[T3] Automatic Transmission Conversation

[Adam Douglass]

Crew,

I want to know more about the type 3 automatic transmission. I am working on a deal that will net me (what I was told was) a 1970 Squareback. It is an Arizona car. It looks great for its age, runs and drives, but needs some work.

In talking about the current state of the car he made mention

"These auto stick
shifts gum up the servo when they sit and need the tranny to be serviced and
cleaned."

I am 100% new to the type 3 auto. Is this statement indeed true as far as only needing servicing, or should I expect bigger problems? Is a general transmission service going to alleviate the issues it has or should I plan on rebuilding this tranny? He made mention of it getting stuck in 3rd gear.

Also, I heard that these transmissions are sensitive to vacuum pressure..... basically I want the "what to look for when buying a type 3 auto." I want to know the signs of a bad tranny. I want to be able to educate myself real quick.


He also said:

"The engine is a GEX
that the previous owner had done 25-30k miles ago. It was sitting  for 3
years in his garage with minimal use. I have had it for 2 years. I start it at
least every 2-3 days with occasional spin around the cudlesac."

I have not heard good things about the GEX rebuilt motors, but this one is still going after 30,000 miles. What else should I look out for with a car that has spent most of its recent life sitting around?

My intention is a daily driver. I am not one to let my classics sit around and collect dust. It is time to get this car in driveable condition and put it on the road.

Class is in session.Educate me, please. A little background on me; I have been working on cars all of my life. I have a history with type 1's to the level of having owned 5 in my lifetime. You won't have to dumb it down for me.


Adam
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.vwtype3.org/pipermail/type3-vwtype3.org/attachments/20131015/cceae558/attachment.htm>