Having owned/restored/hot-rodded several VW Bugs & Ghias over the years, I thought I'd add my 2 cents to the mix.

An older Bug or Ghia can be a really fun car to own and drive but I really wouldn't recommend one as a daily driver. Yes, many upgrades are available for the drivetrain and suspension but you'll NEVER make it go, ride, handle or stop anything close to a modern, garden-variety econobox.....and stay within your budget. Without serious (read:expensive) suspension upgrades, speeds of 70+ can be scary.....especially in a crosswind. Adding A/C is possible but it will be marginally effective at best....and costly. If you don't upgrade to discs all around, braking (especially from freeway speed) is inadequate. Windshield wipers, ventilation and heating & defrosting are all weak. No amount of sound deadening will make these cars even close to being quiet. And lastly....there's not much room for a decent speaker system for the upgraded sound system you plan. Additionally, all old VWs are maintenance intensive and require tune-ups, oil changes and valve adjustments every 3k miles.

If you do decide to go this route, don't even consider an engine swap. There's a vast amount of speed parts available to wake up an air-cooled VW motor. Increasing displacement to around 2000cc with a stroker crank and large-bore cylinders is a good compromise between power and reliability. Topping this off with a good mid-range cam, big-valve ported heads, dual Webers and extractor exhaust should yeild around 115-120 reliable hp.....plenty of juice for a very light car car. You'll also want to mate this up to a well-built pro-street transaxel and performance clutch/pressure plate assembly.

All this being said, my recommendation would be to get a used Civic, Corolla, or similar for a daily driver and find yourself a nice Karmann Ghia convertible for a weekend cruiser. The late '69 thru '74 Ghias are most desireable as drivers. They have the most stock horsepower, front disc brakes, IRS and the best, fully-padded convertible tops w/glass rear windows. The late '69 models combine the classic small-bumper & lights styling with all the above features. As an added benefit, all Ghia convertibles continue to appreiciate in value.

Good luck with your project and before you jump into the world of VWs, a visit to www.aircooled.net is an absolute MUST! It's an excellent source for parts and even more importantly, information and advice.

Recently saw some slick looking wide fendered, bumperless Beetles with big wide wheels and it peaked my interest.

I have a freebie Superbeetle that someone gave me and I can't stop thinking about doing it up with a gutted interior and maybe a pumped up engine just to use as an occasional driver. Back in HS, I had a couple bugs and my biggest problem with them back then, was that they only did about 70mph (probably was actually a good thing back then!). I know I can build up a peppier engine, but is there an inexpensive solution to get better transmission ratios to allow higher highway cruising speeds? 120hp or so seems easy and fairly inexpensive, but I would want to be able to cruise at 80 mph.

Yes, VW transaxels are available from specialty builders with a wide range of gear ratios. What you're looking for is commonly known as a "Freeway Flyer". If you're running 120hp, you'll want that tranny to have other mods as well; such as welded 3rd & 4th gear hubs, a "Super Diff" (4 spider gears instead of 2), steel shift forks, stronger Super Beetle main shaft, and a heavy duty side cover. You can have your transaxel rebuilt with all the right stuff for around $700.

If you plan on pushing that Beetle to 80mph, you'd be wise to also think about upgrading the brakes to discs all around. Stock brakes are not safe at those speeds. Performance shocks and wider wheels & tires wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

Thanks for the info Rcooled. Found a picture showing the look that got me thinking (allthough I don't like the dark headlights).
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1148054843.jpg

Before you know it, you will have a 911!

Kidding aside, a "sleeper bug" would be a fun way beat up some Hondas.

Bugs don't "cruise" at 80 without some serious help.

1 - Cooling is an issue. You'd be running 80mph at 2500rpm instead of 4000rpm, which is that much less cooling air to the heads, which results in substantially shorter engine life. Even with stock ratios, it's a good idea to run a temperature gague if you plan on pushing it that hard.
2 - The suspension is unhappy at that speed. I'm running castor shims, wide rubber, and a new alignment, and 70 is a little scary. 80 is right out.
3 - Aerodynamics get weird. These cars were never meant for those speeds. Anything over 70, if I get even a little crosswind, it begins to feel very hairy very quick.

I do commute 20ish freeway miles daily in my refurbished Bug, but I do it at 65, tops. A note on power, though -- I'm running ~85hp out of my 1776cc engine, and it feels like an awful lot. I throw people back in their seats and outrun anything on the on-ramp. Spending the extra $$$ (and it's quite a bit of extra $$$) to get up to 120 is probably unnecessary.

I am running discs on all four (roto-hub kit from CB Performance, drilled for Fuchs) and it works fine. The installation was bolt-on with no major difficulties. The parking brake even still works.

In all seriousness, if you're looking for a daily driver, a bug can be a lot of fun. But if you're planning on spending $12-15K on the refurb, the guys who've suggested getting a 912 (or similar) are probably right on the mark. As a Porsche guy, you'll be unhappy with the general quality of Bug parts. When you can't find OE German parts and you settle for Brazilian/Canadian/Korean, you'll be disappointed at how much fabrication work is required for simple things. The front suspension will bother the living snot out of you, if you're used to having something even halfway modern. The lack of high-end performance will annoy you. The lack of creature comforts may also bother you -- I have to wear earplugs on long drives, for example, and conversation is all but impossible. The seats were an absolute must for replacement, because stock ones, while they're ok for a little cruise, are miserable for any more than 20 minutes.

(shrug) Don't say you haven't been warned.

I get a lot of 'modernization' questions through my website from people wanting to add A/C and other modern conveniences, or who are worried about crash safety. Every time I tell them if they want a comfy cruiser with good crash protection, buy a Honda/Volvo/etc.

Imagine someone asking how to modify a 911 to carry 6 kids and a dozen bales of hay.

Thom, I owned and enjoyed 2 bugs and a homebuilt cobbled buggy when I was a teen, I was just questioning whether there was a proven way to bump up the highway speed as my old beetles would top out at about 70mph which is a little slow to commute on some of the highways I travel to work. I have no false hopes about how about the driveability of a bug. I have one sitting out back that I thought might be fun to fix up and drive now and then. No AC, no frills, no track use, no high performance expectations. Just another toy to play with is all. The wide body big wheels/tires thing just sparked my old feelings for the bugs.