Thanks for the kind comments!
I've drilled a hole for mounting the VRM on the left side of the chassis, as Case24 has done with his. I just like the look of that power section ground. Don't want to put the VRM there. I really thought about replacing the standby ... I might do that; but I played with the VRM pot, it's got quite a nice switch in its base and seems like a really good part, and I can't see why the pilot light won't work with it, as I read somewhere would be a problem (when the power switch is replaced with the VRM pot). And I like to have a stand-by switch; I find that such a useful thing at rehearsals or jam sessions, don't think I could do without it.
I intend to install everything, but leave the VRM out of the circuit until I'm sure everything else is working. Then I'll wire it in.
For speakers - not sure what the "bbq" situation is, in this forum - but after seriously pestering my three favourite amp fanatics on the MLP forum, again and again and again, and after reading everything I could find on every possible speaker - I've settled on a 4-ohm 10A125 and a 4-ohm 10F150. I have a nice 8-ohm Jensen Jet that I'll use to test the 5E3 (it's very warm and clear with a lot of detail and has a very nice feel - at least, in the modernized BFDR-derivative it's sitting in right now). But I'm excited about the 10" alnico/ceramic experiment. I went with two 4-ohm speakers as I kept on seeing the idea, here and there, that a series connection somehow allows the differences between two dissimilar speakers to ... well, to speak. Whereas a parallel connection, or so the various claims seemed to go, can blur the distinctions. It was an idea of sufficient interest to me that I became willing to give up whatever one gives up by not going with the highest possible impedance per speaker and giving this crazy idea a try. It's only money!
If I survive the assembly, I shall report back on the results.