We offer conversion parts and packages for converting a Beetle or T3 Bus to Subaru engines:
many parts made in-house, plus products from other suppliers that we have tested ourselves, all in very good quality.
We're also happy to carry out the conversion for you. Get in touch via our contact page for detailed advice.
Conversion parts
Phone: +49 5771 9187088 (Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm) · Email: office@knepper-bugs-more.de
Knepper Bugs & more does not publish an overall price for a Subaru conversion in the Beetle; you can discuss the cost in a consultation via the contact page or at +49 5771 9187088. Individual conversion parts have fixed shop prices, such as the LMB adapter kit for €568.90 and the modified water bridge for €109.90 with core exchange or €139.90 without (as of October 2026).
All Subaru conversion partsKnepper Bugs & more in Rahden builds Beetles with a Subaru boxer engine: either as a fully restored and completely rebuilt Knepper® or as a conversion of your own Beetle. Vehicles with a sale price are not listed on the website; send inquiries to +49 5771 9187088 or via the contact page.
Finished Subaru Beetles in the galleryKnepper Bugs & more offers conversion parts for the Subaru EJ20, EJ22 and EJ25 boxer engines, such as the exhaust system, water bridges and wiring harness modification. Builds by Knepper include an everyday Super Beetle 1303 with an EJ22 (2.2 liters, 136 PS) and a Super Beetle 1303 with an EJ20 Turbo.
Example: Super Beetle 1303 with Subaru EJ22Knepper Bugs & more mates the Subaru engine to the Beetle transmission with the LMB adapter kit; the bellhousing has to be ground down slightly in three places. The everyday Super Beetle 1303 with EJ22 runs a long-geared exchange (AT) transmission, the EJ20 Turbo Beetle a Porsche 915 transmission.
View the LMB adapter kit for the BeetleYes, more power needs stronger brakes. In its everyday Subaru Beetle, Knepper Bugs & more fits the Porsche 944 floating caliper brake front and rear, which according to Rüdiger Knepper suits the car well and is fairly easy to get approved.
Porsche brake conversionYes, Knepper Bugs & more carries out Subaru conversions in its own workshop in Rahden. The Subaru parts in the shop come from these conversions, many of them made in-house.
Request a consultationAt Knepper Bugs & more, the radiator sits up front in the spare tire well, about half of which is cut out; with the trunk board in place, you cannot see it in the trunk or from the outside. On Knepper's test drive at an outside temperature of 30 °C, the coolant temperature was 80 to 85 °C.
All Subaru conversion partsYes, but only slightly on the everyday conversion by Knepper Bugs & more: the original firewall stays, only corners on the right and left are cut out, and they can be refitted. For the radiator, the front part of the spare tire well is also removed, while the trunk board stays at its original height.
That is up to the inspector on a case-by-case basis: the Subaru exhaust system, header and muffler from Knepper Bugs & more are not road-legal in Germany and can only be registered via individual approval (Einzelabnahme), while the catalytic converters on offer carry an E-mark. According to Knepper, an H plate (German historic registration) is hardly obtainable with such a conversion, so clarify the conversion with your inspection body beforehand.
Yes, Knepper Bugs & more has built a Super Beetle 1303 with a Subaru EJ20 Turbo, combined with a Porsche 915 transmission and the Porsche 944 Turbo brake system front and rear. According to Knepper, the larger transmission requires more extensive modifications, including cutting a section out of the frame tunnel.
See the EJ20 Turbo BeetleYes, Knepper Bugs & more also offers conversion parts and installation for the VW T3, for example the LMB adapter kit for €568.90 and the LMB engine mount for €229.00 (as of October 2026). On the T3, the adapter kit only fits the 4- and 5-speed transmissions of the gasoline models.
Subaru parts for the T3Your question isn't listed? Call us: +49 5771 9187088 (Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm) or write to office@knepper-bugs-more.de.
