Dan,

If you are talking about the noise (perhaps clunking) in the front end, it is 
probably the front CV joints in need of lubrication....  I tow my splitwindow 
beetle on a single axle trailer and by 56K miles, I had to have both the front 
and rear CVs dissasembled, cleaned, relubed, and reinstalled.  The fronts are 
extremely expensive (if you don't have the tools) as the entire front spindle 
assembly has to be pulled off of the suspension arms...  Hope this sheds some 
light on your front end noise.

       Jon
       1950 DeLuxe Beetle
       1958 Karmann Ghia Coupe'
       1959 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet
       1960 Beetle Cabriolet
       1971 (Original Owner) Super Beetle
       1986 Jetta GL
       1990 Syncro Westfalia

Yea, the engines are the same whether 2wd or syncrhro. I think head jobs were
common in 84s,5s,6s&7s due to pitting which caused leaking at the head
gasket. Wrong antifreeze was blamed by some but I don't buy that. I used
"Autobahn" all the time and it still happened to my 87 at 77K(head job
courtesy VW). I would't worry about a head job--if that's all it was--as long
as someone didn't overheat the engine beforehand. I know 2 people who ran the
engine out of coolant and needed much more major work.

One thing I'd check is the exhaust system integrity--but a 86 may have that
all done over. Mine (now 119K) was mostly replaced at 70K, but our salty
roads are murder on those pipes hanging at the rear.

Don't know much about the trans, but I have some unnatural noise in the front
drive. However, I tow with it more than I should I guess.

DanWilliams   (skidooer.aol.com)
87 Synchro
94 Glorified VW sedan