Sounds like you can make a real nice 540c ... with a load of rubbish left over 
Case plastics do vary in quality with these machines, some I've come across had quite brittle plastic that scratched easily while others had a much nicer, satin-like feel. Could be overuse too, or UV damage on the plastics.
Where did you get your batteries rebuilt, are you sure they still work? 5x0 machines are the pickest out of all portable Macs in getting batteries to work, so I'd just put in the PPC upgrade as chances are the batteries won't be that useful anyway in a couple of years.
When disassembling, if you need to remove it, be careful with the removable bezel just below the LCD - the clips crack easily if you aren't super careful with them. Have fun lining up the &%$#@ floppy drive and the heatsink - I always put these in incorrectly when taking apart a 5x0.
Good luck restoring, post pics!
JB
Case plastics do vary in quality with these machines, some I've come across had quite brittle plastic that scratched easily while others had a much nicer, satin-like feel. Could be overuse too, or UV damage on the plastics.Where did you get your batteries rebuilt, are you sure they still work? 5x0 machines are the pickest out of all portable Macs in getting batteries to work, so I'd just put in the PPC upgrade as chances are the batteries won't be that useful anyway in a couple of years.
When disassembling, if you need to remove it, be careful with the removable bezel just below the LCD - the clips crack easily if you aren't super careful with them. Have fun lining up the &%$#@ floppy drive and the heatsink - I always put these in incorrectly when taking apart a 5x0.
Good luck restoring, post pics!
JB