I’ve gone this route! Anything with a busted screen is fair game to me, though I haven’t picked up any recently, mostly just tiny/mini/micros (and heavy on the lenovo tiny).
But a custom hacked up laptop can be a great option especially with tight space to work with
Edit: I’m surprised I missed your original post! I did the same, though what I reused was first a lenovo tiny, more recently updated with a digital signage player I picked up that I swapped parts out on - way more fun than a standard console imo!