so i have a 69 beetle and i want to put a 73 transaxle into it for better hwy cruising. other than the 3 bolt nose cone difference, is there any other mods involved in the swap?
A 73 Bug gearbox does NOT have a taller hwy gear in it. Swapping in that gearbox won't help reduce your rpms.
When VW changed from a 4.12 R&P to the taller 3.88, they also put in a shorter 4th gear to compensate. The result is taller 1-2-3, with the same overall final drive ratio on 4th gear.
IF you do this swap, you need to be aware of the potential interference between your early 2 bolt nose cone and the cage for the mainshaft ball bearing (top one). The later nose cone has clearance. You may have to clear your early nose cone.