what would the hp be?

[EvilAngel]

Originally Posted by oasis

I am not expert enough to comment on any other details and won't pretend to be.

Well neither am I, but since I am also in the quest for the perfect combo for my daily driver (and sometimes also sole source of transportation) I have read a lot recently about VERY reliable combos and with a decent power output.
Remember the bug is a very light car compared to others, so even with lower HP numbers you can outrun them. According to John Connoly from aircooled.net, with about 140 HP you can outrun a mustang, and above 180 you can beat a vette
Now, regarding piston size reliability, the reason for this is that you want your cylinder walls to be as tick as stock. If you use thinner walls, heat will warp them.
As for revving the engine. You can do it, however, too high rpm means a lot of friction, and a lot of wear, therefore, less useful life. Remember that the stock bug has a redline at abou 4500 rpm (at least a mex-spec bug does). You can get a higher redline by changing some components, such as the crank, the cam, connecting rods, etc, but then, ther'es wear. That's exactly why I chose a stroker. Higer power at lower RPM's, and even better, more torque in the lowrange! All these equal longer life under similar conditions

Edit: Oh and I forgot to say, I am also adding an extra oil cooler, since the extra displacement will generate more heat, and more heat = less life.