all VW's from the late 70's right up until 1999 possibly later share the '020 5 speed gearbox' which is an OK unit, but reverse gears are straight cut, meaning you have to BABY reverse. NEVER shift into reverse unless the car is at a complete stop, because if you grind reverse there's a good chance you will damage the gear and it will not stay in reverse without popping out and grinding horribly. Most cars are not as sensitive to the occasional 'reverse grind' even though its still a bad thing to do, but VW's are especially prone to it. If you buy a used VW with a manual transmission, carefully test reverse gear by listening for a constant 'clicking' or grinding in reverse. Parts generally cost more that a complete new transmission, so I would recommend getting the gearbox replaced with a rebuilt model.