QUOTE(lordvader129 @ Feb 5 2010, 12:43 PM)

the HD will still be locked, but you can unlock it and it will still boot
and you can replace the dvd-rom with a PC drive, but there are some issues with that, youll need a splitter to get power from the HD plug, and the tray_in, tray_out, disc_in, disc_out signals wont work, so IIRC the only way to get it to read a disc (without wiring up the signal leads to the new drive) is to reboot
I would have thought that if you went to the trouble of compiling a new bios that hdd locking would be left out along with the tray in/out disc in/ out need, i'm thinking of putting the guts of one of my many xbox's into a custom case with a pc dvd rom.