Thanks for your response.
I actually didn't realise that the engines were still that expensive. However I can't say I'm suprised as the price of 90s JDM cars has gone through the roof, here in the UK.
I have owned a few hondas in the past = love them - but I didn't know k20 starlet swops were a thing until I recently came across this vid:
Can you tell me whats involved with a k swop and how easy/hard it is to do?
not easy. but if you Are desperate enough anything is possible.
ill rough breakdown parts and requirements. costs change with country and labor rates. keep in mind its a desperate swap for me to get the car going, so anything that wont benefit me later will not be used. Hence the Non turbo Aspect.
ECU
i already had the haltech elite 1000, And the ic7 dash and wideband 02 kit, so costs were slightly cheaper for me for this one, but any haltech 1000+ will do the job.
some use K-pro or MSQ ecu's as well
Wiring
i added a brand new Fuseless elite 1500 loom to supplement my PD16 power Distro Module, and fuse/relay removal. Ofcourse you could just stick with a fused haltech /k-pro tucked, etc loom. and no pd16 to cut costs massively.
Engine
Any k20, OR k24. pick one. does not matter which, the difference usually lies in small variations to vtec etc and engine displacement, if you want the nitty gritty, the k24 wins. simple as that, if you wanna go nuts, stick a k24z1 head on the k24a3/2 and make good power. gains are minimally added on the N/a cars.
Gearbox
DC5r gearbox for mega fun, or CL9 / CL7 accord euro gearbox for functionality. either works, difference isnt crazy in a starlet.
Engine Mounting.
starlet has no front Kframe. this is both Very good, and kinda bad.
k series engines fits relatively easy in there, but like all honda and toyota's that are fwd, they are used to 3 mounts, front left, right, and rear
Engine mounting P2,
you will need custom engine mounts, a kit does not exist.
FWD front Hubs
custom machining OR custom driveshafts. pick one.
Bonus Section below.
Weight Reduction.
to offset the larger engine you should displace as much weight as possible from the engine bay, these items should be
Custom coolant overflow Tank Mounted as far back as possible in the engine bay.
battery relocated to Rear Left Tail light section, or atleast behind passenger seat somewhere this offsets driver weight.
Front Wiper bottle swapped for a custom one with pump, and mounted at the Rear Right hand Tail light section of the inside of the car, the Factory Water line runs the whole length of the car around there and can be reveresed to send liquid up front. this corrects weight to the rear, to stop The starlets main weight/crash issue.
BONUS P2
Ktuned shit, buy it all. all of it. its good stuff.