I'll be honest with you, a solid axle swap is a whole lot easier than people make it seem. Some of the more expensive kits out there can have the swap done with as little as 3" of additional lift over stock, and for trucks either 4wd or 2wd. I choose to make my own, using leaf springs over a Dana 44HD, but now, in my buildup I'll be running a Dana 60 with a modified 4 link or inverted 3 link. If you can weld and drill holes, you can do it. Biggest thing is getting all the parts together and getting things rebuilt. Both the front axles I bought where used, and hadn't been touched at all in over 30 years. Toughest part was rebuilding them. As far as an engine goes, your creativity is the limit. I've seen a guy make a mid engine LS1/6 speed in an Integra. I found on Ebay a few days ago a 318CID Detroit 2 stroke(the old screamin Demon), coupled to a Fuller 13 speed going for $1500. He claims everything runs and its only like 2 hours away from me.
Nevrenufhp that pulling site is great! Defiantly gotta get signed up over there when it comes time for performance!