How do you put 1973 vw bus in reverse?

Answer 1

actually...reverse is down next to second instead of up next to first, after the downward pressing of the entire shift rod into the floor, move the shifter to the left toward your knee and back toward the front corner of your seat. there is a safety mechanism made of plastic in the bus transaxle which prevents accidental shifting from first into reverse when shifting into second. however, very few of these transaxles still have this safety mechanism in tact, often resulting in the accidental grinding of reverse while attempting the shift into second. hope this helps. :) the previous post reflects the proper shifting into reverse on Water-Cooled VW models, not air-cooled such as the bus or beetle.