I did not read all 25 pages, so sorry if this has already been mentioned.
Why don't you grab the source from Chromiume and build a customized browser out of that? I'm a FireFox user so I doubt I would use it, but you can also grab the source and make a FireFox like customized browser. In fact there is GNU version that should be rather easy to customize called IceCat. I'm only suggesting these because I didn't see the need or reason to make a new browser, if it lacks basic features and the only added benefit is PCLinuxOS branding I wouldn't see a point in using it.
Not sure, but I think Chromiume also supports theme/skins. Why not start out just making some PCLinuxOS theme/skins for popular browsers?
The original aim of the project it to create a PCLinuxOS branded light browser
in that respect Chromium-Browser, & Firefox/Xulrunner based are wayy to big to consider , we have a browser code based on webkit that kinda works , but is not quite what the vision should be.
IF I were to use another browser to base from it wold likely be surf, although tbh xxxterm (great browser) is filling in all the blanks for me atm (if you want to try it wait for version 1.81 to reach the repo
Jase