[MT nester]

The '70s and '80 full size jeeps W/fulltime 4wd had a TH400 trans W/BorgWarner chaindrive aluminum Xfercase. It has a Auborn style limited slip vacuume actuated locking center differential. This tranny/Xfer setup is cheap,strong and plentiful.It comes W/BPOC bellhouse pattern, but it would be easy to put the guts in a GM TH400 and have unlimited engine chouces as long as you wanted a Bowtie.
It hangs down on the passengers side.I think if one could "clock" it so it was next to the tranny instead of below, you could do this without loosing ground clearence. I would use the front suspension off of any IFS 4X4 mini truck. Maybe use it in the rear as well.
If you started with this drivetrain and built a cage frame around it, I think you could manage two passengers
No scratch all that...It will not work
the front diff on any IFS front end is mounted on the centerline of the vehicle. Even though with the setback of the engine, the front diff would be infront of the engine, the front driveshaft would have to go around the engine.