I've been playing around with this solution, and it really is not bad at all! Here are a few things I did in /system in addition to what the OP suggested.
Replaced Canvas Launcher with Zeam Launcher (I found the older version 2.8.8 on Mediafire that supports 2.1 roms.)
Replaced Contacts, ContactsProvider, Dialer, and CallLog with Contacts and ContactsProvider from the latest RBM rom (I hate the T-Mobile implementation of Contacts).
Replaced Music.apk with a more "stock" version so I could get a 4x1 Music widget.
Replaced Superuser.apk with the latest version.
Replaced Maps with the latest version. (Or optionally, just delete Maps to gain space for other things, and then install it again later.)
Replaced the /system/media/bootanimation.zip with something more appealing to me. (green ANDROID with green spinner)
Deleted all the Touchpal Language packs, and replaced those with HanvonCalla IME and CHTpack.apk for Chinese support
Deleted a bunch of other apps/widgets I don't want, which helped create the space I needed for other things.
Here's a link to a collection of those updated apps to save others some time. I included z4root, Link2SD and the boot animation:
http://www.mediafire...rdta4b4o0aowqqv
Also, as the OP says, you are going to need to do a full wipe after you do all this messing around with the files in /system, so plan your steps well. Oh, and in my experience, Link2SD acted strangely when I put it into /system/app. YMMV, but I recommend just a simple install.
My next step will be to edit build.prop, particularly the build.description and fingerprint. So far, yes, it is stable. But yes, it is slower than other roms that have an OC kernel. My verdict is still out on the battery life. So far I haven't been using it as normal (too much time messing with modifications), so it isn't fair to compare it just yet.
Finally, I'd love to get rid of the pink highlights and replace them with a nice "Android green". If I recall correctly, that is a little complicated, but maybe I can follow the instructions others have given to get it done. But if "someone" who already knows how to do it will volunteer, I'd greatly appreciate it.
