Front suspension ideas -  Have a read of my build thread as tried a few on there

Then ignore everything I have written        

"Don't do what I did!" 

To get back to the point in hand. The best shocks to use can be very silly money, I'm talking thousands each, hence asking the budget.

However, without the rest of the suspension being up to snuff, a set of adjustable Gaz or Protech are going to give you 95% of what you can get on a stock setup for far less cash - a pair will only set you back £200-300.

If you're on coilovers you'll probably need more leaves out than you think or only run very soft springs on them just to give you some easy ride height adjustment. IIRC back when I was on Rancho and then the Bilstein front dampers I only ran about 40-80lb/inch front springs with the leaves still in.
And that was for race use - don't get me wrong it was more comfortable than almost every buggy I've been in but I also had 50% more travel to help that out...

Once I switched over to the emulsion foxes, and then the remote res adjustable 3-way dampers, I stepped the rates up and dropped the leaves entirely, but that's a lotta work, and you need reinforced towers.

[Tread plies]

Back in 1970 when I hauled my first Beetle out of a local scrapyard thrilled to bits to be on my way to being a car owner I had no idea of the path the following decades would take me along. What a smile on my face the first winter when I got into work each and every day. Simply passing other folks stranded with spinning wheels and sliding cars.
All down to a transaxle, independent swinging axle and engine weight in the rear. Total genius. However the point of this thread is to simply say that it is the simplicity of Beetle design that endears it to buggy builds and there is nothing, or almost nothing, out there that you cannot obtain for a cheap, perfectly acceptable buggy drive. It`s not as tho` you are likely to be going "racing"   
So my message is this.... I came to realise that there are so many people out their in the "classic car" world with hoards of stuff in sheds, garages and so on and If you take the time to reach out you will be welcomed and in no time at all you have what you need. If one guy cannot help he will pass you on to someone else and so on. I have lost count of the hours I have spent over five and a half decades on the phone and driving the country from end to end. Beetle, Camper lovers will talk endlessly for hours with you along with cup of tea after cup of tea.      This doesn`t just apply to private individuals chase the commercial outlets as well. Drive up in your buggy and you will not be sent away packing.
Here is an example that this thread brought to mind.....
When, initially I took the view regarding IVA I thought best go all out and overkill became the norm. I see my foolishness now but thought at the time I was doing best. 
Below are two photographs of the tyres I have on my buggy, (Rear in this case). My initial thought was to keep the rolling circumference as near to an original tyre as possible. (At the time I had no knowledge of front to rear weight distribution requirements for IVA so I imagined keeping the wheels. tyres etc as near to what Dr Porsche decided would be the way to go).
Right that`s the background. Was told a tyre of this type/size was no longer available. Well I proved them wrong. (Note no silica whatsoever in construction). UNIROYAL RALLYE 440 . 225-55-ZR15. (Rain Tyre so notice the true marking for a road production vehicle" rain tyre".  See it..... Yes that`s an umbrella embossed on the sidewall.  Tread plies are  1 x Polyester + 2 Steel + 2 Nylon.  Side wall - 1 ply Polyester
Max Load rating 630 kgs. Max pressure 44psi.(Measures with cold tyre).
That`s what I have. They grip equally well on road as off. Super supple and the tread depth shows no measurable wear.
Bottom line for me at the ripe old age of 73......  Keep it simple, keep it as cheap as chips and get out there and have fun.

The Rallye 440 is a very high silica compound. That's what makes it a good rain tyre. That's why it has the umbrella on the sidewall... 

UniRoyal rain tyres in general are some of the highest silica doped road-going compounds you can get.

Don't you guys think that you're over complicating what was designed to be a really simple car to build and maintain, especially considering the original poster is a relative newcomer to the hobby?

A buggy with basically standard Beetle mechanicals that's not too low to the ground and running street tyres with a sensible profile; ie not too low, will ride and handle just fine.

Anything other than standard shocks, ie coil overs and most gas shocks, low ride height and low profile tyres and you risk shaking your fillings loose.

Keep it simple folks or you'll be scaring people off 

Don't you guys think that you're over complicating what was designed to be a really simple car to build and maintain

I am all for simplification. That is what I was trying to get over