I'd hate to see you put all that work in, then realized that you're not going to able to reach the levers at all - you should just be patient and wait for some 66's to pop up and invest. Don;t cheap out, either - experimentation, hydraulic systems and brakes are a deadly combination.
Just allocate the budget and spend it when you find the RIGHT parts.
Why do you need to run the brake line along the handlebars? Just have it poking straight up and invest your time in trying to make them comfy.