# Subarus and VW Bugs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subarus-and-vw-bugs/125805>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subarus-and-vw-bugs/125805 "2002-08-27T18:24:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subarus-and-vw-bugs/125805/1 "2002-08-27T18:24:13Z")

</div>

On another board I heard a member state that the flat four engine found in Subarus have the same bolt pattern as the flat four in a Bug…one could theoretically do a direct engine swap.

A VW/Porsche swap I could see, but a Subaru?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subarus-and-vw-bugs/125805/2 "2002-08-27T21:52:36Z")

</div>

Well, I don’t know whether the mounting story is true, but the lack of plumbing for a water-cooling system in the bug would be somewhat of a handicap. Guess one could mount a radiator on the roof or something.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@knarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knarf)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subarus-and-vw-bugs/125805/3 "2002-08-27T22:31:46Z")

</div>

Apparently it can be done, but it requires an adapter plate, adding a cooling system, and so on. The link below is actually for a Vanagon page, but it should have any info you need:

[Go to the Gas to Other Gas Engine Conversions section here.](http://volksweb.relitech.com/convert.htm)