INUVIK - What do you do after you've driven more than 35,500 km in a homemade solar car, demolishing the Guinness World Record for distance travelled in a sun-powered vehicle?

You set your sights on driving the ice roads to Tuktoyaktuk from Inuvik. And after that take off from Inuvik for Ushuaia, Argentina.

Shown in his solar car at town hall, Marcelo da Luz is looking for sponsors to support his continued journey to Tuktoyaktuk and Ushuaia, Argentina. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

That's the plan Marcelo da Luz has been working on since showcasing his one-of-a-kind vehicle in Inuvik in July. Since then da Luz has been staying at Capital Suites where he is catching up on personal business and trying to plan for both his ice road and South American adventure, which he has scheduled for April 10 and June 21, respectively.

However, he has run out of money and is looking for sponsors. He's currently drafting a business proposal and looking for $360,000 to pay for the six-month journey. He has brought his idea to the town and territorial government. Though they support the idea, the money isn't there. He has met with local business owners who have shown some support and are interested in seeing his business plan.

Da Luz's focus remains the same. Like his cross-continental journey that started in June 2008, he's hoping to bring attention to sustainable energy practices while encouraging people to follow their dreams.

He would like to add an Inuvik flavour, bringing along a message from the town to the communities he'll visit along the way. He'd like the community to decide what that message will be.

"Imagine the media asking me 'where did you come from?,'" he said. "Imagine we say we started the tour in Inuvik. People will learn about Inuvik. Imagine in every city along the way Inuvik will be getting media coverage. That kind of press is incredible."

He also wants to amass a list of sustainable practices used in each community and then post the list on his website.

"Here's an opportunity to educate the world about these great things being done," he said. "I don't want to point fingers at what's wrong with the world. I want to focus on what is the right thing to do. For example, Inuvik has changed from diesel to natural gas, put a ban on plastic bags and implemented a bylaw that reduces idling times."

Virtually all the equipment the Brazilian-born adventurer owns needs repairing or replacing. Kurt Wainman, owner of Northwind Industries, is currently fixing his support van for next to nothing. But da Luz's solar car is up for major upgrading, and he needs a new trailer. Though he has depended on the goodwill of volunteers in the past, he wants to get a paid crew and give himself a small salary to live on so he can pay a few bills.

He said his coming journey to Tuktoyaktuk poses a serious challenge. He's planning to install skis on the vehicle and is trying to design appropriate tires for the 185 km drive. The car doesn't have a heating system and the cockpit is so small he can't wear a parka to fight the bitter cold.

Though he has sacrificed almost everything to pursue his dream, he said he wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

"You know when you climb a mountain and you get to the top of the mountain, then you start looking if there's a higher mountain you can climb. But it's about breaking taboos, getting people to think outside the box."