Teach me a little about Type 4 VW motors

I've a hankering for a type 34 Karmann Ghia But would like to give it a bit more oomph without spending a ton or butchering the thing (no Subbie/rotary conversion). I don't know the air-cooled world much, but one thing that I've noted is that while the lower-powered motors are really cheap, a nice type 4 is pretty pricey. I'm curious if there are guys around here who can explain why this is, and what's the most economical way to break the 100 HP barrier while staying reliable.

There aren't many Type 34s around.

Love the early ghias

I almost bought this one:

http://bringatrailer.com/2015/01/13/1963-karmann-ghia-type-34-project/

Sorry that I didn't

Be careful about overpowering rear engined, short wheel base cars on skinny tires. They will swap ends when you least expect. I managed to roll my (normally powered) Karmann over in a ditch. Not fun.

I understand that. If I were to build a normal Ghia I'd likely go all-out with a tube frame, shift the motor to the middle, et cetera. But 34s are too rare to butcher like that. I see reversible changes: disc brakes in front, 100 HP + cruising gear. Just make it a little more fun. But there's no question about what old rear-engined cars will do to the unwary driver when pressed.

I'll leave this here shoptalkforums.com