New project **V8** for YOTA need all the advice I can get...!!!

Well I've had this '84 single cab 4X4(22R) yota for about 5 years now....and its been a great lil truck....since I've owned it all its been is a toy to play in the mud with. I can only remember once since I put the new tires on(37" bias buckshot mudders) that its been stuck. So it has done its job but I wanna go bigger.....

So I just bought a 302 that I wanna slip in it....I've done some searching on here and I've found some people that have done this....from what I've found out is I can put the 302 in with a C4 tranny with the adapter...keep stock axles and be fine(found a guy with the same setup and has won twice in some type of mudding event...but I emailed him and haven't got a response). Of course later I would change the gears just for the added power in the mud. I guess one of my questions would be how is this automatic tranny gonna perform in the mud....the only reason I ask is because now with the 4cyl...1st gear in 4X4 low it will crawl through whatever I want....am I gonna lose that with the automatic...??

I'm sure there is gonna be some custom fab work in order to make the motor and tranny bolt up in the truck but nothing a cutting torch and welding machine can't fix....so if anyone knows someone I can email or call to find out exactly what I need and how to do this project it would be greatly appreciated....thanks in advance.