I just read an interesting note by Michael about Passat
automatic transmissions.  I greatly prefer to row down the
road with a manual gear box instead of an automatic.  But I
do realize that today's most efficient automatics with
lock-up torque converters approach good manual box
efficiency much more closely than automatics did when I
developed my general disdain toward them.  But when I
consider how this narrowing efficiency comparison gap
applies to Vanagons, I wondering about two automatic
transmission issues:

1)  Do any automatics that can be used in Vanagons have
lock-up torque converters?
2)  Is it possible to change Vanagon automatic transmission
final drive ratios?
John