you would be surprised what you can do to the autos. weak link now is getting a diff. no one makes one. tranny itself will hold more power/abuse than any vw 5spd. only options are phantom grip/welded/spool.
still, i could find 5 cars that equal 1500… mileage dont mean jack on a car that old to me–everything would get tossed out anyways for a 16v.