Hey everyone

New over here, anyways, I have a mini which I'm trying to sell off, and get another classic. I am considering the Bug and the Ghia. I am not looking for a restoration classic, but rather a subtle custom (no major dropping chopping etc, just some nice alloys, slightly lowered, repainted, reupholstered etc.).

What I would like to know is about the following things:

1) Performance. Having had a 1.3 litre mini, I am used to 0-60 times of around 13 seconds, and VERY sharp handling (hardly any braking required before corners ). I would like a car that has some pep. I live in Cyprus so modifying engines and getting whole modified engines is not an option. I can however order some parts (cams, heads?). I do want some sharp handling (little body roll), and will have this even at compromise of comfort. As for engine, ideally I would want a turbo (that was my next mini project), not so much for power, but for the sound.. I will also be investing in disc brakes, as I feel these are necessary, and are not as expensive as I thought they would be!

2) Which parts do the beetle and ghia share, if any? Ghias are pretty rare round here, so getting parts for them would be a pickle!

3) What to look for when buying a ghia? I know most of the things to look for with a beetle.. basically the pan and heater channels and around the battery box?

4) What performance mods can be done to each car and how expensive are they? I do not want a race car, but rather a fast road car. Are there improved shocks? Springs? What about engine parts? I do not want a complete race-spec engine, as I wil be on a budget!

5) Electrical system. What can they take? Does the ghia come with 12v? I intend to run a mild ICE setup, but I will have quite a bit of auxiliary lighting, so that will draw some current. What's the alternator like? Are there uprated ones at a cost that isnt ridiculous?

6) VERY IMPORTANT POINT: Reliability.. I am aware of the fact that these cars are simple to fix if anything goes wrong. What I want to know is how often will things go wrong? The same "simple-to-fix" applied to my mini, but that is quite a nightmare, as theres always problems with it (oil leaks, brake leaks, electrical problems etc.)

7) I intend on fitting some 15-16" wheels. Are there any issues with arches etc? Does a super beetle have bigger fenders? What width of wheels can the cars take without mods? And if they do need mods, can you get fiberglass fenders for cheap-ish?

That's probably it for now, thanks for bearing with me!

Pavel

P.S. What are some good online VW parts stores with both restoration parts and performance parts that have a large stock (w/ pictures and prices and info) and that ship worldwide? Just so I have an idea of things!

Just buy a Mk1 Golf GTI. Much cheaper to get performance than air cooled. Early GTI's are classic already, anyway....

Hello Pavel,lots of questions,fear not all will be revealed for all the answers go to http://shoptalkforums.com/  for all the parts and go fast gear with prices go to http://www.aircooled.net/  and http://www.cbperformance.com/  enough to keep you busy for 6 months enjoy.