Safari Rally inspired build, tall and off road capable 6G - GT Options

[Roodwerks]

I haven't ironed out all the plans, most project cars are open to constant change right. I will be converting this very cheap, high mileage car into another dual sport toy. If you dig around on the internet, you can find my other two Toyotas, 1984 Expedition Celica ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSNS9-qponY&t=16s ) and 1993 Lexus SC400 RX. This time around, pulling from my favorite sport of rallying, and favorite event, East African Safari Rally for all my inspiration, with maybe a little bit of Dakar thrown in. I purchased the car for $700, 278K miles on the clock but with a newer head installed not too long ago. With the help of this Forum, lots of research from various sources and encouragement from friends, the project is off to a good start. The red wheels, just not my style and 17" rims aren't going to cut it in the dirt...

Current work finished:
-Maintenance on fuel and ignition system
-debugged wiring to clean up the engine bay and get the cooling fans working properly
-built custom SS header with race CAT and 2-1/2" dump pipe (to pass emissions)
-tossed original struts and cut springs
-installed 1997 Avalon struts and springs for travel and lift (rears are bolt on, front not really at all, used Rav4 tops, etc..)
-2 of 4 custom engine mounts to replace broken OEM versions with Polyurethane

-Jon

[Roodwerks]

A friend and I attempted an epic journey this past week. We got from Phoenix AZ to Capitan NM without issue, via all back highways, no interstates. We then clawed over the mountain to the north of town and down the other side. About 5 miles from the end of the trail/dirt/rock road, the engine started giving up the ghost. We patched, refilled with water and gave the engine time to cool down several times, giving us the forward momentum to make it another 15-20 miles, maybe more. Finally 12 miles from Roswell, I gave up and we got a hold of a tow truck service. 2 days at the local Toyota dealership finally got us the answer, blown head gasket, very worn out engine that won't even start now.
SO - I'm thinking about pushing the changes up a notch. I've been gather the pieces to convert it to AWD anyways. Now I need to figure out which engine swap might be right for me... How cool would a BEAMS on an AWD box be? Or, what about a V6, 1MZ-FE on an AWD box?

Anyone know of a free photo host, would love to share pictures once again??