So I have an 03 d17a2. I recently bought the car and found it needed a bunch of work. New suspension. New header back exhaust. Some hub work and brake work. I went to replace the motor with another a2 but was advised by the mechanic that i only needed a head as everything in my block was fine. Fast forward a couple of weeks after install and now come to find out i have bad piston seals and im leaking oil. All of that being said now that i have to start over motor wise what will match up with the stock trans? And if nothing will what would be the best swap for this car if i wanna have some fun with it now that its become an investment????

 

Most definitely the k20 series with a stage 3 clutch

 

So what else would i need for a k20 to match my stock d17 trans? Or would they match right up i thought k20 had the trans bolted to the other side of the motor