75 Beetle

I recently bought a 1975 non-running beetle. It's not a superbeetle, I got it running just fine. The problem is when I put it in gear, it's an automatic, it crunches like a manual with the clutch out. It takes a moment then as it starts to engage it dies. Any suggestions besides the obvious? I am new to owning a VW and I feel like there must be something I should be doing before I try to put it in gear. I don't have a owners manual for it so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
JB