BarelyAWake -- I was trying reeeaallly hard to not go there, but now that that door is opened...
I like the stock body for it's ergonomics (seat position and ingress/egress); but otherwise, instead of a steel tube foundation, I'd want a carbon-fiber tub shaped something like this:
only with Bridgstone tires like these:
and a plexiglass bubble top to replace the canvas top, sort of like this:
Hydraulic brakes in the rear, but the fronts converted to in-wheel electric motors feeding supercapacitors for the 4WD necessary for amphibious operation. And an inboard/outboard hydrojet to replace the awkward Schwimmwagen arrangement.
The VW engine could be converted to Scuderi Split-cycle for diesel-level performance and 1/5th the NOx from the stock dual-port 1600.
I haven't hyperlinked all that and I'm sorry. I can't remember the name of the kabinenroller, I think it's Spanish.
It doesn't have to fly (that was Bucky's dream). I just want amphibious with Porsche-level road manners.