Very interesting project. Steve has a good idea about moving the engine forward and installing a Powerglide trans and they do make a short tail shaft version for dragsters that will allow you to run a longer driveshaft and narrow the tunnel farther forward. If you could live with a V-6 that would allow even more forward engine placement.

And also thinking out of the box, a trans-axle set up like the 1961-63 Pontiac Tempest used a Powerglide (or similar to a Powerglide) attached to the axle driven by a drive shaft from the front mounted engine. Similar to the Corvair but in the case of the Corvair the engine was direct coupled to the trans-axle. And the Corvair engine ran reverse rotation so you might be able to use one of them with the input shaft facing forward. Yes, it would take a lot of engineering, fabrication, and experimenting but these ideas may invoke other more favorable ideas. The link below will show you Pontiac's trans-axle.

https://www.ebay.com/i/113106573187?...SABEgIOXvD_BwE