I dunno, I was always hopping up my Bug engines, from my 1100cc 6v versions to the 2100cc monster I stuffed into my Bradley GTII kitcar.
My '72 flat-windshield Super Bug was a milder 1600 Dual Port, it started life as an Auto Stick (and folks somehow think that's a new concept...) which I switched over to a standard 4-speed manual. I drove it for several years before I gave it to my sister in 1986. She had it for a long time before the Wisconsin winter salt ate through the front McPherson strut subframe. Then it was sold to a fellow VW enthusiast, who rebuilt the front end assembly - it's still buzzing around Sauk City, last I heard.
The 2100cc Bradley was a real terror, with dual Weber IDF 44mm 2-barrel carbs, high-lift, long-duration camshaft, ported heads, lightweight flywheel, Bosch 009 non-vacuum distributor, Kennedy pressure plate, oversize external oil cooler w/fan, you name it. In the lightweight kit car, it just plain boogied, and reminded me a lot of my old Porsche 914/6.
I've been jonesing to do another air-cooled Bug one these days, just because I found them fun to play with, and so easy to work on. Alas, there aren't as many Bugs out there these days for project cars...