i have a 96 318is with an engine that has over 200k miles and dont really want to deal with that engine anymore, so i figured why not try and get another 4 banger and shove it in there. the sr20det doesnt cost much but still makes great power for less money.i know it sounds dumb, i dont really care thou. my question is does anyone out there think this engine will fit in the car and if you do, how would i go about making this all work?  

i think its a great idea i own a 1995 s14 with an sr20det in it and that motor sees 8000 rpm for a few hours a month drifting in the texas heat and still puts down well over 250 hp the motor is definitely small enough to fit in a 3series chassis (my dad has a 96 328i)
just make sure you buy from a reputable source i got mine from cloudfactory motorsports in houston tx (cloudfactorymotorsports@gmail.com) they told me everything that was wrong with the motor and how to go about rebuilding it. none of those jdm motors are taken out of cars that have been well cared for and in japan its not unheard of to wait for 10,000 miles for an oil change. so there is always work that should be done to an imported motor. some people get lucky and drop in the motor and go but that dosnt mean its the right way to do things.