic setup to the trans. The clutch cable only moves an inch to disengage.

I'd suggest a well built and sorted Subaru conversion. Then sell the transmission, clutch etc. Next shop JDM"S, junk yards and internet for a Subaru automatic transmission for less than $300 (if not free). Next, buy Subaru gears 2 wheel conversion package ($2500, for the Automatic transmission and Bingo. @Chris H., it's about the same length after you shorten it.

bonus - going to accelerate hard too - done right.

And

The purist in me loves this idea - keeps it in the family. Drove a friends VW bug with an AutoStick and it was pretty interesting to drive. Like Clay said, fun of shifting without the clutch.

Never see Sportomatics on the road so there's extra points there for novelty. Wondering how hard it would be to come up with the parts?

Beyond that, this is one of the few times I'd say I'd be down with an electric 914.

In this day and age of cheap linear actuators and stepper motors, I'd be thinking about putting a switch on the shift ball and using that to trigger an electric motor to take care of the clutch apply & release. Would take some creative programming of a microcontroller to manage the clutch modulation though.

Just buy a sporto from a 911 (there is one on Ebay right now) and get the 914 specific parts for it. THe sporto shifter and pedals are the same between the 911 and 914. If you are doing a /4, then you will need a flex plate for a 411/412, and some way to get oil pressure to the transmission.

+1, my mom had one in a 1968 Beetle back in the day, we called it a "touch clutch". Reasonably simple and it worked great for many years, but I do recall replacing a small fine gauge wire feeding the shift lever. It's 50 years ago

I've got a Sportomatic core trans for sale, in case you decide you go that direction. Shoot me a PM if any interest.

My wife had a 70-super beetle with an automatic stick shift when I was dating her in High School. It really was just an automatic clutch. When you touched the shifter, it went into neutral and it was very easy to drive. You just shifted the car and really you could just drive in the 2nd gear and if you where going to go up a steep hill you put it in 1st, if you where going fast you just shifted to third. Very easy to drive.

I drove it very, very hard and it never broke on us.

Bob B

My mother had 1 also. It was fun holding the shifter while it was in first gear . Rev up the engine + release the shifter.

I’m getting old and I forget a lot but didn’t the VW 411 come with an automatic option? If so, could the ring gear be flopped? If not, the type 3.

Charlie

I've got a copy of the 100 page tech information bulletin Porsche sent to dealers in 1970 to provide them maintenance information. It includes 4 or 5 pages showing technical details of the sportomatic transmission installation in 914/4 and 914/6, although I don't think Porsche actually built any 914/4 sportomatics.
It is in German but I'm sure it could be fed into some sort of computer programs to digitalize and translate. Let me know if you decide to go with a sporto and I will send you a copy of the transmission pages.

What part of your body was amputated? Could you add a hand controlled clutch control level like a motorcycle clutch to a custom made shift lever? Clutch modulation would be the same as a motorcycle. Of this is possible you could be driving in a couple days. Sorry to ask for additional personal info but it would help us understand how to best assist.

You know Rick, that could work. My cousin lost his leg and had to alter his life. I just assumed that was what was up. A devise like this built to proper proportions should allow a tall shift knob, angled forward a bit with a m/c clutch handle.

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