need advice for buying the right beach buggy

[rickman]

well everyone i am new to not only forums but also vw's. i have wanted a vw beachbuggy since the first time i saw a picture of one with jimi hendrix driving it. although i like jimi hendrix it is about the style of the car. that was when i was about 7. i am coming up on my 24th birthday and thought a beach buggy would be a fitting present. the problem is that i don't know the first thing about vw's. i was raised in a chevy family. also i know there are slightly different body styles that i like more or less. i would like some advice on things i should look for when buying a beach buggy specifically. were some years made better than others? is it a better idea just to find a frame and buy a body off the net. how much work would this entail. i am looking for one suitable for town driving and fairly mild dirt and gravel roads. also what should i expect to pay for something like this. i don't need anything that is cherry since i do want to abuse it a little. also i would like to find something that is already mechanically sound or wouldn't require much work since my vw cherry is yet to be popped. any advice or info would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance.