Vanagon Synchro parts would do the job as far as power train, though for some reason that I do not recall I was thinking to use a Datsun/Nissan IRS 510 or 280/300 Z rear diff (~same as Sube) in the front. Might have been the need for different R&P ratios to keep the different tire sizes. Most glass buggies don't have a lot of room for larger front tires. A tube chassis type buggy would make this a lot easier. Keeping the highly valued Link Pin front suspension design is where things got crazy. Would've needed a purpose built frame as the shortened Bug pan in my buggy would not have worked. At the time the Synchro was a brand new vehicle, so finding one of those transaxles at a college student price wasn't too likely.
Downside to the Vanagon transaxle is the taller than my 5.375:1 R&P ratio. For the way I used the buggy I'd have also needed to interrupt the input shaft at the bell housing to transaxle case joint and install some sort of custom low range gear set. At one time I had a Warn Over Drive for a Dana 18 transfer case and I was looking at how I might use it as an underdrive, but concluded that it would not have been low enough.
So the next iteration was to use two of the Dats diffs, one at each end, with a VW diesel Rabbit transaxle set sideways in the middle-rear of the car. I expected that the now center diff would need some sort of LSD. The diesel t/a was chosen for it's OD 4th and really tall OD 5th combined with it's 3.89:1 R&P. I figured (at the time) that few engines would like the highway engine speeds (ability to go at least an hour at highway speeds was a design criteria) so I figured to adapt a 13B rotary to the ribbit transaxle. Rotaries are notorious for their exhaust noise and being hard to quiet as their EGT's are very high. Most mufflers die early behind one. The easiest way to quiet a rotary is to turbocharge it. I hate when that happens....
A mid-engined turbo Rotary powered AWD 'glass buggy? It's a good thing I was poor then.
Sigh, some day I'll have to sit down, list each project idea and give them a sequential project number.......
