Volkswagen: 73 ghia autostick, neutral safety switch, seatbelt safety

Question
QUESTION: I asked a question before about an AS, I bought the car, finally got it all cleaned out. the car hasn't driven in 21 years, owner said he had the engine running 7 years ago, and had the AS engaged for about 1/10th of a mile. anyway, he must have rigged the wiring, bec I found to red wires under the back seat with a toggle switch that went to the starter, obviously he was bypassing the ignition switch, car appears original, all lines, hoses, vacuum, etc are intact, car rolls, still trying to get the engine to turnover, question, how will I know if the AS works are not, is there any step by step way to go through the entire system and find the problems, also, I have looked at a lot of pics of ghias over the last month and it appears that most owners get rid of all that emission stuff, vacuum hoses running out of the air cleaner and intake manifold, can I eliminate some of this mess with an autostk, question #3.  the exhaust system was junk and needed to be removed, I did get a new one, but it does not have the part on it like the old exhaust. looking at the engine from the back, on the left exhaust tube, there is an extra part, that has a tube coming out of it that goes to a big 5x5 inch flat looking box near the oil pump. have no idea what this is and if I need to even have this on the car. help me to identify this part. thankyou in advance

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

1) They were probably bypassing the neutral safety switch.  This is a switch that prevents the car from starting if the autostick is in gear.

or

This could have been a way to get rid of the seatbelt safety feature. (in most '73 Ghias)  The way this worked was the driver would have to be sitting in the seat with the seatbelt on in order for the car to start.

Either way, this is going to require a book to follow the wiring.

I'd suggest getting one from www.mamotorworks.com/vw

Next, I always suggest that autostick owners retain all of the original emission equipment to maximize performance.

VW had 40 years to perfect thier engines, so if there was a modification that would make it run better, they probably would have already done it.  

The box on the left is an EGR filter.  They are also available on the website mentioned above.

Let me know how you make out, keep me posted.

Congrats on your new car, you'll get it going!

Ron

The best way to fix this is to get a ghia manual and follow the wiring diagram.  



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok, Ron,  I have gotten the engine turned over the same way the previous owner did, by hooking the two wires to the starter,  it appears that the operating system is original, but has been tampered with, all the wire ends are redone.  I am seriously considering making this a Manual transmission car, I have read the forums about this, my car does have a clutch cable tube.  I have accumulated a manual tranny, clutch kit, cable, bowdens tube, flywheel, starter, pedal cluster and a Bentley manual.   After reading the forum strings, it appears that all I have to do is remove all the AS components, replace the manual transmission and all its components, and this should work.  I only have a few unanswered questions.  1. Do I need a different shift rod, couldn't I just leave in the original AS shift rod and the shifter?  2. How about the shift rod coupler, does this need to be changed?  3. I realize I need different engine/tranny mounting bolts, but do I need different transmission mounts in front and back?  4. I am told the AS axles are the same as manual transmission, is this true?  5.  Do I need a new intake manifold, or can I just plug the holes that the vacuum tubes went to?  6. Oil pump has the ATF tubes running to it, I read that I can just connect the two ATF tubes together with some fluid in them, and this should take care of that problem?  7. What about reverse lights, how will they work?  8. Is the Distributor different on a AS engine, do I need a diff. distributor?  On 73 Ghias, is there some sort of seatbelt interlock system that will keep the car from starting once I convert it?   I know there are alot of questions, thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Chris,

I strongly recommend you keep the Autostick system, as it is valuable, and it is probably not what is giving you your problems.

You may want to consider selling that vehicle for a manual.

However, if you want to convert the sytem (keeping in mind, that it will lower the value of your investment)

Here is what you need that I did not see on your list:

1) New oil pump for a manual shift.
2) A manual shift rod.  The autostick shifter is a different length, and the spring that holds the shifter end (by the coupling) is not needed.
3) A gear shift lever.
4) clutch disc
5) clutch pressure plate  (unless this is part of your clutch kit)
6) Throw-out bearing
7) A manual shifter coupling (yes, they are different)
8) A shifter plate for a manual (it goes under the lever)

--------------------

Questions you asked:

1) You do not need different transmission mounts.
2) The axles are the same.
3) You do not need to switch the manifold, you can block the hose port.
4) The distributor is for an autoshift.  To make your motor work the most efficiently you should go to:

www.wolfsburgwest.com and use the distributor guide to find one that fits your motor.

5) I mentioned above that you do need a regular oil pump, you cannot loop the ATF hoses together, or it will burn up.

6) Safety belt interlock:  The Bentley book that you have has a section in the rear (electrical section) that shows how to bypass the system.

Best of luck whatever you choose to do.  Either way, a Karmann Ghia is a great VW to have!

Take Care,

Ron