I usually use 14 gage wire for most applications on old VWs.  The ignition wire, headlight circuits and maybe one or two other items need something that will handle a little more current.  The best way to stay safe is compair your replacement to the original . . . It's OK if the new wire is a little bigger than the old wire . . . but don't go to smaller wire.

And on colors, keep them as close to the original wire colors as possible.  You buy a spool of red automotive wire and rewire the entire car.  It will work . . . electrons could care less what color the insulation is.  But somewhere down the road it WILL have an electrical problem and trust me, you don't want to troubleshoot an electrical system where all the wires are the same color! :wink:

Last I checked Napa had a huge assortment of wire colors to chose from should get ya pretty close.

Thanks for the additional info on napa and the wiring diagrams. However the wires that i am going to fix are those that are about maybe 8 to 10 inches long under the front hood. All i should have to do is take the one wire off and put new ends on the new wire and put it back on. I do not plan on taking off more than one at a time as i find them frayed or broken. My memory is not what it used to be so i take things a little at a time......