200usd will buy you a nice EVO sized IC core on Ebay. Since you're not afraid to DIY, fitting it should not be a terribly big problem.
This is mine, core is 22x10x3", 27" end to end. Roughly twice the volume of the stock IC core, 17x7x2.5", IIRC.
Edited to add: on a D40 with an FMIC and...